WLM - can you share storage folders?

XP home edition with multiple user accounts on PC. Each user has own email
account and we have one common 'family' email account. With OE, it is
possible to have storage location set within the 'All Users' area of Docs and
Settings, and setup each XP account to download individuals own and the
shared family mail. If you switch user accounts on XP, all other individuals
can see the shared family mail and it did not matter if OE was left running
for each user.

I have tried to replicate this with WLM, but if one user leaves WLM running,
no one else can run WLM as the folders are locked - get an error saying files
are in use.

Does any one know if it is possible to setup WLM to 'share' a common storage
area without locking the folders?

I've not tried it, but your experience would tend to confirm my gut
feeling that no, it's not. Had you considered that if the Store
folder is shared, then everyone would be able to read everyone
else's mail?
Why not just set up the 'Family' account for each user, and let each
have his own Store folder? If it's a POP account, you would have to
select 'Leave a copy of messages on server' and then devise a system
that makes sure everyone has a chance to download before deleting
them from the server. If it's a Hotmail or IMAP account, each
instance should synchronize as normal. It might be wise to deselect
'Check for new messages every n minutes' [or else make n a different
prime number for each user ] to cut down the number of instances
where two accounts on the same machine try to connect at once, which
would undoubtedly throw out an interesting but probably harmless
error.
Another idea: set up a Family Live ID and populate its contacts with
those common to the whole family. If you make it a Hotmail one, you
won't have to bother about copying contacts from one user account to
another. It's quick and easy to switch the sign-in ID from personal
to family and have the appropriate contacts available in each case.
If you try this, do let us know how you get on. A lot of users might
be tempted to use a solution like this if it works.
--
Noel

"Goudurix" <Goudurix@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:4951CB00-46A0-4CD3-AE15-A6D42AAF1111@xxxxxx

Thanks for the suggestions Ildhund

I have opted for the easy way out - I have used the 'leave messages on
server' option. I have set them to delete after 30 days which should give
everyone a chance to download the messages. That way it essentially operates
as now, i.e. logon and click the mail icon and everything gets downloaded!

I like the idea of the family live ID - but that means that every has to
remember to switch IDs to get the shared mail.

Thanks again

"Goudurix" <Goudurix@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:B36FD7DA-8023-42EA-9C8E-14AC0791ACEA@xxxxxx
Not at all - signing in has nothing to do with downloading mail.
Apart from the other things it does, it causes the contacts
associated with that ID to be loaded into the session. Read up about
signing in in Help.

Glad to have been of service.
--
Noel

I have not heard of anyone being able to share a Windows Live Mail Message Store between two users simultaneously. My experience with the Message Store suggests that even if it was possible, corruption of the database would likely result.

If you want a shared family account, it would be better to use an IMAP or HTTP account (Windows Live Hotmail) rather than POP3. If you are using a POP3 account, even though your accounts are set to "Leave a copy of messages on server", 'Sent items' can't be synchronised between users.

With a Windows Live Hotmail account, you can also share the same set of contacts by signing in with the same account, which I think can be done simultaneously by two users. You won't need to sign in with the shared account ID to download your e-mail though.

--
Cheers,
Peter
(Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 with Windows Live Mail 12.0.1606)
"There are more things in Heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." - Shakespeare
---------------


"Goudurix" <Goudurix@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:B36FD7DA-8023-42EA-9C8E-14AC0791ACEA@xxxxxx