Outlook 2003 not prompting for profile

[Sandy]

I've gone through the message boards here and elsewhere and can't figure out
the issue. Here is what's going on...

I set up 6 profiles on our pseudo-server (really just a storage computer).
We save our .pst files on it and need to be able to access them in an instant
due to a financial compliance issue. So, hypothetically one sould be able to
pull up Outlook, import the file and read the emails. We just want to make
sure these emails stay seperate, hense the need for different profiles.

I set them up without an email info since I don't want them to download
there. I can only guess this is the issue since nothing else works. I put
fake info in a couple profiles and it still didn't work.

I have disabled all add-ins. I have made sure that outlook.exe is not in
the sys tray when I close it. I have made sure there is no program installed
(like win fax) that would use those resources. I disabled McAfee's search on
email since we're not dowloading new email. There isn't really much software
on this computer to begin with since it's not a workstation.

I got prompted once yesterday when I was first setting things up, but only
because I restarted the computer. I've restarted quite a few times since
then and nothing. I of course can't get anything to prompt when re-opening
outlook, much less when starting.

Any clue why it's not working? I'm using XP.

 

[DL]

If you are saying OL is setup on this 'server' with seperate Profiles, did
you select 'Prompt for Profile'
If each pst is in a seperate Profile, you dont import anything, the Profile
will open with its pst connected
But then you might be saying something else.

 

[Sandy]

That's incorrect. We all have our own computers, own outlook on each
computer. We're downloading the .pst to this "server" for storage only.
Essentially, each profile is empty until we import the .pst (if needed).

And yes, of course I selected "prompt for profile".

 

[DL]

I allmost see where you are at now
MS doesnt support the use of a pst over a network as it can lead to
corruption

 

[Sandy]

So are you saying the only way it'll recognize the profiles is if I had them
set up with real email info? Regarless of the pst files, it's still not
prompting for a profile. I'm trying to figure that out first.

 

[DL]

No I'm not saying that.
If outlook on the PC's has separate profiles set up it should prompt for the
Profile, allthough I have a feeling you have to set up a mail account, even
if its set not to check for mail.
Importing a pst is not reccomended, particularly if that pst is hosted on a
network, or even opening a networked pst.

 

[Brian Tillman]

If outlook on the PC's has separate profiles set up it should prompt
for the Profile, allthough I have a feeling you have to set up a mail
account, even if its set not to check for mail.

Nope. You can have "no mail" profiles and Outlook will prompt. I suspect
Outlook isn't closing properly.