problem with double email downlowads on two computers

[TimR]

When you setup email accounts in OL2003 to remove messages from server after
download...does this simply configure a setting in Outlook...or are the
messages on the server actually deleted. I run OL2003 on my desktop and
laptop...and am transferring the pst file back and forth once or twice a
day.

Each time I do...whatever emails that arrive on the server during the day
since I shut down the desktop Outlook in the morning and copied the pst to
the laptop computer are re downloaded on the desktop after I transfer OL pst
back to it at the end of the day....even tho they were previously downloaded
to the laptop during the day

I am hesitant to set up remove messages from server since in the past for
one reason or another a message was deleted that I was able to recover from
the server. Usually let messages stay on server 3-4 days to prevent loss of
any important and/or critical messages.

Is there away to prevent the same messages from re downloading to my desktop
into OL 2003 at the end of the day after copying the pst file back to my
desktop from the laptop ?

Thanks, Tim

 

[Brian Tillman]

When you setup email accounts in OL2003 to remove messages from
server after download...does this simply configure a setting in
Outlook...or are the messages on the server actually deleted.

They are actually deleted, as long as the option to leave a copy on the
server is not enabled.

I run OL2003 on my desktop and laptop...and am transferring the pst file
back and forth once or twice a day.

Each time I do...whatever emails that arrive on the server during the
day since I shut down the desktop Outlook in the morning and copied
the pst to the laptop computer are re downloaded on the desktop after
I transfer OL pst back to it at the end of the day....even tho they
were previously downloaded to the laptop during the day

Sounds like you have the option enabled to leave a copy on the server. The
desktop has no way of knowing what messages the laptop downloaded and vice
versa. That information is not kept in the PST. Each machine will download
the messages that it considers new; i.e., the messages that it itself hasn't
yet downloaded.

 

[K Kong]

I have Outlook 2003 configured to leave a copy of messages on the server
(POP3). It works fine. But after a week or so, Outlook will start to
download every mail TWICE. To correct the problem, I have to uncheck the
Leave a Copy and flush the server (losing all my backup copy).

I am leaving a copy on server also because I have a parallel Mac that is
retrieving on the same account. The Mac has no problems whatsover.

Have I done anything wrong? Is this a known problem? Is there any way to
correct the problem besides deleting everything on the server?

Thanks

 

[Brian Tillman]

I have Outlook 2003 configured to leave a copy of messages on the
server (POP3). It works fine. But after a week or so, Outlook will
start to download every mail TWICE. To correct the problem, I have
to uncheck the Leave a Copy and flush the server (losing all my
backup copy).

I am leaving a copy on server also because I have a parallel Mac that
is retrieving on the same account. The Mac has no problems whatsover.

Have I done anything wrong? Is this a known problem? Is there any
way to correct the problem besides deleting everything on the server?

You've done nothing wrong. Have you applied Office 2003 SP2? That
addressed some of the occurrences of this issue. Are you scanning incoming
mail with an anti-virus scanner? Disable that scanning and see if it makes
a difference. It could also be one of the remaining cases where Outlook
doesn't properly remember what it has downloaded and in that case, there's
little that can be done until Microsoft addresses it.