Computer Question

[Ex-MA Hole]

Background:  I am at work working off of my laptop.  My work emails go to the network server, then gets fwd'd to Comcast, then to my outlook.

The way it is setup, I need to hookup my old office computer every 2-3 weeks to download all my emails to the outlook on my old desktop to clean it out, otherwise my sever email system gets full.

*** OBVIOUSLY the easiest way to change this is at the server level, WE DO NOT HAVE AN IT DEPT.  I HAVE NO ACCESS TO THE SERVER.  LONG story, but it won't work.  I am not breaking any rules, everyone knows I am working off my laptop.

Question:  How can I hook my desktop CPU up to my laptop to make this easier than dragging out the monitor, cpu, keyboard, etc?  Can I simply plug in the CPU, run a USB cable and do it that way?

Any ideas?

I can not have the sever setting put on my laptop, as we do not have an IT dept, also then I loose admin ability on my personal laptop.

[StopTheGrays]

Export your email to a .pst file. Copy or move to a thumb/flash drive. Insert thumb drive into laptop and copy or move it to the laptops hard drive. Then import it into the outlook on the laptop.

Keep in mind this is not a detailed step-by-step but it should be enough to get you going in the right direction.

[Ex-MA Hole]

No, that's no what I meant.  I'm not really computer literate enough to explain it, but let me try it again, sorry for the confusion.

I already get the emails on the laptop, they get fwd'd automatically.  That's not the issue.

The issue is that they way the server is setup, even thought they get fwd'd, they still sit on my other computer, UNTIL DELETED, and therefore sit on the server.

My other computer is locked in a closet.  For me to set it up invloves dragging it out of the closet, hooking it all up, allowing it to download my email, then deleting it all.  Right now I have to do this every 2-3 weeks.

What I want to figure out is how to skip this step.  Can I simply plug my old desktop into the wall, plug a USB cable into the back of it (CPU BOX ONLY), put the other end of the USB into my laptop, and go to "my computer" on the laptop, find the desktop computer icon here, launch Outlook on the desktop computer via my laptop, download and delete the email in outlook, which is on my desktop, via my laptop...


Oh forget it.

This is not making any sense and I'm confusing myself.  Ok, and laughing my butt off.   At myself.


Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

[Marnoot]

If both computers are on and attached to the network, you could use something like RealVNC or remote desktop to control your desktop from your laptop without needing an additional monitor and keyboard.

[roo_ster]

It has been a while since I wrassled with Outlook (AKA, "virus bait").

It sounds to me that you are currently getting your mail where you want it, that is, on your laptop?  If so, you may want to fire up whatever application you used to set up forwarding and change the config from "forward" to forward & remove from server."

An alternative is to create another account on your laptop that interfaces directly with your work server and use it to clear off the server.

[garrettwc]

ex-ma I understand what you are saying, but you are making things hard on yourself.

To answer the first part of the question. No. Intel machines as part of the BIOS check for a keyboard, mouse, etc. during boot up. Unless someone has come out with a hack I haven't heard of the system won't boot unless everything is hooked up.

The solution to the email problem is something along the lines of jfruser suggested.  If I am reading your original post correctly you get email in the following manner:

Email on company server
Company server forwards to Comcast
Laptop downloads from Comcast

You have two options here.

1- Work with your IT group from the server side and have them "delete after forwarding".

2- Add an additional account in Outlook besides your Comcast account and download to your laptop direct from your network server instead of forwarding to Comcast.

[Marnoot]

Intel machines as part of the BIOS check for a keyboard, mouse, etc. during boot up. Unless someone has come out with a hack I haven't heard of the system won't boot unless everything is hooked up.

Most BIOS's (BIOSes?) have an option to control what errors it will halt on. You should be able to configure it to something like "Halt on: All but keyboard." I use this settting on my media center PC as it has no keyboard or mouse attached.

[Ex-MA Hole]

Biosii?

Marnoot- how?

garrettwc and jfruser- you are both correct, but we do not have an IT department.  We layed him off a year ago.  When the system crashes, we hire someone from the outside to come in and fix it.  I have no one to turn to.  The IT room is locked and hasn't been entered since he left, except for once when the server got a virus.  Past that, it remains empty.

This is why I need to circumvent the IT/ account creation route, it ain't gonna happen!  This is the easiest way in theory, but unfortunately...

[Marnoot]

Boot your desktop with the kb and monitor attached. Enter BIOS (it will say on the screen somewhere during the first part of the boot, usually by pressing DEL or one of the Function keys (e.g. "Press DEL to enter Setup."). BIOS layouts differ, but the setting is usually in a submenu called "Standard CMOS Features" or something similar. There should be a setting called something like Halt on Errors, change it to "All, but keyboard" or equivalent.

[BozemanMT]

wayyy too hard
you need to move them from you inbox (on the server) to personal folders on  your laptop, becaues the size of your mailbox on teh server is limited.
go to outlook, open up the help type in personal folders on local disk and follow the instructions

[Brad Johnson]

Can't your rent-a-geek set up your laptop to log directly into your mail server instead of Comcast? Set up both your Comcast and work accounts (you can have multiple accounts in Outlook) so that both get checked automatically when you log on.

If you know what your username and password are for your work e-mail account, you can set it up yourself using the Add Email Account wizard.

Brad

[charby]

Can't your rent-a-geek set up your laptop to log directly into your mail server instead of Comcast? Set up both your Comcast and work accounts (you can have multiple accounts in Outlook) so that both get checked automatically when you log on.

If you know what your username and password are for your work e-mail account, you can set it up yourself using the Add Email Account wizard.

Brad

Also need to know the exchange server address if you use outlook/exchange. I just made the switch from POP only mail to outlook/exchange at work so I am working through it with myself and clients.

-Charby

[roo_ster]

Lord save us from non-POP & non-IMAP mail servers! :shudder:

MS Exchange & Lotus Domino are of the Devil.

[garrettwc]

This is why I need to circumvent the IT/ account creation route, it ain't gonna happen!  This is the easiest way in theory, but unfortunately...

You can create it yourself using Outlook on your laptop.

Here are the steps:
1. Get desktop PC out of closet and boot up.
2. Open Outlook and navigate the following menu Tools|Email Accounts
3. You will either see a listing of your current accounts or a popup window asking if you want to create new or view existing. Once you get the list of existing accounts up select your email account and view the properties or if there is no properties button choose edit.
4. Write down the information/settings in each field for every tab on your desktop machine.
5. Follow steps 1-3 on your laptop but choose "create new".
6. Name the account something unique and fill in the blanks with the info you wrote down from your desktop.
7. Save the new account, close Outlook and reopen, you should now see the new inbox.
8. Hit the F9 key (send/receive all), your new account should now be filling up with the email off your server (if you didn't set it to auto-retrieve on startup.

This should work.

[Nick1911]

Alternativly, you could use an ethernet crossover cable to directly connect your desktop to your laptop every now and then.  Depending on what operating system your desktop has, you may be able to remote desktop to it, or at least VNC into it.

-Nick

[tyme]

"biosii" is a pathological plural form based on several misapprehensions.  BIOS is an acronym for Basic Input/Output System.  The greek "bios" means "life", which is totally unrelated.  And it is greek, not latin.  Converting -us to -i to form a plural is a latin grammar rule for one of the noun declensions, not a greek grammar rule.  

My personal method of forming plurals of acronyms is to capitalize the acronym and add a lowercase 's' or "es".  I haven't consulted any of the standard english usage guides on the subject, though.