Need Outlook 2007 Help
 

I use Outlook 2007 on two computers. Normally one is set to "leave messages on server" and the other is set to delete after a certain number of days."

The one with the "delete" setting has been in the shop for a week. This is normally my "main" computer.

Today, for reasons I cannot figure out, Outlook decided not to download only NEW messages but instead is downloading ALL messages on the server, in this case, some 3,500 of them. It is estimated that this will take another four hours, and of course, leave me with a lot of duplicates.

I do not want to delete these messages from the server because I would like to download them to the other computer when it gets back from repairs.

1. Is there any way to get Outlook to stop downloading "all" and go back to downloading "new?"

2. If not, is there any way to automatically delete duplicate messages?

If anyone can help me with this problem, I would be very greatful.

Is this the computer just out of the shop that is downloading everything?

POP mail is an interesting protocol, especially when it comes to dealing with the only new messages bit. There is a unique ID for each message that the client maintains a list of. During the mail retrieval process the client requests a list of all the messages on the server (UIDL is the command, I believe) and then requests only the new ones through a follow-up command after comparing the list on the server to a local list. So if the local list craps out you'll have the situation you're in now, where it will download everything.

At least that's what I remember from supporting Eudora in the late 90s. :D

I'd start by canceling the transfer and telling Outlook to go offline. That should stop the current download. I don't think that there are any settings in Outlook 2007 to tell it to only download messages from NN days ago. Perhaps you can make a new folder, move everything out of your inbox into the temp folder, let it do the download, delete everything that is old in the new inbox and then merge it all back together. You'll have to deal with the 4 hour download, but at least you avoid the dupes. If you have rules and whatnot filtering messages into folders it will be much harder. In that case you could set up a new PST, let it download and then add the old PST back in to your Outlook profile and merge manually that way.

If you can get away from POP3 you'll be a much happier user. IMAP is a way better protocol, especially for someone with multiple computers in use.

sbm12's explanation is right on. Using a POP account and not deleting email as you read them allows the Inbox to get large which increases the chance that the PC will lose track of what it has already downloaded and just download them all again. Outlook doesn't have a duplicate email removal tool, but there are a number of tools available for purchase.

The free workarounds mentioned above will work. As mentioned, you really ought to switch to IMAP if you want to read email on multiple PCs.

try looking at this to see if this is how your Outlook is configured--http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;292249.
I am assuming that all 3500 messages arrived since your other PC has been under repair?
FWIW, I run a very similar setup with Outlook 2007 and POP accounts. My main PC deletes mail as it is downloaded (my POP server account is emptied). My laptop is set to "leave mail on server". I synchronize the .pst files on the 2 computers using SyncToy, copying the main PC files to the laptop. This ensures both PCs have all the mail (and everything else). My desktop PC overwrites the laptop, so I know anything initiated on there will be lost. If I email from my laptop and want a copy of "sent" mail, I bcc: myself. To keep my records correct, I just drag the received bcc: copy over to sent mail when it comes in on my main (desktop). It then shows the correct addressee.

Update
 

Thanks for all your replies. Let me express what happened more clearly.

I. The Setup

I have two laptop computers running MS Office Outlook 2003.

Machine #1 which we’ll call the Main computer was set in the area of Account Properties>Advanced>Delivery with checkmarks on “Leave Messages on Server” and then below “Remove from Server after 7 days.”

Machine #2, which we’ll call the Second computer was set in that area with ONLY “Leave Messages on Server” checked.

This is POP3 e-mail the only kind offered by Verizon, as far as I know.

II. What happened

Machine #1 went to the shop while Machine #2 was here downloading messages. I assumed that when Machine #1 came back it would download all the messages that had been left on the server.

Machine #1 came back from the shop. I downloaded a week’s worth of messages. I never touched the “Deleted Messages” folder.

Machine #1 promptly dropped dead (again) so I needed to send it back for more repairs. It sat turned off for five days before I could send it back.

After turning off and packing up Machine#1, I started up Outlook on Machine #2 and it worked fine.

Eleven (11) days after Machine #1 was turned off and while it was in the shop, I started up Outlook on Machine #2 and it began downloading 3,500 messages. I had never touched the Outlook Deleted Items folder.

I stopped Outlook, went online to the webmail website and discovered that (apparently) Machine #1 had not deleted messages before and after the repair leaving a huge amount of undeleted messages.

Following a suggestion, I created a new webmail website folder and transferred the bulk of the Inbox to it. I started Outlook again on Machine #2 and it downloaded the new messages left in the Inbox.

Today, I received Machine #1 back from repair. I put Outlook into Offline mode and found when the last message had been downloaded.

I went back to the webmail website and 1) moved all messages from the new folder that had come in since Machine #1 last downloaded; 2) marked them all “unread.” This was a total of 2,485 messages. I turned off Machine #2.

I started Outlook on Machine #1, and it downloaded all 2,485 messages. Unfortunately, even after a few hours, it still hadn’t deleted any of the seven day or older messages.

I started Outlook on Machine #2 and it began downloading about 1,600 messages, most of them obviously repeats. I stopped Machine #2, went to the webmail website and manually trashed most of the Inbox. All seems fine now, but who knows?

I apologize for the length but as they say, the devil is in the details.

Does anyone have any idea what in the world is going on here?