I run Outlook on a desktop and laptop. Both are set to save messages on
server. I consider the desktop the "master" and periodically I want to
copy its PST file to the laptop. However when I do, the next time I
receive on the laptop I re-download huge numbers of message (everything
still on the server perhaps?) and end up with a huge duplicate problem.

What can I do about this? And how does the unseen-message info work,
anyway?

TIA for any advice...

Michael Kairys wrote:

I run Outlook on a desktop and laptop. Both are set to save messages
on server. I consider the desktop the "master" and periodically I
want to copy its PST file to the laptop. However when I do, the next
time I receive on the laptop I re-download huge numbers of message
(everything still on the server perhaps?) and end up with a huge
duplicate problem.

What can I do about this?

Nothing. Each PC keeps track on its own of the messages that have been
downloaded and that information is not tied to the PST in any way. I
believe it's kept in the mail profile in the Registry, not it's hard to say
because Microsoft hasn't published that info.
--
Brian Tillman

...that information is not tied to the PST in any way...

Yes, so I thought... But the messsages the laptop downloads after I
copy the desktop's PST to it are ones it has already downloaded (hence
the duplication).

I suppose Outlook could sense something different about thePST file
(smell?) and decide to reset its unseen message, wherever it is; in
which case, as you say, I can do nothing.

I have to ask, is there no work around?
What if he chose to import the pst without duplicates or something along
those lines, on to the laptop?
Also uncertain to me is he referring to something like exchange server or
his ISP's?
It would seem that if he set his desktop to delete messages from the server,
when he replaced the pst file on his laptop everything would be fine. Except
maybe messages that only existed on the laptop where he might again import
non-duplicates.

Or is this a bunch of "if you touch it, you break it!"
Which will bring me to a post of my own if I don't find the answer with my
searching.

Norman

"Brian Tillman" wrote in message
...
Michael Kairys wrote:

I run Outlook on a desktop and laptop. Both are set to save messages
on server. I consider the desktop the "master" and periodically I
want to copy its PST file to the laptop. However when I do, the next
time I receive on the laptop I re-download huge numbers of message
(everything still on the server perhaps?) and end up with a huge
duplicate problem.

What can I do about this?

Nothing. Each PC keeps track on its own of the messages that have been
downloaded and that information is not tied to the PST in any way. I
believe it's kept in the mail profile in the Registry, not it's hard to
say
because Microsoft hasn't published that info.
--
Brian Tillman

Norman wrote:

I have to ask, is there no work around?

As you mention, if he chooses to remove the messages from the server for one
machine, then of curse the other won't download them because they won't be
there. If he syncs his PST back and forth between the two machines, there
should be no problem.

Also uncertain to me is he referring to something like exchange server or
his ISP's?

The OP's talking about a POP/SMTP account.
--
Brian Tillman

Thanks for clearing the first part, no mass downloading of duplicates.

Keeping them synced might get a bit trickier. That is collecting data such
as sent on one machine but not the other or journaling or other functions
possibly seems trickier. I haven't dug deeply but I haven't seen where my
ISP has a sent folder for items I send unless I do it with html online and
maybe choose to do it from there. And still it may only exist on the server
unless I choose to send a copy to myself.
And so it might work in some fashion to send a copy to self of everything
from outlook. But then inbox might start to look a mess without some sort of
filtering.

What would you suggest for keeping the master pst fully synced?

Thanks
Norman

"Brian Tillman" wrote in message
...
Norman wrote:

I have to ask, is there no work around?

As you mention, if he chooses to remove the messages from the server for
one
machine, then of curse the other won't download them because they won't be
there. If he syncs his PST back and forth between the two machines, there
should be no problem.

Also uncertain to me is he referring to something like exchange server
or
his ISP's?

The OP's talking about a POP/SMTP account.
--
Brian Tillman

Norman wrote:

Keeping them synced might get a bit trickier. That is collecting data
such as sent on one machine but not the other or journaling or other
functions possibly seems trickier. I haven't dug deeply but I haven't
seen where my ISP has a sent folder for items I send unless I do it
with html online and maybe choose to do it from there.

And that's not too hard to understand. SMTP (and POP, for that matter) has
no concept of folders. If there is a Sent Items folder, it is strictly a
client construct. If you're using a web interface to an ISP, then the web
server that accesses your mailbox is performing client duties and it may
provide for a Sent Items folder on the ISP's server, but the SMTP and POP
processes have no way of knowing about it.

And still it
may only exist on the server unless I choose to send a copy to myself.
And so it might work in some fashion to send a copy to self of
everything from outlook. But then inbox might start to look a mess
without some sort of filtering.

What would you suggest for keeping the master pst fully synced?

Well, the method I described in my prior post would do that if you're
disciplined and make sure you use the same PST from each machine by copying
it back and forth and going through the process of adding into Outlook
properly. However, that's tedious and one of the commercial sync tools at
http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/sync.htm may be a better approach.
--
Brian Tillman