Need "Road Warrior" Computer Help!

[Couchrocket]

OK, I hate to show my ignorance, but I need help.

 

I may have solved my own problem but need confirmation / advice from some of you traveling computer folk.

 

I have home desktop computer which is my "main office" and where I do 90%+ of my work. I use MS Outlook for email.

 

I also have traveling laptop with Outlook. I want to receive email while gone, but also want "all my email" to show up on the desk top so I don't miss anything, or have to "forward" my own email to myself.

 

I changed the settings for my email accounts on the laptop to "leave a copy of messages on the server," but did not do this on the desktop.

 

I sent myself test messages, "received them" on the laptop. Then shut that down and fired up Outlook on the desktop and also "received" the test messages there.

 

Is it just that simple? The desktop email account configuration is NOT set to leave a copy on the server, so I'm assuming that once they are on my desktop machine, I'm not having email piling up on the server. Am I correct?

 

Thanks in advance for advice / response.

 

 

[SageRider]

As long as you turn off your desktop when you are traveling, your solution should work.

If you leave your desktop on, then it will be a race to see the emails on your laptop before the desktop downloads the email and deletes from your mail server.

 

Another way to handle it (again with the desktop off while traveling) is to use your email provider's web mail interface.

 

Another way to handle it is to use a remote access program on your laptop to access your desktop and use your desktop's Outlook. (logmein.com, gotomypc.com for example)

[Bob Palin]

As long as you turn off your desktop when you are traveling, your solution should work.

Surely all he has to do is close Outlook so that it doesn't get the mail?

 

One other thing to look out for is sending email from the laptop, your ISP (if that is the email address you are using) may prevent you from sending email unless you are on their network. This is the SMTP connection and they prevent you from using it as a 'mail relay'. This lead me to first get an independent paid SMTP account at DynDNS.com then to switch to Gmail completely.

[SageRider]

Closing Outlook Express will work, but Outlook can receive email even with the primary application closed.

[Couchrocket]

Thanks to you both. I leave my desktop shut down when traveling, so it sounds as though my solution will work OK for me.

 

I don't have any trouble "sending from the laptop" -- at least not so far, so think I'm OK there, too. And as a last resort I do have the web based email access through my provider -- but I hate using the clunky interface.

 

Thanks again!

 

[David]

You've got it--it's that simple.

[SSchuckman]

Scott,

 

Unless you copy yourself on sent messages, messages sent from your laptop will not appear on your desktop.

 

 

[Couchrocket]

Scott,

 

Unless you copy yourself on sent messages, messages sent from your laptop will not appear on your desktop.

 

 

Thanks, Steve... good thought! And thanks again to others for information / confirmation.

[ghaverkamp]

Thanks to you both. I leave my desktop shut down when traveling, so it sounds as though my solution will work OK for me.

 

The best solution is probably to switch your email to IMAP4, since I assume right now you're using POP3. Then, you'd ask Outlook (I assume it does it; if not, switch to a client that does) to store sent messages in you Sent folder on the IMAP side.

 

I haven't used Outlook in years, but I'm told IMAP4 support is far better than it used to be.

 

(And if you go with Killer's implied suggestion of switching to Gmail, you get IMAP for free.)