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Duplicate Outlook messages

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by johngreer

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Over the last few days, ONE of my e-mail accounts has started receiving duplicate (sometimes up to 13) copies of the same e-mail. I use Outlook 2002 (on XP Home SP2) and I'm receiving 6 accounts from the same ISP as well as other ISPs, but only one account is having this duplicate problem.

I checked all my settings and even deleted the account and re-added it.

12 replies

by semmelbroesel

This may be a shot in the dark, but can you check if your email account is set to Leave Posts On Server? This is an account setting in Outlook. If this option is checked, try disabling it.
Usually, Outlook should find by itself that it is a duplicate, so maybe something is also wrong with Outlook which could mean uninstalling and reinstalling. Backup your .PST file first, though. You usually find this file which contains all your emails (and I believe your address book, too) here:
C:\Documents and Settings\(your user name)\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\

by johngreer

Thanks, but that checkbox was the very first thing I checked. It's unchecked (meaning do not leave a copy on the server). What would uninstalling/reinstalling do?

by omnicef

I am guessing your are using Norton Antivirus? this is a known issue with the personal version of Norton when it tries to scan the email. The only solution I have found is to turn off email scanning in Norton.

by fat chink

Outlook has many bugs which may not appear from the first day it is installed. I would first use the MS supplied SCANPST.EXE utility on your .PST file. Even if it says no errors found, it often does solve some problems.

I have also seen this symptom from poor network cables (another client had one just this week).

Check in Outlook settings to make sure that offline messaging/folders is turned off. This feature should only be in use if your email account is setup as an Exchange email account.

This is a known problem, MS has an article about it. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/887808/

You may want to enable the 'Leave messages on server', quit Outlook, open Outlook, disable it again, then quit Outlook again. This will force it to change the setting and save it upon exiting. Even though it shows as not checkmarked, Outlook is notorious for having it's settings screwed up.

by johngreer

I didn't know that ScanPST even existed. Thanks, it found minor problems (that I let it fix) but that didn't appear to be the solution since I got 18 duplicates of a single e-mail shortly after I ran the utility.

I tried flipping the checkbox (on, EXIT Outlook, START Outlook, still duplicates, off, exit, start, etc.) I did this a few times and almost gave up. I think the 5 time (or so) did it.

You were right on. I turned the checkbox on, made sure it was on, exited Outlook, restarted Outlook, and it was off.

I'm currently running with it checked and also to remove it from the server after 1 day AND if deleted from "Deleted Items".

THANKS!

by johngreer

Can you tell me more about the NAV bug? Is this recent? I've had that option turned on for years without any problems.

by johngreer

I tried to turn the checkbox on (leave on server and delete after one day), still duplicates. I then turned it off and I'm up to a new record 18 of the same e-mail!

by johngreer

On a hunch, I checked my "Add or Remove Programs" list and I see that on 04/13 I applied service to MS Office. Could this latest update have caused this? Reading your suggestions I see that this update should have fixed duplicates, not cause them...

Update ID: [8F408BBB-BD45-47FC-A40E-B35AE114D1EB]

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