MSO Outlook: Copy PST file to 2nd PC, downloads the old emails again


  1. Posts : 271
    Win 10 Pro 21H2 (OS Build 19045.3636)
       #1

    MSO Outlook: Copy PST file to 2nd PC, downloads the old emails again


    I have desktop & laptop PCs. Both run Win10 PRO and Office 365.

    The desktop is my "master" PC, the laptop a "slave" when away from home, on holiday, etc. I sync the files on my laptop with those on the desktop.

    The desktop holds in Outlook's .PST files all my emails downloaded and filed away into appropriate folders, keeping my Inbox to a minimum. I have the option set to keep the emails on the server, this also means I can access them from my phone.

    If I copy the Outlook's .PST files from desktop to laptop and then run Outlook on the laptop, all the old emails are downloaded again creating duplicates.

    It seems that the knowledge that the emails have been downloaded is not being transferred with the .PST file.

    Is there any way to stop this 2nd downloading?
      My Computers


  2. Posts : 1,218
    W10-Pro 22H2
       #2

    I don't use 365 (still on 2010) so cannot test behaviour - but this link
    [SOLVED] Make Outlook with O365 not sync automatically - Spiceworks
    suggest you can turn off syncing by setting 'work offline' - but some comments say this can only be achieved by using POP3 or IMAP, and it seems that 365 uses Exchange automatically (I don't know). If you are connecting via exchange, then this link tells you how to stop syncing:
    How to Stop Office Outlook Synchronization | It Still Works
    (not tested of course)

    PS Your use of the setting 'keep emails on server' suggests to me you are using POP3. You want the laptop to access new emails but not re-download old ones - so why would that re-download be occurring? Is it that when you copy .pst files to the laptop, you erase its record of what it has downloaded already? If so, you need to avoid changing whichever .pst file on the laptop is the one that connects to the server. I am speculating far to much here, so shall stop.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 271
    Win 10 Pro 21H2 (OS Build 19045.3636)
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Thanks for the thoughts. Yes, I'm using POP3. It was the same behaviour on Office 2010 Outlook which I moved from last year.

    The way I'd like to be able to work is...
    Going on holiday and taking laptop so copy .PST files to the laptop
    While away receive and handle new emails, filing as appropriate in the various email folders
    Get back from holiday and copy .PST files from laptop back to desktop and continue

    Maybe I'm being naïve in thinking that would be possible. Maybe it isn't.

    I get round it at the moment when away by using webmail to deal with new emails - all my addresses are gmail ones.
      My Computers


  4. Posts : 1,218
    W10-Pro 22H2
       #4

    The way I see it, if previously downloaded emails are in your default inbox on Outlook (on the laptop), then they won't get downloaded again when you connect while travelling. So whatever you do, you must ensure the emails are not removed from the laptop inbox. To do this, ensure that the pst files you copy do not overwrite whichever one you inbox resides in. How you achieve that is down to some complex manoeuvering on your part.

    However, if while travelling you file the emails away in sub folders, then your inbox will empty, as will the desktop one. Quite why this duplicated download doesn't occur on the desktop I don't know, but you might explore the reason for the difference in behaviour: some setting on the desktop prevents duplicate downloading, you need to copy that to the laptop.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 271
    Win 10 Pro 21H2 (OS Build 19045.3636)
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Googling for another issue I came across this which appears to explain my duplicate downloads question.

    Outlook is downloading duplicate emails from a POP3 account
    Outlook is downloading duplicate emails from a POP3 account
      My Computers


 

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