Outlook deleted my remote messages

[tshad]

I was setting up my system at home to talk to my Outlook program at work.

I wanted to set it up to only look at my message and not move them. But
when I set it up it started sending all my message from my office to my
house. The problem is that it never finished. Even now it sits at home
saying the inbox is "Waiting to Update" and it never does. The outbox did.
This wasn't what I wanted it to do, but now when I got back to work I find
my Outbox and Inbox are both empty. So I assume it was moving (and
deleting) - not synchronizing. Is there a way to get these messages back.
I assume they must be at home, but they don't show

Thanks,

Tom.

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

I was setting up my system at home to talk to my Outlook program at
work.

What kind of mail server/account do you use at work? How were you setting up
Outlook to connect? What version of Outlook? If using Outlook 2003 on
Windows XP SP1 or SP2, are you trying to connect directly to an Exchange
2003 server using RPC over HTTP(s)? Or are you using VPN?

I wanted to set it up to only look at my message and not move them.

But when I set it up it started sending all my message from my office
to my house. The problem is that it never finished. Even now it
sits at home saying the inbox is "Waiting to Update" and it never
does. The outbox did. This wasn't what I wanted it to do, but now
when I got back to work I find my Outbox and Inbox are both empty.
So I assume it was moving (and deleting) - not synchronizing.
Is
there a way to get these messages back. I assume they must be at
home, but they don't show

More detailed info about your setup might help...

 

[tshad]

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"

What kind of mail server/account do you use at work? How were you setting
up
Outlook to connect? What version of Outlook? If using Outlook 2003 on
Windows XP SP1 or SP2, are you trying to connect directly to an Exchange
2003 server using RPC over HTTP(s)? Or are you using VPN?

I am using Outlook 2000 at work (XP SP3) and Outlook 2003 at home (W2K).
We are using an Exchange server (Probably 2000) at work.
I am connecting to work via a VPN connection.

Tom

 

[Brian Tillman]

I am using Outlook 2000 at work (XP SP3)

XP SP2.

and Outlook 2003 at home
(W2K). We are using an Exchange server (Probably 2000) at work.
I am connecting to work via a VPN connection.

So, at work, your default delivery location appears to be the Exchange
server. At home, though, it looks like you have created a PST to be your
default delivery location. If so, that's why the messages are being removed
from Exchange. Your home machine is downloading them to the PST, since
that's where you told Outlook you wanted the messages to be delivered.

If that's not the case, I'm not sure what's happening, but if it is the
case, change your default delivery location at home to be the Exchange
server and the mail will stay there. You don't need (and may not want) a
PST at home, since you can't see anything at home while you're at work.

After changing your default delivery location (Tools>E-mail Accounts>Next;
look at the lower left), you can then move all the items in the PST back to
the Exchange server with drag-and-drop and then close and delete the PST.

 

[tshad]

XP SP2.

My mistake. You're right.

So, at work, your default delivery location appears to be the Exchange
server. At home, though, it looks like you have created a PST to be your
default delivery location. If so, that's why the messages are being
removed from Exchange. Your home machine is downloading them to the PST,
since that's where you told Outlook you wanted the messages to be
delivered.

How do I tell Outlook not to send the messages to me?

I just want to look at the mail from home and deliver them to my machine at
work. Or if I haven't opened my Outlook program at work yet, I want to get
the mail on my home machine, but leave it on the Exchange server until I get
to the office and open Outlook there. Then it can download the mail and
delete it (IMAP).

If that's not the case, I'm not sure what's happening, but if it is the
case, change your default delivery location at home to be the Exchange
server and the mail will stay there. You don't need (and may not want) a
PST at home, since you can't see anything at home while you're at work.

I don't think I have a personal folder at home. And it says it is waiting
to update the window, but never does.

What I would like to do is have 2 accounts. One as we have been talking
about and one that looks at my personal mailbox. At the moment, I am using
the Outlook program for my mail at work and Eudora for my personal mailbox.

After changing your default delivery location (Tools>E-mail Accounts>Next;
look at the lower left), you can then move all the items in the PST back
to the Exchange server with drag-and-drop and then close and delete the
PST.

I assume you are talking about 2003 as 2000 doesn't have the Tools>E-mail
Accounts in the menus. I think 2003 actuall has Tools>Accounts (I think - I
am not at home at the moment, but will check when I get home).

Thanks,

Tom.

 

[Brian Tillman]

How do I tell Outlook not to send the messages to me?

You choose the Exchange server as your default delivery location. Then
Outlook won't download the mail, but simply show it.

There is an issue with accessing the same Exchange 2000 mailbox from both an
Outlook 2000 client and an Outlook 2003 client. I think Microsoft has a
hotfix for it or it was addressed in an Exchange service pack, but you'll
have to check at support.microsoft.com or the Exchange newsgroups.

I just want to look at the mail from home and deliver them to my
machine at work. Or if I haven't opened my Outlook program at work
yet, I want to get the mail on my home machine, but leave it on the
Exchange server until I get to the office and open Outlook there. Then it
can download the mail and delete it (IMAP).

If you're connected to an Exchange server, either directly or via VPN, I'm
curious why you're using an IMAP account and not an Exchange account.
Nevertheless, if you're using an IMAP account, Outlook does not remove
messages from the server, so whether you access Exchange from home or work,
you should still see the same messages.

I don't think I have a personal folder at home. And it says it is
waiting to update the window, but never does.

If you're using IMAP, then you have a PST that is used as a cache. Outlook
downloads the headers of the messages (and optionally the message bodies)
from the Exchange server, placing them in the PST but also leaving them on
the server. You should be able to manipulate the messages locally and have
the changes reflected in the folders on the Exchange server. I have never
been of the opinion that Outlook does IMAP well, however. I think Outlook
Express is a better IMAP client.

What I would like to do is have 2 accounts. One as we have been
talking about and one that looks at my personal mailbox. At the
moment, I am using the Outlook program for my mail at work and Eudora
for my personal mailbox.

If I were in your shoes (and, at least to a degree I am, since I access my
work Exchange server from home via VPN as you do), I'd have two profiles:
one for work mail and one for personal mail; in fact, that's exactly what I
do. My work profile contains an Exchange account and the Outlook Address
Book service; no Personal Folders. My home profile contains a POP account,
the Outlook Address Book Service, and the Personal Folders service.

I assume you are talking about 2003 as 2000 doesn't have the
Tools>E-mail Accounts in the menus.

Yes. I think it's Tools>Services in Corporate/Workgroup mode and
Tools>Accounts in Intertnet Mode Only, which, if you're using IMAP, is the
mode you must be using, since OL 2000 can't have Exchange and IMAP accounts
simultaneously.

I think 2003 actuall has
Tools>Accounts (I think - I am not at home at the moment, but will
check when I get home).

Outlook 2003 has Tools>E-mail Accounts.

 

[tshad]

You choose the Exchange server as your default delivery location. Then
Outlook won't download the mail, but simply show it.

There is an issue with accessing the same Exchange 2000 mailbox from both
an Outlook 2000 client and an Outlook 2003 client. I think Microsoft has
a hotfix for it or it was addressed in an Exchange service pack, but
you'll have to check at support.microsoft.com or the Exchange newsgroups.


If you're connected to an Exchange server, either directly or via VPN, I'm
curious why you're using an IMAP account and not an Exchange account.
Nevertheless, if you're using an IMAP account, Outlook does not remove
messages from the server, so whether you access Exchange from home or
work, you should still see the same messages.

I'm not using an IMAP server, necessarily. I was just using that as an
example. I am using an Exchange account. But at home I want it to work
like an IMAP account and not actually take mail from the Exchange Server. I
want to do that when I get to work. I only want my home program to look at
the inbox from my machine (but not take the data of the machine) and look at
any mail that I may not have downloaded from the Exchange server yet.

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

tshad wrote:

I'm not using an IMAP server, necessarily. I was just using that as
an example. I am using an Exchange account. But at home I want it
to work like an IMAP account and not actually take mail from the
Exchange Server. I want to do that when I get to work. I only want
my home program to look at the inbox from my machine (but not take
the data of the machine) and look at any mail that I may not have
downloaded from the Exchange server yet.

Then if you just connect directly to the Exchange server using Outlook/MAPI
and keeping the Exchange server as the delivery location (i.e., do not put a
PST file in your profile as the delivery location, and probably don't put a
PST file in at all), you'll be fine. You can set up Outlook to sync your
mailbox, the GAL, and any PFs you drag to the Public Folders\Favorites to an
offline file/use cached mode so you can access your stuff even when not
connected. The first time you sync it may take a very long time, be
aware....<snip>

 

[Brian Tillman]

I'm not using an IMAP server, necessarily. I was just using that as
an example. I am using an Exchange account. But at home I want it
to work like an IMAP account and not actually take mail from the
Exchange Server.

If you use an Exchange account at home and specify it as the default
delivery location, your home machine will NOT remove anything from the
Exchange server.

I want to do that when I get to work. I only want
my home program to look at the inbox from my machine (but not take
the data of the machine) and look at any mail that I may not have
downloaded from the Exchange server yet.

As long as your default delivery location is the Exchange server and you're
using an Exchnage account at home, then your home machine will not download
anything from the server.

 

[tshad]

You choose the Exchange server as your default delivery location. Then
Outlook won't download the mail, but simply show it.

I have been away from this problem for awhile and am just getting back to
it. I can't see where to tell Outlook Exchange is the default delivery
location. If I right click Outlook\properties, I see Exchange and when I
press the properties button I don't see any place to tell it that it
Exchange is the default delivery location.

Thanks,

Tom.

 

[Brian Tillman]

I have been away from this problem for awhile and am just getting
back to it. I can't see where to tell Outlook Exchange is the
default delivery location. If I right click Outlook\properties, I
see Exchange and when I press the properties button I don't see any
place to tell it that it Exchange is the default delivery location.

For OL 2002/2003, click Tools>E-mail Accounts>Next. Select the delivery
location in the drop-down at the bottom left.