Two Windows XP accounts sharing a single PST?

[Guest]

My wife and I currently logon to our one pc using the same account, and we
run our Outlook 2003 that uses one PST with all our comcast email addresses
(6 of them!) being downloaded into this PST's inbox. Outlook is configured
to delete messages from the server after downloading them into the inbox.

Even though we have 6 email addresses in this PST, my wife and I usually use
one address for most of our communications with friends and family. The
other addresses are rarely used, maybe for online purchases and website
sign-ups (potential spam), although we could switch to using them if
necessary.

I'd like to have us start using separate XP logins, thus separate instances
of Outlook. Is it possible for two instances of Outlook, running under
different XP user accounts, to have the same PST file open at the same time?
If so, what kind of configuration is required to do this?

We don't mind each other seeing the common mail that comes through this
account. We could use separate PSTs for our individual email accounts, and
share a third common PST that houses the common address stuff, but I think
the open-file-sharing issue applies to that third PST too.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Gary

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

It is not possible for 2 Outlook profiles to access the same PST file at the
same time. If you are using 2 separate Windows logons, why would you need
to? Just configure each profile to use the same PST file.
I assume you mean email accounts, not email addresses.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for your reply, Russ. I understand your comments, but wouldn't the
instance of Outlook in the second session of XP (assuming fast user
switching...forgot to mention that part of the scenario) get an error when
trying to open the same PST as is already open in the first XP session?

Thanks!
Gary

It is not possible for 2 Outlook profiles to access the same PST file at the
same time. If you are using 2 separate Windows logons, why would you need
to? Just configure each profile to use the same PST file.
I assume you mean email accounts, not email addresses.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

My wife and I currently logon to our one pc using the same account, and we
run our Outlook 2003 that uses one PST with all our comcast email
addresses
(6 of them!) being downloaded into this PST's inbox. Outlook is
configured
to delete messages from the server after downloading them into the inbox.

Even though we have 6 email addresses in this PST, my wife and I usually
use
one address for most of our communications with friends and family. The
other addresses are rarely used, maybe for online purchases and website
sign-ups (potential spam), although we could switch to using them if
necessary.

I'd like to have us start using separate XP logins, thus separate
instances
of Outlook. Is it possible for two instances of Outlook, running under
different XP user accounts, to have the same PST file open at the same
time?
If so, what kind of configuration is required to do this?

We don't mind each other seeing the common mail that comes through this
account. We could use separate PSTs for our individual email accounts,
and
share a third common PST that houses the common address stuff, but I think
the open-file-sharing issue applies to that third PST too.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Gary

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

I've never used fast user switching. That's not an Outlook question, nor
would I have "assumed it." Log off one Windows user profile and onto the
other.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Thanks for your reply, Russ. I understand your comments, but wouldn't the
instance of Outlook in the second session of XP (assuming fast user
switching...forgot to mention that part of the scenario) get an error when
trying to open the same PST as is already open in the first XP session?

Thanks!
Gary

It is not possible for 2 Outlook profiles to access the same PST file at
the
same time. If you are using 2 separate Windows logons, why would you need
to? Just configure each profile to use the same PST file.
I assume you mean email accounts, not email addresses.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

My wife and I currently logon to our one pc using the same account, and
we
run our Outlook 2003 that uses one PST with all our comcast email
addresses
(6 of them!) being downloaded into this PST's inbox. Outlook is
configured
to delete messages from the server after downloading them into the
inbox.

Even though we have 6 email addresses in this PST, my wife and I
usually
use
one address for most of our communications with friends and family.
The
other addresses are rarely used, maybe for online purchases and website
sign-ups (potential spam), although we could switch to using them if
necessary.

I'd like to have us start using separate XP logins, thus separate
instances
of Outlook. Is it possible for two instances of Outlook, running under
different XP user accounts, to have the same PST file open at the same
time?
If so, what kind of configuration is required to do this?

We don't mind each other seeing the common mail that comes through this
account. We could use separate PSTs for our individual email accounts,
and
share a third common PST that houses the common address stuff, but I
think
the open-file-sharing issue applies to that third PST too.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!
Gary