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Windows XP Pro Outlook Client is dependent on a Windows 98 Client

This is very strange. I've got a client who is running exchange 5.5 in cached mode. They have several different outlook clients ranging from outlook 97 to outlook xp. We upgraded a machine to Windows XP Professional (a full clean install) and installed Office XP Pro. We initially had problems with getting the client to connect to the exchange server, but realized it was because we went from Office XP to Office 2000 and back to Office XP (don't ask). We realized we had to recreate the mail profile and that worked. However, this machine does not receive email unless the users old windows 98 machine is up and running and receiving email. Both machines are configured to attach to the exchange server. This was all discovered when the user changed his password on the XP box and the 98 machine stopped receiving email. The other interesting phenomenon is that unless the 98 machine is up and getting email, the exchange server does not receive email. I had the user use the OWA client to see if he could access his new email temporarily, but it wasn't available. Not until we reset the windows 98 box password list and the 98 machine started receiving email did the exchange server see the new email and the XP pro client see the new email. I'm a Lotus Domino guy, so this is all relatively new to me. Does anyone have any idea what the problem could be?

Steve

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David Wilhoit

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slaroche

ASKER

Thanks for the input Kidego. You were right. Each user has a POP3 account (individual username/password) that they send and receive email from. Then they replicate with the exchange server so the information is populated for OWA. They have to leave their workstations running with outlook open to get new OWA information from home. It seems to be the most convoluted configuration. Is this a common design? Wouldn't it make more sense to have the exchange server pulling the email from the POP3 server? I guess they've set it up this way so they can utilize the mail-bagging service offered by their POP3 host.

David Wilhoit

that's exactly why it's set up that way. But, in truth, they should be using a POP3 connector to d/l the mail to the respective mailboxes, and the Outlook client on the workstation should use an Exchange server profile. That way all mail lives on the server, and is equally accessible by either OWA or Outlook client. And the data is safer of the server, provided your backups are squared away. Data continuity....

D