I have just loaded Outlook on a new notebook, Outlook 2002. I've used this version of Outlook since 2002, but alas that notebook did a big crash. The good news, I had all but the last two days of message folders on a back up drive, in a folder called "Exchange". Now, on my old XP home there was a folder called "OutlookFolders" which had "Exchange" and other details in it. So, all I need to do is copy the back-up data into the new computer's "OutlookFolders", but I can't find them, nor can the XP search. I do have folders maked to shoe hidden. Any help would be appreciated.

Shaun, did the former secretary do this for him, or is this a new thing he wants? If it's new, then you simply don't have Outlook set up to retrieve email from his account. Look for a setting to add email accounts. Is it possible she had another email program set up on that computer too? Take a look at all programs on the computer.

I use Microsoft Outlook here at home, and we use Microsoft Outlook at work. The problem you describe is as Anne suggested -- it's with your Internet Service Provider's mail servers. The only time I (or my husband) received duplicate mail downloads is when we're in Outlook here at home. As soon as I log onto the ISP's mail server (nearly every ISP has a way to log into your mailbox on the web if you're not at home, and you can certainly log in via the web even if you are at home), and start deleting the messages from the server, the problem stops. At work, I have never, ever received multiple downloads of the same message. I work for the state, and we used to have our own (Microsoft Exchange) mail servers. Now we're part of the statewide e-mail, so the servers are in the Microsoft domain. I was an Exchange administrator when we had our own servers, and I have administrative rights in the Microsoft domain. It's not Outlook that's causing the problem -- it is most definitely your ISP's mail servers.

Google used to have a utility to sync Outlook to Gmail mail, calendar, contacts, etc (and then Google can be connected to Apple devices) but it pulled the plug a few years ago. When it did so, I stopped using Outlook, it didn't really add value for me. When using an internet connected PC, web access doesn't provide a significantly different user experience than using a local program anyway. This article might provide useful information. If I were you, I'd keep it simple to avoid problems. Can you get by with having your calendar on your PC and phone? You can always manually "sync" any two systems that offer export and import functions but I don't know if doing that regularly could result in duplication of entries. I guess you'd have to try it and see.