windows mail help needed.

Hi all. A few months ago I purchased a new laptop with Vista.
It came with Windows mail and from what I comprehend, it's an updated version of Outlook Express.

The problem is that I believe that I set everything up properly, but I don't seem to be getting all of my messages.

I have the same account that I do on my desktop, but only some of my messages show up on the laptop.

The desktop is cable and the laptop is wireless.

What am I missing?

 

I assume your email account is set up as a POP account in OE and Windows Mail. My guess is that you have Windows Mail set to leave a copy of messages on the server but OE is not set to leave a copy of messages on the server.

I have this very situation. Here's what happens. If I retrieve email with my Win XP system using OE, all messages are downloaded and deleted from the server. If I immediately try to retrieve email with my laptop, running Vista and Windows Mail (WM), I will get nothing because the messages were deleted when I retrieved my mail with OE.

Now, suppose the next day, I initially retrieve email with WM instead of OE. Messages are not deleted from the server. Then, if I retrieve mail with OE soon after that, I will receive the same messages I received with WM, plus any that came in after those retrieved with WM.

What this means is that true synchronization of messages received with POP mail can only be achieved by always downloading with the computer set to leave a copy of messages on the server and then also immediately retrieving messages with the other computer which is set to not leave a copy of messages on the server. Is this clear to you?

 

Ppl who use more than one computer are often better off using IMAP accounts rather than POP accounts. With IMAP your messages remain on the server, and it doesn't make any difference whether you read them on the PC or the laptop. If you want certain messages stored locally you can simply drag them from Inbox to a local folder, though after that they are only available on the comp you have moved them to.

Setting up IMAP as no more difficult than setting up POP, and if your ISP provides your email he should have a help page for it.

 

I agree with Earthling's suggestion about IMAP. However, your ISP may not offer it. If they do not, Gmail is an option for IMAP mail. Info: POP vs IMAP