Outlook 2003 pop3 downloading more than once

Outlook 2003 is downloading all mail at pop3 site each time it starts - it doesn't remember where it left off unless you leave it running 24/7. I run 'delete from server after 1 day' because I have multiple Outlook 2003 clients and they each need to get their copy before deletion. This is really serious because with spam I routinely get 7,000 email per day now and its climbing. So with minimum of 1 day 'delete from server' I have 7,000 emails to read at any given time - i.e. each time Outlook 2003 starts (like when you have to reboot for a security patch) it re-reads from scratch!!!

I used to routinely copy Outlook 2000 *.pst files from main machine to laptop, start it up and it 'retained is memory' of what it had downloaded - work offsite for day - come home and copy *.pst back to main machine etc. Outlook 2000 worked great! but of course it couldn't filter spam.

So I upgraded to Outlook 2003 and spam filtering is a relief but it has regressed as far as remembering what it has downloaded when its off.

What's the magic to get it to remember!!!!!!!???????? Why did this simple feature regress from 2000?

No I cannot run other configurations (i.e. exchange server etc). Working 'offline' had no affect - in fact seems like a red-herring (i.e. noop) for stand-alone pop3 internet client situation.