Office 2024 info

[Macintosh1984]

Hi!

I mainly use Microsoft Outlook on both my iMac and MacBook Pro, and I used to copy the UBF8T346G9.Office folder that contains all my messages and Office preferences between the two Macs.

The 16.90 update was recently released and I can only apply it to the iMac M3 with macOS Sequoia, while I have to stay with the 16.89 update on the MacBook Pro 13" Early 2015 because I use macOS Monterey and I can't go beyond that because Apple doesn't allow it. Simply to apply the 16.90 update you must have at least macOS Ventura, and I can't install it on the MacBook Pro.

Do you think, with different versions of Outlook, could I continue to copy the UBF8T346G9.Office folder between the two Macs or will there be incompatibility problems since different versions of the apps are installed on the two computers?

I also read about OpenCore Legacy Patcher for MacBook Pro, but I have the impression that I could have major performance and battery life problems.

What do you think?

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

No good answer other than "just try and see what happens."

Basically, 2015 is being left behind... and thus the "hack" of OpenCore Legacy becomes THE option. Apple has basically given up on 2015 Macs. While Microsoft tends to do "backward compatibility" support much longer than Apple (the latter always in a rush to move all to buy again and again and again), 10 years is probably getting towards long for Microsoft too (probably learning from Apple to drive faster upgrade revenue for their own offerings).

Your remedy is probably to upgrade the old MB, exactly what perhaps BOTH companies want you to do (spend money). A new computer resolves the real issue here- the "artificial" (as proven by the OCL hack) Monterey cap- and thus readily running new versions of Outlook.

Option 2 might be to replace the old MB with a PC laptop which would readily run latest Outlook and cost a LOT less than a new MB.

Bigger picture: use IMAP and rethink your "all" (files) strategy so that you are storing files you absolutely want on both via IMAP (actually stored on a server, and thus "in the cloud"). Then even the 2015 MB would "see" and be able to use any new mail, likely well into the 2030s if it lasts that long. Instead of 2 copies of the same email files, IMAP would store one copy "in the cloud" that any number of your computers and iDevices could all access and control.

I'm guessing you are using POP for email and thus copying your entire mail library between 2 computers to keep copies of all email. But IMAP would likely be better... and the most efficient way to do that would be to prune "all" down to the email you really need on both and perhaps "archiving" email that doesn't need to be on both (but still accessible for rarer times when you want to access them).

There's plenty of information about POP vs. IMAP online. You might want to get your brain around IMAP and perhaps go that way for this situation. You wouldn't even be locked to Outlook with IMAP- any email client app could also "see" all files stored that way.

 

[mmkerc]

Is your question about having emails on both computers or other data. A few years ago I had a similar issue, but by leaving my emails on the Outlook server I had access to them on are my devices (computers, iPads, iPhone). Calendar events I synced to iCal so that was not an issue.

 

[Macintosh1984]

Thanks for the insights!

I use Gmail in POP and another address always in POP. I don't use Microsoft Exchange services. It's hard for me to think about switching to IMAP because my archive is very large and I don't really agree with moving everything to the servers.

Trying to always move the UBF8T346G9.Office folder with different versions of Outlook doesn't make me feel at ease because although it might work, it also makes me feel that under the hood the thing could somehow corrupt the storage, the database, etc.

I also exclude switching to a PC, I don't like the fact of using different systems, different apps.

I would like to exclude OpenCore Legacy Patcher so as not to kill my MacBook Pro. At the moment I don't have much time to try, backup, installation and if it doesn't work reformat again...

I don't use the laptop much, I'll evaluate all the possibilities calmly.

I could think of using Outlook super updated on iMac, move UBF8T346G9.Office to laptop in "read only", "archive only", and use the 2 email boxes via webmail, then returned to my fixed workstation, I would import the new messages to Outlook via export from webmail. I know it's a bit cumbersome but it's a solution anyway.

I don't even feel like switching to Thunderbird, I've been using Outlook if I remember correctly since version 5 of Mac OS (Classic!)

With some time I'll decide what to do, thanks!

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Thanks for the insights!

I use Gmail in POP and another address always in POP. I don't use Microsoft Exchange services. It's hard for me to think about switching to IMAP because my archive is very large and I don't really agree with moving everything to the servers.

So again, a key consideration is to address the "everything" part of this. Do you really need "everything" available at all times on both computers. Usually "very large" is heavy on what is sometimes referred to as digital clutter you pretty much never open... and never will open... so it's just hogging up a lot of space for nothing.

A very good option is to prune the "hoard" from "everything" to a much smaller number of email files that you do need, moving the rest into still-accessible files if they are needed. It's not a great task to archive a lot of email "clutter" to maybe a USB drive that you can also carry everywhere with you if you worry about urgently needing some email you haven't opened in years.

If "very large" is X but the emails you actually do need quick access to at any time tend to be X times .15 or less, .15 in IMAP would be so much easier- and far smaller- to utilize on ALL of your devices. And you could still have the entire archive of X readily accessible should some specific email untouched for a long time be needed. In IMAP, you could stop doing all of the "whole email library" copying since any number of your email-accessing devices would all be tapping the very same library stored in one place.

And IMAP doesn't really "move everything to servers" but manages the library on servers. You'll still have local copies for when you are offline and can't access the server. Edit, change, reply to, etc while offline and then when the device can re-connect to the server, the centralized library is updated to reflect those offline changes and all devices are updated accordingly... exactly like the POP "whole library" synching you are doing now, EXCEPT you don't have to manually & regularly sync a library of email files.

Unless yours is a very special case, you could probably delete a large percentage of X and never miss it... because it's email you will never open again. Yet it is taking up "very large" space out of some perception that it MAY be needed at some point. If every single email in X is essential, the easy option is to archive the bulk of your collection so that your "active" email files is a fraction of the total collection. Then IMAP that fraction and you won't have to swap POP-based libraries anymore and IMAP will readily work with your oldest tech and tech not even begun to be developed yet.

Should you discover you need some email that you "off loaded", you simply import it from the archived email and it will then become a part of the IMAP central store available to all devices. And as you process (most) email in the active pool, you should recognize which email should likely move to the archive to keep the active pool relatively lean.

Personally, I am no fan of "the cloud" in general, but IMAP makes a lot of sense for most people. It's like a hybrid cloud where you have POP-like copies locally but a magical "synch" process whenever any changed email on a disconnected device is reconnected. Trying to manage POP synch with 2+ active devices is just asking for trouble unless you are very aggressive about never making email changes on the OTHER device until the most recently changed library is transferred. Else, you will have 2 mismatched libraries that need to be reconciled into one main library over and over again. IMAP very elegantly deals with that situation well.