Ask Dave Taylor: Tech and Business

Monday

Microsoft Outlook: Configuring Multiple Accounts?

I have a question about Outlook 2003. I have three POP e-mail accounts that I download e-mail from. They are all set up as accounts in Outlook 2003, however, I can not figure out how to direct them to the folders I have created without creating a bunch of complex rules.

Here is the scenario:
  • me@company1.com is account number 1
  • me2@company1.com is account number 2
  • me@company2.com is account number 3

I thought I had solved the problem by creating 3 Outlook data files and I thought I was sending messages for each account to three different data files and therefore three separate folders in Outlook; however, this was not the case, as all messages for all accounts simply go to one Outlook Data File and then the complex group of rules comes into play.

Is there a way I can set up what I am talking about? In Netscape mail it was very simple to do this, but I need the functionality of Outlook with the ability to set up reminders, follow up alerts and the integration with other office products, and I need to have the ability to use all of these features with 3 seperate addresses all in one program at the same time, preferably without rules more complex than the IRS code.


It turns out that there are two basic ways you can solve your problem, depending on what strategy you want to use. The first, and perhaps easier, is to create multiple folders then have your messages routed to those folders based on the receiving address. Here are the steps involved, and, yes, you do have to create a rule, but it only takes a minute...