Outlook Express over a network...

rcraig

Senior member
Jan 3, 2001
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How do you specify to Outlook Express to save mail/settings on a computer besides the local hard drive? We have two computers at home, and would like to check emails on the second one but save the emails on the first, so we can check our email from either computer without having two sets of files.

Within OE I tried redirecting the message store folder on computer #2 to look at the message store folder on computer #1, but it wouldn't let me click ok (greyed out.) I then tried changing this setting in the registry to point to computer #1 but I then received an illegal operation message when starting OE. I also tried creating a shortcut on #2 from OE on #1 but when I clicked the shortcut I got an error message about not being able to load a .dll file.

Can this be done with OE? If so how?

Thanks,
RCraig
 

SaX0N

Senior member
Mar 2, 2001
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i too would be interested in this
as it would be usefull to be able to read email and there archives from other pcs in the house and not have to worry bout messages being around everywere
 

Workin'

Diamond Member
Jan 10, 2000
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<< Can this be done with OE? >>

I'm 99.9% sure it is impossible. OE is not designed as a multiuser application. Neither is Outlook, unless you also run Exchange Server.
 

rcraig

Senior member
Jan 3, 2001
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If you install Internet mail with Outlook you can direct where to store the .pst files, and you can set up profiles in Outlook so maybe I should look at changing to this.

My wife and I use profiles in OE, and you can direct where the store folder is, I just couldn't get it to point over a network to a file used by two different machines.
 

Workin'

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Jan 10, 2000
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If you use Outlook (not Express) it is easy to point to a .pst file over the network. But 2 users can't access it at the same time. If you set it up this way Outlook can only run on 1 machine at a time. Your e-mail will go to your inbox and her e-mail will go to her inbox but you both can see the other's stuff and again, only 1 user at a time.
 

rcraig

Senior member
Jan 3, 2001
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Can't you use profiles in Outlook to establist two separate pst files where it prompts who you are at the start? Then it wouldn't matter which computer we use, just as long as I don't open my profile on both computers. I could use #1, and at the same time she could use #2. Later if she was on #1, I could use #2. The separate profiles look to separate pst folders so each file would only be accessed by one computer at a time.
 

Workin'

Diamond Member
Jan 10, 2000
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<< Can't you use profiles in Outlook to establist two separate pst files where it prompts who you are at the start? >>

Hmmm, I don't recall ever seeing that. But...it's been a long day....hmmm....can't say I've ever heard of that. But I guess that doesn't necessarily mean there isn't such a thing, there's lots of stuff I've never seen before. Let us know if it works that way, OK?
 

rcraig

Senior member
Jan 3, 2001
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At my last job we had two people sharing a computer and it would prompt who they were and then link to the appropriate .pst/.pab file, just like user manager in OE. I now have office 97 and my new job has 2000 so I want to wait until I can get a copy of 2000 before I'll set this up. I'll try tommorrow, but in theory it should work.

I always liked OE because it was easy to use, and I read on another thread about how to change the information store in OE, so I thought I could get it to work like Outlook, but I guess no dice over a network. Just hoped some one knew a tip I didn't think of. I know I can make Outlook work so I guess this will make me take the plunge into Outlook. Time to update my anti-virus files. ;)