Separate Email Access - Newbie Needs Help

[JW]

I need some help! First of all, I'm an Outlook Express user, and have no
experience with Outlook, so the KISS approach is appreciated.

My preacher has asked me to help him with his computer, which runs XP Home
and IE 7.0. He uses Outlook for his email, and would like to completely
separate his email from his wife's email. Each has their own email account,
with both currently dumping into the same Outlook inbox. Password access is
not an issue. In fact, one will probably regularly check the other's email,
so convenience is important. They just want to be able to check the accounts
individually, without checking the other's email account, with emails
staying separate, have separate address books, etc. I don't have a clue
where to start.

1) Does Outlook have "identities" like OE? If so, is that a good solution?
Will that provide separate folders and address book?

2) Can I set her up with OE and leave him on Outlook? If I do that, does
that keep the emails separated? Good idea/bad idea?

3) They do not use "User Accounts" when they start up their computer,
instead turn it on and go. I would prefer to avoid User Accounts unless
that's the only option, or at least by far the best one.

Your feedback and advice is very much appreciated. Thanks, JW

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

I need some help! First of all, I'm an Outlook Express user, and have no
experience with Outlook, so the KISS approach is appreciated.

My preacher has asked me to help him with his computer, which runs XP Home
and IE 7.0. He uses Outlook for his email,

What version of Outlook?

and would like to completely separate his email from his wife's email.
Each has their own email account, with both currently dumping into the
same Outlook inbox. Password access is not an issue. In fact, one will
probably regularly check the other's email, so convenience is important.
They just want to be able to check the accounts individually, without
checking the other's email account, with emails staying separate, have
separate address books, etc. I don't have a clue where to start.

1) Does Outlook have "identities" like OE? If so, is that a good solution?
Will that provide separate folders and address book?

Outlook uses "profiles" as the closest analogue to OE's identities. Each
mail profile can reference folder sets completely separate from those
referenced by other profiles. A single profile can contain zero or more
mail accounts (which is what you have currently - two accounts in one
profile). All of the POP mail accounts in a single profile share a folder
set, unless you're using Outlook 2007, where you can direct Outlook to store
the incoming and outgoing messages in account-specific Inbox and Sent Items
folders. IMAP and HTTP accounts (like Hotmail) always have their own folder
sets.

The best practice is for each individual to have his or her own Windows
username. That way, not only does each person's mail stay separate, all of
their individual data files (i.e., what they keep in My Documents) is also
completely separate.

2) Can I set her up with OE and leave him on Outlook? If I do that, does
that keep the emails separated? Good idea/bad idea?

Absolutely. Mail would be separate for sure. You will run into a problem
though. Only one mail program can be configured as the default mail program
and OE and Outlook will fight about it unless you choose one or the other
and tell the one not chosen to butt out. If the one whose mail program is
not the default clicks a mailto URL or an e-mail address in a document or on
the Internet, the default mail program will open instead of the one they
want.

3) They do not use "User Accounts" when they start up their computer,
instead turn it on and go. I would prefer to avoid User Accounts unless
that's the only option, or at least by far the best one.

In my opinion, it is by far the best one. Two mail profiles, however, is
the second best choice.

You said they each have separate mail addresses, but the question still
remains whether or not those two addresses receive incoming mail into
separate mailboxes on the server. If the usernames and passwords used to
log into the mail server are the same for both addresses, they really aren't
two addresses, but aliases of a single address and Outlook (or any other
mail client) will download all of the mail in the mailbox, by default. You
can configure Outlook to delete mail not intended for the person dowing the
download, so that problem can be addressed, but it does add some to the
complexity.

 

[JW]

What version of Outlook?


Outlook uses "profiles" as the closest analogue to OE's identities. Each
mail profile can reference folder sets completely separate from those
referenced by other profiles. A single profile can contain zero or more
mail accounts (which is what you have currently - two accounts in one
profile). All of the POP mail accounts in a single profile share a folder
set, unless you're using Outlook 2007, where you can direct Outlook to
store the incoming and outgoing messages in account-specific Inbox and
Sent Items folders. IMAP and HTTP accounts (like Hotmail) always have
their own folder sets.

The best practice is for each individual to have his or her own Windows
username. That way, not only does each person's mail stay separate, all
of their individual data files (i.e., what they keep in My Documents) is
also completely separate.


Absolutely. Mail would be separate for sure. You will run into a problem
though. Only one mail program can be configured as the default mail
program and OE and Outlook will fight about it unless you choose one or
the other and tell the one not chosen to butt out. If the one whose mail
program is not the default clicks a mailto URL or an e-mail address in a
document or on the Internet, the default mail program will open instead of
the one they want.


In my opinion, it is by far the best one. Two mail profiles, however, is
the second best choice.

You said they each have separate mail addresses, but the question still
remains whether or not those two addresses receive incoming mail into
separate mailboxes on the server. If the usernames and passwords used to
log into the mail server are the same for both addresses, they really
aren't two addresses, but aliases of a single address and Outlook (or any
other mail client) will download all of the mail in the mailbox, by
default. You can configure Outlook to delete mail not intended for the
person dowing the download, so that problem can be addressed, but it does
add some to the complexity.

Thanks Brian, that was extremely helpful. I'm not sure what version of
Outlook, I'll need to check that. I also know their emails are separate
accounts (not aliases) because I helped to create them originally. You've
about convinced me that user accounts are the way to go. It certainly sounds
more straightforward. Now, if I can just convince them. Again, thanks very
much.

 

[DL]

Create a new Outlook Profile and configure that profile with an individuals
mail account and a new data file, set it to prompt for profile
(Use the Mail Applet in the control panel to create the profile)

Then on the origonal Profile remove the account you used on the new Profile
The mail & all other data will then be completely seperate.
BTW This only works if the mail accounts are truly individual, and not
catchall accounts.

You cannot switch Profiles like Identities in OE, you have to close Outlook,
then restart in the required Profile

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]]

Thanks Brian, that was extremely helpful. I'm not sure what version of
Outlook, I'll need to check that. I also know their emails are separate
accounts (not aliases) because I helped to create them originally. You've
about convinced me that user accounts are the way to go. It certainly
sounds more straightforward. Now, if I can just convince them. Again,
thanks very much.

Even with separate Windows logins, if the two mail addresses are aliases,
you'll still have problems because both users will still be accessing the
same mailbox.