Stupid Windows User questions...

[Mini-Me]

Hi all.

I don't normally use user account at all - all my machine boot directly to the desktop with full administrator permissions. This has worked very well for most things, but the latest box I am trying to setup for a client is a little different.

It has to use user accounts, as it uses speech recognition software, and you have to enable users, so that the software can have different user accounts for the couple who want to use it. The software needs to use windows user accounts, to periodically re-train itself on recognizing that particular user's voice.

That is working just fine, but they use a common e-mail account, and the problem is that messages checked and received by one user, are not visible in the e-mail application for the other user, even though they are set to access the same account.

How can I make e-mail from one user account, appear on BOTH user accounts' email? Perhaps via a registry change?

Both users are set to administrator.
System is Windows XP Home SP3
Email program is Outlook Express 6(they don't want to change that if possible, as they are used to it, but will if there is no other way.)

[Paul Komski]

The Store Folders in IE are referenced by its Tools >> Options >> Maintenance >> Store Folder button which opens up the current path and an option to change its location.

Suggest you create a SharedOE folder in the C: drive (or anywhere outside the documents and settings area) and then point all users to the same folder. After the first account is redirected the other ones will know it is an OE store folder and prompt you to leave it as is (generally the correct option) or to move their current email folders to the new location.

[Mini-Me]

Thanks a bunch. :) I will try that on a test machine, after creating a couple of new "Virtual" users, so I am familiar with it, as these clients watch everything you do. Not that I really mind, but if things are not going right... :p

[Mini-Me]

Can you do the same thing with the address-book?
Cos it is complete for Mr. Client, but totally blank for Mrs. Client... :p

[Paul Komski]

It's trickier for the Default Address Book because it involves making a copy of the one you want to use renamed somewhere first (recommended) and then editing the registry for the current user when logged on for each user. Inside Outlook Express (http://www.insideoutlookexpress.com/tips/movewab.htm).

[Mini-Me]

To complicated for them - way outside of what they could do, so I think I will just import the address book for both users each in each user account.

I have always hated user accounts, and this is one of the reasons why - it introduces un-necessary complications when multiple users want to do common things.

If not for that bloody voice recognition software...

[Paul Komski]

In general I hate many MS products more than I hate user accounts per se. Why use OE when there are third party applications such as Thunderbird or Foxmail that you can configure most any which way you like. Webmail is another obvious common conduit to mails and contacts and can be configured to collect POP accounts if that is an issue.

I guess the users are comfortable with OE and want things as they were.

Another inelegant "solution" is to export an address book somewhere and thereafter access it directly rather than via OE. It's inelegant on at least two counts: the direct interface with OE will be lost/altered and users will need to go to the "Main Identity's" folder in the Address Book. That folder is seamlessly opened by default when the default identity used by the OE user is opened by OE; (an identity account within a user account just to get even more complicated - if you see what I mean; doable but not necessarily functional).

[Paul Komski]

An alternative is to edit the registry of the second user (must be logged on at the time) using the first user's user name (found from their Address Book path from OE). Just edit the username in the code below.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WAB\WAB4\Wab File Name]
@="C:\\Program Files\\Common Files\\Microsoft Shared\\Address Book\\username.wab"

Write it in notepad and save as jointwab.reg (or whatever) and bring or email it to your client and get them to run it from their desktop or right click on the file and choose merge.

Even get them to install LogMeIn and do it for them remotely.


I think I will just import the address book for both users each in each user account. That will only work once and will not get updated as time goes by.

[Mini-Me]

Thanks for that, will check it out.

I moved(via OE6) the message store to c:\outlook express mail store folder, and new messages are being stored there, but as soon as I moved the location, the existing messages that were there, vanished - it was as if you were looking at a clean-install of OE with nothing in it yet.

Any idea why that should be?

Why does MS bury the mail store folder 6 miles deep in the tree anyway? Why not have the mail store folder under my documents to begin with?

[Paul Komski]

I did post earlier the following:will know it is an OE store folder and prompt you to leave it as is (generally the correct option) or to move their current email folders to the new locationPerhaps you didn't get such a prompt - but I have always had this happen. It is possible, of course, keep a copy of the original store folder and put it back when all the paths have been changed. If the original store folder is deleted and a path to it still exists then when OE is next opened it will recreate a brand new one with pristine folders inside it.

God knows why MS does the things it does in the way that it does. You'd need to chat to "uncle bill" about that. Far too easy and logical to put it in the My Documents folder!

[Mini-Me]

I did see that prompt, and I re-directed OE to the new mail folder. I then closed, logged out, logged back in on the other user account, opened OE, changed the mail-store location, but the original messages have vanished

I have been tinkering with Thunderbird tonight, and I think I will put them on that - I have had a guts full of OE, and I know I am not the only one who has issues with OE...

I was able to import all the old OE dbx files(after running them through a converter), and set them up as folders in TB: "Outlook Express Inbox" etc - which they can then use to look at all their old mail, while at the same time, using TB to receive their new mail. I don't suppose you know if TB has these bleedin' user issues? In other words: does TB use a common account no matter what user is logged on, leaving you to create new user profiles if you want?

[Paul Komski]

Thunderbird does store profiles in each user's %AppData%\Thunderbird\ folder. The paths to the different profiles are stored in the %AppData%\Thunderbird\profiles.ini file for each user. The distinct profiles can be stored anywhere of one's choosing and includes both messages and address book.

Basically create a profile outside the documents and settings area and amend both users to use this same profile as their default.

More details at: http://www.mozilla.org/support/thunderbird/profile

[Mini-Me]

To recap, and make sure I am understanding this correctly:

- Create new profile outside docs and settings
- Point Mr. Client to it using profile manager and tick don't ask at startup
- Log out of Mr. user, and log into Mrs. user
- Point Mrs. Client to it using profile manager and tick don't ask at startup

That should make TB use the new profile, as a common profile with both user accounts - they can both send and receive mail using their accounts, but Mrs. Client can see the mail downloaded by Mr. Client last time he checked the mail, as well as see anything he sent in the outbox, and vise-versa.

Does that sound about right?

Thanks for your patience. :)

[Paul Komski]

What I would do is very similar but I would first copy MrUser's abcdefgh.xxx folder somewhere like inside C:\Thundirbird\

Shut down TB and open the profile manager and add new profile but point it to the copy at C:\Thunderbird\abcdefgh.xxx using Choose Folder and then simply click Finish.

Do the same thing with MrsUser.

Then repeat with the profile manager but remove the original default profile (not mandatory) or just highlight the new profile and ask not to prompt at startup which one to use. When removing a profile you should be prompted as to whether to delete the underlying files as well.

As long as you have any profile folder backed up you are safe to rumba.