Shared Profiles?

[megladden]

I hope I can figure out how to ask this question.

First, I'm a consultant that uses my laptop on three different company
networks. I have a user profile for each of these three locations
because, obviously, my desktop and many other things are different for
each location. I also have a desktop computer in my home office
network.

On the laptop, I have set up a folder that contains the PST file for
my Outlook 2003. This folder is shared by all three user profiles and
rules are set up to properly sort incoming mail. It's obviously much
easier to do things this way than to have to log on to different
accounts to read mail targeted at each of my email addresses. I did
have to go through the trouble of setting up all the email accounts
under each profile but after all that extra work, all worked
perfectly.

But, I also have the issue of needing all incoming email on my desktop
computer, too. So, I configured all my accounts to leave the email on
the server for 5 days, which allows me to download them to the
desktop, too. That also works perfectly.

BUT... And you knew that was coming...

After configuring my accounts to leave the email on the server and not
delete it immediately, I now get multiple copies on the laptop. Since
the mail is left on the server for a while, and each user profile has
no clue what the other has already downloaded, each of the three
laptop user profile downloads all email, leaving me with three copies
of every incoming email in the shared PST file.

I could solve this problem by going back to individual PST files, but
I'd rather not have three large such files on the laptop. Also, that
would leave my "Sent Items" stored separately. So...

Is is possible to completely share an Outlook 2003 profile among three
user accounts on the same computer? It would seem that would stop the
downloading of multiple copies of the same email.

Thanks in advance,
Mike Gladden

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

In

I hope I can figure out how to ask this question.

First, I'm a consultant that uses my laptop on three different company
networks. I have a user profile for each of these three locations
because, obviously, my desktop and many other things are different for
each location. I also have a desktop computer in my home office
network.

On the laptop, I have set up a folder that contains the PST file for
my Outlook 2003. This folder is shared by all three user profiles and
rules are set up to properly sort incoming mail. It's obviously much
easier to do things this way than to have to log on to different
accounts to read mail targeted at each of my email addresses. I did
have to go through the trouble of setting up all the email accounts
under each profile but after all that extra work, all worked
perfectly.

But, I also have the issue of needing all incoming email on my desktop
computer, too. So, I configured all my accounts to leave the email on
the server for 5 days, which allows me to download them to the
desktop, too. That also works perfectly.

BUT... And you knew that was coming...

After configuring my accounts to leave the email on the server and not
delete it immediately, I now get multiple copies on the laptop. Since
the mail is left on the server for a while, and each user profile has
no clue what the other has already downloaded, each of the three
laptop user profile downloads all email, leaving me with three copies
of every incoming email in the shared PST file.

I could solve this problem by going back to individual PST files, but
I'd rather not have three large such files on the laptop. Also, that
would leave my "Sent Items" stored separately. So...

Is is possible to completely share an Outlook 2003 profile among three
user accounts on the same computer? It would seem that would stop the
downloading of multiple copies of the same email.

Thanks in advance,
Mike Gladden

Not possible that I know of, but I'm seriously not sure why you'd need three
*windows* profiles, just because you work in different locations. I'm a
consultant and I always use the same login on my laptop, wherever I go.
What do you need to do that necessitates changing? It would sure make your
life easier if you didn't, sounds like.

 

[megladden]

Is is possible to completely share an Outlook 2003profileamong three

Not possible that I know of, but I'm seriously not sure why you'd need three
*windows* profiles, just because you work in different locations. I'm a
consultant and I always use the same login on my laptop, wherever I go.
What do you need to do that necessitates changing? It would sure make your
life easier if you didn't, sounds like.

I tried to send a response to this last week, but it never showed up.
Oh, well...

Anyway, I have to have three different Windows profiles. I login to
three different domains and that, in itself, creates separate
profiles.

I'm still trying. I'm considering having each profile export all of
Outlook's registry settings to a common location at logoff and
importing them at login. If I knew exactly where what I need is
stored, I'd just export/import that data.

I don't know if that will work at all, though, because I can't find
any of Outlook's settings (.pst file name, pop server name, etc.)
anywhere in the registry. I guess it may be encrypted in some way.

Thanks for the response,

Mike

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

In

I tried to send a response to this last week, but it never showed up.
Oh, well...

Anyway, I have to have three different Windows profiles. I login to
three different domains and that, in itself, creates separate
profiles.

No, because your computer can belong to only one domain (or workgroup) at a
time - unless you're using third party software. I always log into my
domain, whether I'm on my network or not - then I can connect to resources
on the *other* networks/domains I happen to be at, providing credentials
when prompted. This is a simple thing to do.