...but if you have your provider delete your emails after you download them in outlook each email will only be available in the OS you were using when you checked your mail.
Not true. As long as each of the Outlook installations are set to use the
same exact outlook.pst file, then all emails that are downloaded into outlook will be saved in that .pst file. So, no matter if you boot into XP or Vista, as soon as you open Outlook, it will load whatever it has in that .pst file.
I do exactly that and it works fine. I actually have my .pst file in a folder inside My Documents (which is located on a separate partition than any of the operating systems).
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the default location of the outlook.pst file is:
C:\Documents and Settings\
USER NAME\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
Of course you need to replace the blue with your own information. Some of the folders along that path are hidden folder, you might need to enable viewing hidden folders (or you can just copy and paste the path into windows explorer to directly go to that directory).
I recommend doing what I do and having that .pst file in a separate location (for example in My Documents)
on a separate partition. That way, if something goes wrong with one of the OS partitions, you still have all your emails backed up with your own files. Inside My Documents, I basically have all my outlook emails, rules that I have created, accounts info etc. in a folder called "Outlook Things". That way, if I have to reinstall an OS, and reinstall Outlook, I just tell it where those files are and bingo - I'm right back in business as if nothing had happened.
Having the "My Documents" folder on a separate partition is also nice, because no matter what OS I boot to, I have set the location of "My Documents" to a folder in that third partition. That way I don't have to deal with two different "My Documents" folders.
PS - BTW, great thread. I learned new stuff by reading what PC eye and StrangeHold were discussing.
