winXP and win98 and pegasus mail

[pdc124]

I want to share an email client with access from either a laptop
(WinXPHome) or a desktop.

Ive installed the app on the win98 machine and shared the relevant
folder with read/write access and then created a shortcut to it
(\\win98machine\pmail\Programs) and add it to the winXP laptop.
When I try to run the app from the XP machine i get a 'reinstall this
program' error message .

Is there a problem with WInXPHome/Win98 and running exe files across a
networked connection?

I cant come up with any other explanation.

How do i fix this ?

or is there a way of running OUtlook express in a similar way - ie
common access to folders/adressbooks etc ona 2 computer network.

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

I want to share an email client with access from either a laptop
(WinXPHome) or a desktop.

Ive installed the app on the win98 machine and shared the relevant
folder with read/write access and then created a shortcut to it
(\\win98machine\pmail\Programs) and add it to the winXP laptop.
When I try to run the app from the XP machine i get a 'reinstall this
program' error message .

Is there a problem with WInXPHome/Win98 and running exe files across a
networked connection?

I cant come up with any other explanation.

How do i fix this ?

or is there a way of running OUtlook express in a similar way - ie
common access to folders/adressbooks etc ona 2 computer network.

In general, it isn't possible to install a program on one computer and
run that program from a second computer. The second computer won't
have the necessary support files and configuration information
(registry entries) that the installation process creates.

Here's a method that might work:

1. On the Win98 machine, share the folder where Pegasus stores its
data files. That might be different than the folder where it stores
its program files.

2. Install Pegasus on the XP machine, and configure it to use the
shared Win98 folder for its data files.

I haven't tried it, so I don't know whether it will work. If you try
it, don't run Pegasus simultaneously on both computers -- that would
almost certainly corrupt the data storage.

Here's another possible way to do what you want:

1. Install Pegasus on both computers. Don't share any folders.

2. Configure your E-mail account(s) to use IMAP, so that messages are
stored on the E-mail server and not on either computer. Both
computers will see the same messages.

3. If Your E-mail account(s) can't use IMAP, configure them to use POP
and to leave messages on the server. Both computers will see the same
incoming messages.

Here's one last method that will work for all types of E-mail
accounts:

1. Install Pegasus on one of the computers.

2. Install a remote control program, such as RealVNC, on both
computers.

3. When you want to access E-mail from the second computer, use the
remote control program to access the first computer.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[pdc124]

Ive tried the first method - with seprate installations pointing to a
common directory holding emails addressbooks etc

On the XPbox I get the pegasus mail splash screen and then it hangs.
Task Manager shows 98% CPU usage - seemingly indefinitely . But it
doesnt slow down other running apps really significantly (?)

ive done this sort of thing before on a win98/win98 NW and it worked
'out of the box'

I suspect its something to do with how winXPHome shares files and
executable permissions

I currently use tightVNC server on the win98 box and access it from a
tightVNC client - but less than ideal arranegment.


Havent gone the IMAP route yet - im a believer in KeepItSimpleStu***8 -
particularly as this is for my 80 yr old parents.

There must be a way of finding out ( or checking) the file permissions
on an XP share - but how ?

and how do I chmod 777 ;-) the shared folder

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

In general, it isn't possible to install a program on one computer and
run that program from a second computer. The second computer won't
have the necessary support files and configuration information
(registry entries) that the installation process creates.

Here's a method that might work:

1. On the Win98 machine, share the folder where Pegasus stores its
data files. That might be different than the folder where it stores
its program files.

2. Install Pegasus on the XP machine, and configure it to use the
shared Win98 folder for its data files.

I haven't tried it, so I don't know whether it will work. If you try
it, don't run Pegasus simultaneously on both computers -- that would
almost certainly corrupt the data storage.

Here's another possible way to do what you want:

1. Install Pegasus on both computers. Don't share any folders.

2. Configure your E-mail account(s) to use IMAP, so that messages are
stored on the E-mail server and not on either computer. Both
computers will see the same messages.

3. If Your E-mail account(s) can't use IMAP, configure them to use POP
and to leave messages on the server. Both computers will see the same
incoming messages.

Here's one last method that will work for all types of E-mail
accounts:

1. Install Pegasus on one of the computers.

2. Install a remote control program, such as RealVNC, on both
computers.

3. When you want to access E-mail from the second computer, use the
remote control program to access the first computer.

Ive tried the first method - with seprate installations pointing to a
common directory holding emails addressbooks etc

On the XPbox I get the pegasus mail splash screen and then it hangs.
Task Manager shows 98% CPU usage - seemingly indefinitely . But it
doesnt slow down other running apps really significantly (?)

ive done this sort of thing before on a win98/win98 NW and it worked
'out of the box'

I suspect its something to do with how winXPHome shares files and
executable permissions

I currently use tightVNC server on the win98 box and access it from a
tightVNC client - but less than ideal arranegment.


Havent gone the IMAP route yet - im a believer in KeepItSimpleStu***8 -
particularly as this is for my 80 yr old parents.

There must be a way of finding out ( or checking) the file permissions
on an XP share - but how ?

and how do I chmod 777 ;-) the shared folder[/QUOTE]

You're welcome.

I don't think that you're seeing a permission problem. A permission
problem should result in an error message. A shared Win98 folder
doesn't have any permissions beyond read/write.

Sharing E-mail storage between two computers is always dicey unless
the application was specifically designed to support sharing.

I think that the simplest solution would be to install Pegasus on both
computers and configure the E-mail account(s) to leave incoming
messages on the server.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[pdc124]

the exact error message is
"\\win98box\pmail\Programs\winpm-32.exe
This application has failed to start because the application
configuration is incorrect .Reinstalling the application may fix this
problem"


If its not file permissions problem , then what is it ?

Ive done it this way before in a win98/win98 setup

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

the exact error message is
"\\win98box\pmail\Programs\winpm-32.exe
This application has failed to start because the application
configuration is incorrect .Reinstalling the application may fix this
problem"


If its not file permissions problem , then what is it ?

Ive done it this way before in a win98/win98 setup

That's definitely not a permissions problem.

I think that the application can't run on the WinXP computer because
it isn't installed on the WinXP computer. Trying to run an
application that's installed on another computer rarely works, for
reasons that I already mentioned.

Trying to share E-mail storage between computers is unlikely to work
unless the app was specifically designed to support it.

I'd install Pegasus on both computers and configure it to leave
messages on the server. That's as simple and reliable as it gets.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Ian]

Reason you're getting these problems is not because Pegasus can't run
from the other computer -it's actually designed to be run from a
server like this. In fact it's one of the few properly network-aware
email clients.

The way to do this is to setup Pegasus so it looks for the mailstore
on a network share. Create a share (e.g. PMAILBOX) on a suitable
computer containing your mailbox. This share should contain a folder
named afer youir account, and the PMAIL.USR file.

The program can be run from anywhere, so either copy it to Program
Files of each machine, or else share it. Now, in the Pegasus program
folder, delete or rename the PMAIL.CFG file. When it's next started
it will assume a new install, and ask you where the mailstore is
located. Answer "Network setup" (third option) and point it to the UNC
path of the share you've created. (the root of the share containing
PMAIL.USR, not your mailfolder.)

To start the program so it always opens the same mailbox (and doesn't
ask) create a shortcut using the commandline:

winpm-32 -i <mailboxname>

Pegasus is a really fine program, its only major limitation is that
the "leave messages on server" option doesn't seem to work properly
with many ISPs. - You end-up getting the same messages again and
again... But for LAN users it's infinitely more functional than the
likes of OE.

Hope this helps, Ian.

http://mylogon.net

 

[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Reason you're getting these problems is not because Pegasus can't run
from the other computer -it's actually designed to be run from a
server like this. In fact it's one of the few properly network-aware
email clients.

The way to do this is to setup Pegasus so it looks for the mailstore
on a network share. Create a share (e.g. PMAILBOX) on a suitable
computer containing your mailbox. This share should contain a folder
named afer youir account, and the PMAIL.USR file.

The program can be run from anywhere, so either copy it to Program
Files of each machine, or else share it. Now, in the Pegasus program
folder, delete or rename the PMAIL.CFG file. When it's next started
it will assume a new install, and ask you where the mailstore is
located. Answer "Network setup" (third option) and point it to the UNC
path of the share you've created. (the root of the share containing
PMAIL.USR, not your mailfolder.)

To start the program so it always opens the same mailbox (and doesn't
ask) create a shortcut using the commandline:

winpm-32 -i <mailboxname>

Pegasus is a really fine program, its only major limitation is that
the "leave messages on server" option doesn't seem to work properly
with many ISPs. - You end-up getting the same messages again and
again... But for LAN users it's infinitely more functional than the
likes of OE.

Hope this helps, Ian.

http://mylogon.net

Thanks for those details, Ian. I had said that sharing E-mail storage
between computers is unlikely to work unless the app was specifically
designed to support it, and it looks like Pegasus was designed for
that. Can it handle a case where multiple computers are modifying the
mail store at the same time?

It's a shame that "leave messages on server" doesn't work properly.
Does Pegasus handle IMAP servers properly? If so, the simplest
solution could be to forget about sharing the program on the network,
install Pegasus on both computers, and access the incoming mail server
using IMAP on both computers. Then, each computer can access E-mail
completely independently of the other computer.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Program
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Ian]

Can it handle a case where multiple computers are modifying the
mail store at the same time?

No, doing so is likely to cause folder-indexing problems. However
it's envisaged that the two computers would have different logged-on
usrers so that wouldn't normally arise. The mailstore can have
multiple mailbox-folders, of course.

It's a shame that "leave messages on server" doesn't work properly.
Does Pegasus handle IMAP servers properly?

Yes, although it works best with a permanent connection to the IMAP
server. If it's on DSL this shoudl be fine, for dialup or roving users
it's not quite so convenient. For small sites this is often the
simplest arrangement as obviates the need for a local mailserver.