Outlook Express store location

Do you have the network drive mapped so that you automaticaly connect to it at startup?

If not, give that a try.

Chas

I use Outlook Express and, like you, have looked for a way to save the mail folders to a network drive. However, I have been unable to find a way. I think this is intentionally designed this way, but I'm not exactly sure why, perhaps as a way to separate functionality between Outlook and Outlook Express. I did read some theory about OE avoiding "slow network connections", but I don't place much merit in that. I also read about a user who attempted to force the change through a registry hack, but he simply wasted Outlook Express in the process.

Then I ran across an interesting "possible" solution. I say "possible" because there was no mention of the outcome, nor did I try it. It involved simply copying the folders/files by means of a login script and logout script. (Copying them to a network drive at logout and back to the local drive at login.) The weakness of this method, however, is a logout/login is necessary whenever the user wants to run OE, and that seems unacceptable to me.

But that also illustrated the possibility of the same copy flow, but by means of a batch file instead of a login script. Back in the DOS days, we used to create a batch file that did various things before it launched the desided program. A batch file, for example, would perform various tasks such as change directories, delete backup (.bak) files, and the like. It would then launch the appropriate .exe program. After the program is exited, the batch file then would pickup at the line after the program was launched.

In this case, the flow of the batch file might look something like this:

(This flow "presumes" that you've already copied the most recent OE Store to the networked drive.)

(continued...)

I read in a microsoft document somewhere (I think the docs for the IEAK6), that when you browse for the new store folder, OE will NOT let you choose a network device. Something about networks not always being available.

I'd be interested in finding a workaround, but poking in the registry has't been too rewarding yet.

Mozilla, Netscape, Eudora, and (I think) Opera all give you the ability to store message where ever you want.

Using IMAP protocol is also an option.

HTH

I know you don't want to hear this, but Outlook Express simply won't allow you to do what you want. There's plenty of documentation stating such, and none to suggest otherwise.

If you want to save the store folders on a networked drive, you'll have to get somewhat creative, and do it outside of Outlook Express.

Microsoft Knowledge Base Article Q199074 clearly states, "...the Outlook Express message folder must be located on a local hard disk, not on removable media or a network share".http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q199074&

Differences between Outlook and Outlook Express:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q257824

As Walter Cronkite used to say, "and that's the way it is". (Ihope I'm not aging myself.)

However (and now you have me very curious), I did find the following in an article at Internet Magazine:

http://www.internet-magazine.com/experthelp/view.asp?id=143

REMOVE SPACES from the pasted URL.

Excerpt from article:

This is a common query which we've looked at before. Outlook Express only likes local hard disk drives. According to Microsoft, the Outlook Express message folder must be located on a local hard disk, not on removable media or a network share. But it's possible to overcome this limitation - that's the good news. The bad news is that moving the location of the mail store to a mapped or removable drive isn't supported by Microsoft, so you use the following information at your own risk.

This hack applies to Windows 95 or Windows 98. Load the Registry Editor, RegEdit (having first taken a security backup of the Registry) and drill down to the registry key: HKEY_CURRENT _USER\Software\Microsoft \Outlook Express. Right click on the Store Root value to edit it, changing it to the desired network share or path. Note that if user profiles are in force, the Store Root value is located in the registry key: HKEY_USERS\username\Software \Microsoft\Outlook Express. 'Username' is the name you use to log on to Windows 95/98.

Things are slightly different in Outlook Express 5.x as it lacks separate Mail and News folders because everything is now held in .DBX message stores - Inbox.dbx, Sent Items.dbx, and so on.

The registry location for Outlook Express5 is: HKEY_CURRENT _USER\Identities\{idnum}\Software \Microsoft\Outlook Express.

So there ya' go.