Networking Outlook

[Bagwash]

I have a PC running Win 7 & Outlook 2010; also a laptop that can only handle XP, but has Outlook 2010. I have a workgroup networked, and would like to use both machines to access and use emails. It doesn't seem to be possible to download onto both - once the first machine has downloaded an email from my ISP (virginmedia), the email seems to be marked as having been downloaded and hence won't subsequently download to the other. The network won't allow me to share the Outlook folder on the PC with the laptop (though document files etc are shared)

Any suggestions? - will be gratefully received.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

Outlook should see the mail as long as you are leaving it on the server after downloading from the other machine. But if Virginmedia is doing something to keep outlook from re-downloading it, do they support IMAP? That is usually the best option for reading mail on two computers.

 

[Bagwash]

Emails are saved on the server for 31 days. But thanks for this: I'll try IMAP, but will have to suss out what it is first! Looks as though it's just as alternative to POP3 as far as set-up is concerned? But very grateful to you.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

It's rare for servers to not server up messages already downloaded - that is usually the responsiblity of the mail client and haven't seen a server do it in years. Are you sharing the pst between computer? The file outlook tracks downloaded messages with is stored in outlook's pst file and outlook 2010 may be able to read it.

IMAP is a server based account - its set up the same way, but you can't 'convert' the pop account to imap, you need to make a new account in outlook. Not everyone likes it - so you might want to add it to one outlook (maybe the one that is not downloading all messages) and see if you like it. You can leave both the pop and imap accounts in your profile while you are deciding.