Synchronizing Email on Two Machines

[chadmg]

I'm one of those people that keeps all of my non-spam emails. I just like having a record of all correspondence, incoming and outgoing. I just got my first laptop and I am having a problem deciding how to handle my email. I do not have an Exchange Server and I use POP. I am currently using Opera's M2 for email but I could easily switch back to Outlook if I could synch pst files between computers. How have you handled this problem?

[Terabytes]

have you tried exporting your .pst from one to the other?

export the file...then import the same file into the second machine..

there are options when importing the .pst in order to avoid duplicate entrys into the existing entrys/data on the second machine...

Just my 2 cents...

8-)

[japhilps]

Last year was asked about that issue by a traveling salesman who wanted to "sync up" PST's with his secretary back at the office...

They independently added Contacts and sent and received mail associated with the same POP account.

I sent them a link to this site describing a technique using Microsoft's Briefcase.

[slipstick.com...]

After a couple false starts, I'm told they were able to get it working O.K.

Hope this helps.

[Jon_King]

I have the same issues. You still have to import the PST everytime you want current data. There must be an automated way to do this. I wish a Microsoft tech would weigh in on this topic.

[stevenmusumeche]

I know you said that you use POP, but switching to IMAP, if possible, will fix all of your problems.

[drbrain]

Yes, POP is the wrong protocol for this. Use IMAP.

[Custodian]

Many ISPs do not support IMAP.

I import/export .pst files.

[chadmg]

My host does not support IMAP so it's not an option for me. There are some cheesy looking 3rd party add-ons that will supposedly synch your pst files. But I am relunctant to try them just yet. I am surprised that Microsoft hasn't implemented a solution, since they've addressed it since Office 97. I guess they just want you to buy an Exchange Server.

Do you really export your .pst file everytime you quit Outlook and import the pst file everytime you start it? That's way too cumbersome for me.

Another solution that works for some is to just leave the mail on the server. That way you will at least get all of your incoming mail at all computers. However, it is important to me to have a record of all sent mail on each computer as well.

With Opera, there is a setting to change your mail directory, so you can set it to a network drive. But when you can't see your network you can't see your mail. This might be the best solution for me right now. It's still disappointing though.

[wruk999]

With Opera, there is a setting to change your mail directory, so you can set it to a network drive. But when you can't see your network you can't see your mail.

I have done this with Outlook. I cant remember exactly how, but I think I just "opened" the .pst file from a network drive.
Now i have it setup that if I logon at anyone of my network machines, I get the exact same emails, incoming and outgoing.

It works for me, but I am based in one office. If I weren't, I would probably not be able to accomplish it.

wruk999

[Tsuren]

The simplest way is to leave messages on the server for several days after receiving. Two computers will grab them simultaneously. Good side: it's very simple. Bad side: it does not work for outgoing emails.

[bill]

Importing and exporting pst files won't work...not if you have any filtering rules in place which move mail to different folders (other than the Inbox). If you do then you will have to reset all of those rules every time you copy over the pst file.

IMAP support in Outlook is notoriously bad. I tried this on several ISPs with Outlook 2003, and the results were disappointing. I had to go back to POP.

The briefcase doesn't officially support pst files to my knowledge. I know there are hack/work-arounds, but then you run into problems again with existing filters/rules.

I'm at the point where I am thinking about trying one of those 3rd party apps. Buying Exchange is out of the question.

[drbrain]

A pst file is designed for local storage. Exchange is MS' answer for remote access to a common view (it is equivalent to IMAP in functionality). Synchronizing local mailboxes is the wrong end of the problem to try to fix.

You can easily search on Google and find multiple free or small fee IMAP services.

[stevenmusumeche]

You are trying to reinvent the wheel with all this .pst sync stuff. Just use IMAP, the protocal that was created for this very purpose. Use Thunderbird as your mail client and you'll have a record of all sent and received mail. If your host doesn't have IMAP, then try changing your MX record so that mail can be received via a different host. There are very cheap ways to do this out there.