How can I share 1 internet e-mail account between 2 PC's?

[Guest]

Hi. This has been a long time problem, and I'm finally getting around to asking for more help online. Here is the scenerio

My folks have a SMALL business. They run Windows XP on their PC's, as well as Office XP. As a result, they both have Outlook

They have ONE e-mail address to which business send e-mails. This account is used for replying to customers, checking new e-mails, etc. This is the KEY part

However, they each have a separate PC at their desk, and they want to BOTH be able to read and send e-mails to customers throughout the day

I know this is possible with Exchange, but they really aren't big enough or have enough requirements to implement an exchange server. Especially since they just have a simple comcast e-mail address

Currently they use a .pst file to do their business. But one must exit e-mail before the other can use it, and for over a year we've needed a better answer. But I've never found a systems administrator, IT professional, or anyone else that can suggest a way to do what they request without Exchange Server. And while I'm good with operating systems, and can handle creating a Domain Server, Exchange Servers have always seemed difficult without any included documentation and frankly... out of my league

So what is my best approach? Has Outlook 2003 added any features that would solve this issue? Is there another program I can look at to solve the problem? Any help is appreciated!

 

[Charles Summers]

Set up the same accounts on each machine. Just be sure not to delete the
messages from the server until you've receive the mailings on both
computers. I just set mine up to remove the messages after a certain period
of days.

In Outlook, click on Tools/E-Mail Accounts/View or Change>Next/Select
account then choose change/Click on More Settings/Advanced tab/Click the box
under delivery.

Do this on both computers.

On the connection settings, be sure to use the suppliers out-going mail
server. Comcast is smtp.comcast.net

Hi. This has been a long time problem, and I'm finally getting around to

asking for more help online. Here is the scenerio:

My folks have a SMALL business. They run Windows XP on their PC's, as

well as Office XP. As a result, they both have Outlook.

They have ONE e-mail address to which business send e-mails. This account

is used for replying to customers, checking new e-mails, etc. This is the
KEY part.

However, they each have a separate PC at their desk, and they want to BOTH

be able to read and send e-mails to customers throughout the day.

I know this is possible with Exchange, but they really aren't big enough

or have enough requirements to implement an exchange server. Especially
since they just have a simple comcast e-mail address.

Currently they use a .pst file to do their business. But one must exit

e-mail before the other can use it, and for over a year we've needed a
better answer. But I've never found a systems administrator, IT
professional, or anyone else that can suggest a way to do what they request
without Exchange Server. And while I'm good with operating systems, and can
handle creating a Domain Server, Exchange Servers have always seemed
difficult without any included documentation and frankly... out of my
league.

So what is my best approach? Has Outlook 2003 added any features that

would solve this issue? Is there another program I can look at to solve the
problem? Any help is appreciated!

 

[Anne]

Modify the mail account properties - advanced properties.

Check mark the box - "leave mail on server" and "delete after 5 (or any
appropriate period) days".

This way both the PCs can access the same mails. If you want to separate the
mails between them, set up filters or rules to not download some mails.

-Anne

Hi. This has been a long time problem, and I'm finally getting around to

asking for more help online. Here is the scenerio:

My folks have a SMALL business. They run Windows XP on their PC's, as

well as Office XP. As a result, they both have Outlook.

They have ONE e-mail address to which business send e-mails. This account

is used for replying to customers, checking new e-mails, etc. This is the
KEY part.

However, they each have a separate PC at their desk, and they want to BOTH

be able to read and send e-mails to customers throughout the day.

I know this is possible with Exchange, but they really aren't big enough

or have enough requirements to implement an exchange server. Especially
since they just have a simple comcast e-mail address.

Currently they use a .pst file to do their business. But one must exit

e-mail before the other can use it, and for over a year we've needed a
better answer. But I've never found a systems administrator, IT
professional, or anyone else that can suggest a way to do what they request
without Exchange Server. And while I'm good with operating systems, and can
handle creating a Domain Server, Exchange Servers have always seemed
difficult without any included documentation and frankly... out of my
league.

So what is my best approach? Has Outlook 2003 added any features that

would solve this issue? Is there another program I can look at to solve the
problem? Any help is appreciated!

 

[Guest]

That sounds like an option if they weren't running their business together. What I mean is, that means they will BOTH have the same incoming e-mail, but when they send from one PC or the other the sent e-mail items won't have the same messages. One will have some, and the other would be on the other PC. And to be able to see both, you'd have to turn both PC's on and run between them

That's why I assumed SOMEONE must have an alternative to PST files, that can be opened and shared by 2 users. It seem rediculous that my folks can't share their information at the same time, in an age where you can now buy a SFF PC that lets 2 users use it at the same time as though it was 2 seperate devices

Maybe there is a program that can simulate an Exchange Server without all the hassle? Or some way to UNLOCK a PST and share it on two PC's, allowing BOTH to write to the single file

Sorry I'm being difficult. But I don't see seperate PST's on seperate machines as a real option. Address lists won't be kept in sync, folders could be made different. We definately want a "shared" solution so they use EXACTLY the same information.

 

[Anne]

OK. So you want them to share / see outgoping mail as well.

This will work if the PCs are networked.

In Outlook Express, Go to Options, Maintenance and Store Folder. View one
folder path on one PC and set the other to the same via network places. In
Outlook it may be different way to select storage folder, I can't remember
off hand.

This way they both will share the same folder for both incoming and outgoing
mails, though operating on two different machines.

Another option for you is to choose another path instead of the
incomprehensible path Microsoft sets as default. Helps in taking backups

Hope this works out for your folks.

-Anne.

That sounds like an option if they weren't running their business

together. What I mean is, that means they will BOTH have the same incoming
e-mail, but when they send from one PC or the other the sent e-mail items
won't have the same messages. One will have some, and the other would be on
the other PC. And to be able to see both, you'd have to turn both PC's on
and run between them.

That's why I assumed SOMEONE must have an alternative to PST files, that

can be opened and shared by 2 users. It seem rediculous that my folks can't
share their information at the same time, in an age where you can now buy a
SFF PC that lets 2 users use it at the same time as though it was 2 seperate
devices.

Maybe there is a program that can simulate an Exchange Server without all

the hassle? Or some way to UNLOCK a PST and share it on two PC's, allowing
BOTH to write to the single file?

Sorry I'm being difficult. But I don't see seperate PST's on seperate

machines as a real option. Address lists won't be kept in sync, folders
could be made different. We definately want a "shared" solution so they use
EXACTLY the same information.

 

[Guest]

Anne

Well, they BOTH run Outlook (I have Mom set up with her e-mail account in Outlook Express, so they don't have to login to Windows XP seperately to access both e-mail accounts.). So figuring out how to do this under Outlook will be key

And I don't think there are such "store folders" for Outlook. If there are, then I definately have some learning to do to set them up

However, if that will work as you suggest, and they can BOTH send and receive e-mails share sent and received e-mail folders at the same time, etc... then that sounds great. And I will DEFINATELY create their new mail folder under "My Documents" for backups. Though if I'm gonna implement this, I think I will backup the PC, then maybe buy another HD and use mirroring in case of the primary drive failing.

 

[Anne]

That is one of the reason I don't like Outlook and still keep using Outlook
Express. It is more configurable to my taste. BTW I use the first option
below at my workplace where I have to use Outlook for calendar and
appointments. At home I don't have Outlook. And I access the same email
account at both the office and home without any problems.

Here are two suggestions to make it work the way you want.

1. Use Outlook Express for emails on both the machines and point to the same
folder as suggested before.

If your folks use Outlook for other purposes besides emailing, you can drag
and drop the OE link on the Outlook Shortcuts side bar and rename it to
email. Of course don't configure Outlook's email option to handle emails.

2. Call one machine as the master and have Outloook functioning on it.
Create a link on the other machine via the network neighborhood. The program
will be executed on the second machine but will access the main machine
through the local network. The flip side is that the master has to be always
on when the sub wants to do emailing.

Hope this works out.

Anne.

Anne,

Well, they BOTH run Outlook (I have Mom set up with her e-mail account in

Outlook Express, so they don't have to login to Windows XP seperately to
access both e-mail accounts.). So figuring out how to do this under Outlook
will be key.

And I don't think there are such "store folders" for Outlook. If there

are, then I definately have some learning to do to set them up.

However, if that will work as you suggest, and they can BOTH send and

receive e-mails share sent and received e-mail folders at the same time,
etc... then that sounds great. And I will DEFINATELY create their new mail
folder under "My Documents" for backups. Though if I'm gonna implement
this, I think I will backup the PC, then maybe buy another HD and use
mirroring in case of the primary drive failing.

 

[Guest]

Anne - Your number 2 is EXACTLY what we do now. The problem is, because we use a PST & Outlook online one user can access the PST at a time. If your suggesting there is some way to set things up so they can both use outlook on seperate PC's at the same time... that's what I'm looking for. But not being able to share a single PST has been and continues to be my problem

I'll have to look into Outlook Express and see if I can do what you suggest. Not an ideal answer, since I think they like some of Outlook's features. But if it works, at least it's an option.