HELP: Outlook (Express) doesn't use existing mailboxes.. BUG

Andrew Wan

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Jan 11, 2007, 10:16:52 AM1/11/07

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I have two partitions on one hard drive. I keep usual Windows XP
installation & any program installation in C:\ whilst keeping all personal
user-created data files (eg. Word documents, MP3s, etc) in D:\.

I know by default Outlook Express stores it's mailbox files at:
C:\Documents and Settings\Andrew Wan\Local Settings\Application
Data\Identities\{1821CA13-06FB-4D5C-88C0-5907BD5FF9DD}\Microsoft\Outlook
Express
and Outlook stores it's mailbox file at:
C:\Documents and Settings\Andrew Wan\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\outlook.pst

I used Outlook Express, Tools menu, Options, Maintenance tab, Store Folders
to Change the location of my Outlook Express mailbox files to D:\Outlook
Express\. I also did the same with Outlook by setting it up to use
D:\Outlook\outlook.pst

Everything is fine until I decide to format my C:\ and clean-install Windows
XP again. I then setup Outlook Express to use D:\Outlook Express\ folder and
it says it detected existing files and prompts me if I want to use them. I
say yes. However this doesn't work and Outlook Express starts downloading
all my mail again.

I setup Outlook to point to D:\Outlook\outlook.pst and it starts download
all my mail again.

What is going on? Is this Outlook bugs?

K. Orland

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Jan 11, 2007, 10:39:00 AM1/11/07

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Since Outlook Express is part of Internet Explorer and not Microsoft Office,
you'd be better off posting to the Outlook Express group. They're the experts
on that e-mail client. I can't give you the exact URL to the newsgroup
because you didn't state your version of OE, but you can choose it from here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/dgbrowser/en-us/default.mspx

--
Kathleen Orland
Outlook Tips: http://www.outlook-tips.net/
http://www.howto-outlook.com/

Gary S. Terhune

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Jan 11, 2007, 11:19:27 AM1/11/07

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It would appear to me that the OP uses both OE and OL. I would suggest
separating the issues, and will reply to the OE issue after removing the OL
groups from the list. Perhaps you could do something similar and reply to
the OL issue after removing the OE group.

Then again, I have to wonder why the OP is using both apps... Perhaps we'd
best keep this joined until we figure that one out, <s>.

To Andrew Wan... Is it true that you are using both Outlook Express and MS
Outlook to receive emails? Why?

Also, if either or both apps are re-downloading messages after doing the
things you describe, then you must have them set up to remain on the server.
Why? And how do you have it set up to eventually clear the messages from the
server?

What kind of server are you accessing? A public ISP? Something like Hotmail?
Or is it an Exchange server on a private LAN or WAN?

--
Gary S. Terhune

"K. Orland" <KOr...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:DD2B9D1E-C2C5-475F...@microsoft.com...

Gordon

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Jan 11, 2007, 11:29:10 AM1/11/07

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"Andrew Wan" <andrew_...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:eddPaOZN...@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> Everything is fine until I decide to format my C:\ and clean-install
> Windows
> XP again. I then setup Outlook Express to use D:\Outlook Express\ folder
> and
> it says it detected existing files and prompts me if I want to use them. I
> say yes. However this doesn't work and Outlook Express starts downloading
> all my mail again.
>
> I setup Outlook to point to D:\Outlook\outlook.pst and it starts download
> all my mail again.
>
>
> What is going on? Is this Outlook bugs?
>

No - it's because the mail counters for both apps are held in the registry,
which of course is completely fresh after the re-install, NOT in the
respective data stores. Whether you can find, export and re-import those
registry keys I don't know...

XRaySpeX

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Jan 11, 2007, 12:53:00 PM1/11/07

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"Gary S. Terhune" wrote:

> Then again, I have to wonder why the OP is using both apps... Perhaps we'd
> best keep this joined until we figure that one out, <s>.
>
> To Andrew Wan... Is it true that you are using both Outlook Express and MS
> Outlook to receive emails? Why?

Here's one good reason ....

I am an Email Server developer and I need to test my code with a wide
variety of mail clients.

XRaySpeX

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Jan 11, 2007, 1:09:01 PM1/11/07

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Altho it will depend on whether the account being accessed is POP3 or IMAP;
the OP didn't say.

If IMAP the msgs are held on the server anyway.

If POP3 set to keep a copy of msgs on server, then they will be downloaded
again if the mailstores on the PC are reset in this way.

If POP3 set to NOT keep a copy of msgs on server, then it must get confusing
which client, OL or OE, gets the downloaded msgs.

Gary S. Terhune

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Jan 11, 2007, 1:38:39 PM1/11/07

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I didn't say there weren't good reasons for using more than one email
client. I asked why the OP is doing so, in order to better assist him.

--
Gary S. Terhune

"XRaySpeX" <XRay...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:0F7ADB1F-4542-4141...@microsoft.com...

Gary S. Terhune

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Jan 11, 2007, 1:40:56 PM1/11/07

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For OE it's simple. Use OEBackup.
http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx

For OL, I have no idea where the counters are stored.

--
Gary S. Terhune

"Gordon" <gbpl...@gmail.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:uNu4h2ZN...@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

Michael Santovec

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Jan 11, 2007, 2:44:32 PM1/11/07

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I presume that you mean that you use a POP3 account with the Leave a
copy on the server. OE tracks which messages have been previously
downloaded using the POP3UIDL.DBX file. Part of the key to that is the
identity code. (the \{1821CA13-06FB-4D5C-88C0-5907BD5FF9DD} in your
folder example) Each time you set up OE, it generates a unique code.
Unless you have the same code for the new install in the Registry, OE
won't consider those messages as previously downloaded by this identity.

See:
http://www.insideoe.com/backup/index.htm
You need to clone the registry keys so that you set up OE with the same
identity code.

You can also get to the Outlook97/98/2000+ newsgroups via this web site:
http://support.microsoft.com/newsgroups/default.aspx
There select Desktop Applications then Outlook

For help with Outlook97/98/2000+ see:
Slipstick Systems Outlook and Exchange Solutions Center
http://www.slipstick.com/index.htm

--

Mike - http://pages.prodigy.net/michael_santovec/techhelp.htm

"Andrew Wan" <andrew_...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:eddPaOZN...@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM

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Jan 12, 2007, 6:28:24 AM1/12/07

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"Gordon" <gbpl...@gmail.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:uNu4h2ZN...@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> "Andrew Wan" <andrew_...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:eddPaOZN...@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...
>
>> Everything is fine until I decide to format my C:\ and clean-install
>> Windows
>> XP again. I then setup Outlook Express to use D:\Outlook Express\ folder
>> and
>> it says it detected existing files and prompts me if I want to use them.
>> I
>> say yes. However this doesn't work and Outlook Express starts downloading
>> all my mail again.
>

> No - it's because the mail counters for both apps are held in the
> registry, which of course is completely fresh after the re-install, NOT in
> the respective data stores. Whether you can find, export and re-import
> those registry keys I don't know...

Mail counters are not held in the Registry for OE. For POP3 mail OE keeps
its record in Pop3uidl.dbx

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Answer in newsgroup. Don't send mail.