Vista - Combine/Sync Window Mail files?

I have several computers around the house in a network. One computer is the
primary machine and is used for most of the email activity. It would be
nice if I could point all the systems to one Windows Mail Folder but I don't
think that is recommended? So, if that is not possible is there any way
using Vista Sync or a program like Good Sync to periodically combine Windows
Mail information on the "Primary Machine". Same situation is true for the
Contacts File. Although, it appears Vista will let me copy the Contacts
File from the "Primary Machine" and put it on the other computers without a
problem. Seems to be a common problem floating around the internet. A
little help/suggestions/links will be appreciated.

Hi Ken,

You can set the other computer's Windows Mail to leave the messages on the email server for that email account, while the main computer can remove them as usual. This way when you download email on the other computers, a copy will remain in the email server so the Main computer (and others) can still download the emails.

1. Click Tools -> Accounts
2. Select email account and click Properties.
3. Click Advanced tab.
4. Check "Leave a copy of messages on server"

This will show you how to Export and Import messages in Windows Mail in case differences do occur.

Windows Mail - Messages


Hope this helps,
Shawn

Thanks for the information. That solves my problem - too easy!! Thanks
again.

"brink" <brink.31frl4@xxxxxx-mx.forums.net> wrote in message
news:brink.31frl4@xxxxxx-mx.forums.net...

Your welcome Ken.

Not so fast. I have been struggling with this same issue. Export/Import is
a solution, but not the best one.

I have been using SyncToy (Microsoft freeware) to sync shared folders across
several private network machines using Vista. This allows all folder
add/delete/updates that occur on one PC to be seen on the others. SyncToy
uses designated folder pairs when it is run for syncing. If only I knew the
file extension used by Mail for messages, I would use this on my messages
also. However, I suspect the mail file is more than than just any file.
Anyone know where the message file is?

I share all my user folders (includes Contacts) across the network by right
click/Share on c:\users\user ID - don't use the shortcuts under Desktop.
Then click Advanced Sharing/Share this Folder. Then click Permissions/Add to
get the cryptic "Share Users and Groups". I entered my user ID (the same
across all PC's) in the Enter Object box and Checked Names. This gives
permissions to a illogical user name based on the current PC, not the user
name in the other PC(s). Why Locations doesn't show all Network devices is
beyond me. Also, directly sharing a folder like Contacts brings up a
different sharing path involving only users on the current PC - no other
network PC's are listed. I have tested this and other users cannot get to my
files.

Of course the elegant way would be to share designated common files with a
list of permitted users/network PC locations. Syncing would occur
automatically whenever a PC entered the network with the pending changes.
For a few users and a few PCs on a private network, why doesn't Vista support
syncing of PCs using Sync Center like it does for hand held devices?

"Ken" wrote:

Look's like the good old days of a simple file structure used by Outlook
Express are gone with VistaMail. I keep all my VistaMail in a separate
"DATA" partition. That keeps my stuff from getting lost in the Operating
System partition. Anyway as far as I can tell, Vista Mail keeps the emails
in a "database?" called "WindowsMail.MSMessageStore". That makes it
impossible for a generic Sync program to get at the individual messages.
So... given few alternatives I can live with the above solution. Maybe
somebody out there will develop a MessageStore Sync-er to address the issue!

"Al" <Al@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:E109474D-7FFC-4526-B2D7-DC6497D60C72@xxxxxx