Using single Email addy with multiple user profiles in XP.

[bjornkeizers]

Hello all,

I have a really annoying problem and I think some of you should be able to help me with it. We upgraded to a new PC with win XP yesterday, but I ran into an annoying problem.

We have several profiles on the PC; one for my mom, dad, brother, sister etc. but the old folks use a single family address.

But!

If my mom checks her Email, the email goes to her acoount. Now if my dad checks it, he doesn't see the email - because it's on the other profile.

Does anyone have an idea how I can fix it so all users can use that single email address from their own profile?

[Janak Parekh]

Assuming you're using Outlook Express:

One solution, obviously, is to use one profile.

Another one is to change the setting of the Outlook Express store folder so that both point to the same set of folders.

This option is in Tools => Options => Advanced => Store Folder.

One warning: you might want to turn off Fast User Switching, otherwise you might have two Outlook Express processes, one per user, manipulating the same set of data files, which might lead to corruption. This whole arrangement is rather unofficial. ;)

--janak

[Pat Logsdon]

I could be wrong, but I think the problem is related to the email program you're using. If it's set to remove the mail from the server after it's read, no one else can read it. This should be a simple flag that you can flip - at least it is on the program I use: The Bat.

If you switch this setting off, one of the users will have to manually delete the mail, but at least everyone would be able to see it. In The Bat, you can move a piece of mail to the trash, and when that user closes the program, the trash is emptied, and the contents are removed from the server. Good way to get rid of spam, but leave messages for other people to read. 8)

[Janak Parekh]

I could be wrong, but I think the problem is related to the email program you're using. If it's set to remove the mail from the server after it's read, no one else can read it. This should be a simple flag that you can flip - at least it is on the program I use: The Bat.
Ah, that's a good point. OE also supports this ("Leave mail on server"). My "solution" lets you have the exact same set of mail folders, which may be less desirable. Why didn't I think of the obvious solution first? :roll:

--janak

[Jason Dunn]

Do you have the option of using IMAP? That's a better solution than POP in this instance IMO.

[bjornkeizers]

Yes I use OE [doesn't everyone? :D ]

I'll try fiddling with the settings a bit. If I set it to not remove read mails, how do my mails get deleted then? Server side? If I use the same folder I could prevent this?

The Email account in question is an account with an ISP - and I *think* I can only use it with POP..

I read on a forum elsewhere [found it through google] that some settings are saved in a certain file.. I think it's something with .pst or something like that? Each profile has one of these. According to some guy, if you copy this file to a non-profile location and set it so that each profile uses this same file, it works just as if you had one profile.

Headaches, headaches, headaches.. what a way to start off the new year :D

[Jason Dunn]

PST's are from Outlook, not Outlook Express, so that method won't work I'm afraid...Outlook Express uses a messy collection of DBX files that can corrupt quite easily.

[ctmagnus]

This may or may not work, so don't blame me if the whole setup goes kablooey:

Login to one of the profiles, open OE, click on Tools, Options, Maintenance tab, click on the Store Folder button and make note of the path given. It should be something like "C:\Documents and Settings\Chris\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{FA9765BA-4995-41F1-8130-95A294F72CE1}\Microsoft\Outlook Express" but the username will probably be different and the CLSID (the really long string between the {}s) will possibly be different.

Logout and login as the other user. Repeat the above steps only clicking Change in the final step and specifying the location noted above.

Then hopefully it will work like you want, but I can't guarantee anything. ;)

Edit: you may want to make a backup first, in case it does go kablooey.

[Janak Parekh]

I'll try fiddling with the settings a bit. If I set it to not remove read mails, how do my mails get deleted then? Server side? If I use the same folder I could prevent this?
There is an option to "delete mails when deleted from your local folder". Of course, this presumes that one of the two parties doesn't actually delete the email.

Otherwise, the "identical folders" trick as ctmagnus and I pointed out might do what you want, but as Jason implies, be careful, and backup before you do anything. :)

--janak

[bjornkeizers]

Backups? We don't need no stinkin' backups! :D

Of course I'm always careful, don't be silly. :lol: