IMAP and Outlook 2007

[Jim S]

I tried using O 2007 with IMAP a while ago. It worked well enough but
seemed to take an inordinate amount of time synchronising.
Can I avoid this unless I choose?
I do keep a fair number of folders on my pc, which I understand need to
be synchronised - but every time?
My isp uses a version of Gmail for its mail if that makes any difference.
I can see this being a problem if I was to access my mail from a memory
stick as I wouldn't want all my folders to download to that.

 

[Roady [MVP]]

The first time you synchronize it does a full sync to cache the entire
mailbox. Additional caching/synching takes place when you access a folder or
during a scheduled send/receive operation. It only syncs the changes.
Setting the send/receive interval to a ridiculously low number (like less
than 5), can result in endless send/receive tasks.

If you have a virus scanner installed with Outlook, disable its integration
with Outlook. Especially when it writes some sort of "scanned" marker to the
message, you'll double the traffic since now the change needs to be synched
back to the server again.

 

[Jim S]

The first time you synchronize it does a full sync to cache the entire
mailbox. Additional caching/synching takes place when you access a folder or
during a scheduled send/receive operation. It only syncs the changes.
Setting the send/receive interval to a ridiculously low number (like less
than 5), can result in endless send/receive tasks.

If you have a virus scanner installed with Outlook, disable its integration
with Outlook. Especially when it writes some sort of "scanned" marker to the
message, you'll double the traffic since now the change needs to be synched
back to the server again.

Ok so I set it up with my desktop pc.
When I try to access it with an email client on my flash drive won't it
download the files to my drive?

 

[Roady [MVP]]

That completely depends on the mail client that you are using on that drive
and not Outlook. Assuming you are making an IMAP connection with that client
as well, then that application will probably build a cache somewhere as
well. IMAP accounts will always leave a copy on the server if that was your
actual question.

 

[Jim S]

That completely depends on the mail client that you are using on that drive
and not Outlook. Assuming you are making an IMAP connection with that client
as well, then that application will probably build a cache somewhere as
well. IMAP accounts will always leave a copy on the server if that was your
actual question.

Bear with me as I don't quite understand this IMAP business and of course I
am ending up asking a question about IMAP and not strictly Outlook )
If you are prepared to answer then if I have a big folder setup on my pc,
this will be mirrored on the server - fine - but if I now access it by e.g.
Thunderbird or the like from my flash drive, won't the folder(s) need to be
downloaded to the flash drive which might not have enough space.

 

[Roady [MVP]]

With an IMAP account you can subscribe to the folder you want.
Any folder that you subscribe to will have a 2-way sync with the server so
changes you made on either side will be reflected to either side as well.
Since everything is stored on the server, other clients can reach the
content you added via Outlook as well.

If you subscribe to a folder and you run out of disk space, then it is
totally up to the mail client that you use how that is dealt with. This
could be anything from a friendly error, a crash or data corruption. In case
of Outlook, you'll get a send/receive error and the sync process is halted.

 

[Jim S]

With an IMAP account you can subscribe to the folder you want.
Any folder that you subscribe to will have a 2-way sync with the server so
changes you made on either side will be reflected to either side as well.
Since everything is stored on the server, other clients can reach the
content you added via Outlook as well.

If you subscribe to a folder and you run out of disk space, then it is
totally up to the mail client that you use how that is dealt with. This
could be anything from a friendly error, a crash or data corruption. In case
of Outlook, you'll get a send/receive error and the sync process is halted.

Thanks.
Perhaps the USB stick access will have to be via webmail
OR
I just stick with POP3 as I seem to recall the folder structure in O-2007
was a bit weird.

 

[Kjell B.]

Thanks.
Perhaps the USB stick access will have to be via webmail
OR
I just stick with POP3 as I seem to recall the folder structure in O-2007
was a bit weird.

To my knowledge, neither Outlook 2007 nor Thunderbird do a full
synchronization just because a folder is subscribed. (I understand that
Outlook 2010 does though.)

In Outlook 2007, you control this by the Send/Receive Settings where you
can request that only the headers are synchronized (that is obviously
unavoidable). If I remember correctly, though, if you don't actively
change this, you will have full synchronization as a result of
subscribing. (With Thunderbird, you do it by selecting a folder for
offline use, details omitted in this Outlook group. Default is to not
have it available for offline use.)

Nothing weird with Outlook 2007's folder structure in my view. It is a
separate structure though from your Personal Folders structure.

 

[Jim S]

In Outlook 2007, you control this by the Send/Receive Settings where you
can request that only the headers are synchronized (that is obviously
unavoidable). If I remember correctly, though, if you don't actively
change this, you will have full synchronization as a result of
subscribing. (With Thunderbird, you do it by selecting a folder for
offline use, details omitted in this Outlook group. Default is to not
have it available for offline use.)

Nothing weird with Outlook 2007's folder structure in my view. It is a
separate structure though from your Personal Folders structure.

Ok then please help me.
I now have an IMAP account only.

MY isp uses Google to store its mail so I have a set of personal folders
which include an inbox/outbox/sent items etc.
Q1 do I just collapse them and pretend they are not there or do they serve
a purpose?

In my IMAP folders I have a Google Mail folder which has
All-mail/Bin/Drafts/Sent Mail/Spam/Starred
Q2 do I collapse this until I need it?

In my IMAP folders, but outside Google Mail I have another Inbox (and all
the folders I dragged from my pop account before I deleted it.
Q3 Are these really the only folders I need?

I am on a single pc for home use only.

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]]

Ok then please help me.
I now have an IMAP account only.

MY isp uses Google to store its mail so I have a set of personal folders
which include an inbox/outbox/sent items etc.
Q1 do I just collapse them and pretend they are not there or do they serve
a purpose?

Since IMAP cannot support a calendar, contacts, tasks, or a journal (i.e., any
non-mail type of folder), Outlook must have these folders. Moreover, an IMAP
account's folders cannot be specified as the default folders in Outlook's mail
profile settings. Outlook always created the full complement of default
folders in its default folder file, so along with the non-mail folders, you
also get the mail folders, like Inbox, Outbox, Deleted Items, and so on. If
you do not use the non-mail features of Outlook, then, yes, those folders
won't help you. You should consider using a program other than Outlook in
that case. I hear Thunderbird is a good, free mail client that handles IMAP
accounts well.

In my IMAP folders I have a Google Mail folder which has
All-mail/Bin/Drafts/Sent Mail/Spam/Starred
Q2 do I collapse this until I need it?

I usually specify "[Gmail]" as my folder root in the IMAP account settings. I
then right-click the IMAP folder root in the Navigation Pane, choose IMAP
Folders, and subscribe only to the folders I wish to see, selecting the option
to hide all non-subscribed folders. "All Mail", "Spam", and "Starred" are not
among the folders I want to appear. Doing this makes the gmail folders all
appear just under the root like Outlook normally presents folders.

In my IMAP folders, but outside Google Mail I have another Inbox (and all
the folders I dragged from my pop account before I deleted it.
Q3 Are these really the only folders I need?

That's fine. If you have moved all your messags to the server. Since they're
not under the "Gmail" structure, my method of configuring the account won't
work well for you unless you put those folders at the same level as the normal
Inbox (which means you'd probably have to rename the extra Inbox you created
that's "outside".

 

[Jim S]

Ok then please help me.
I now have an IMAP account only.

MY isp uses Google to store its mail so I have a set of personal folders
which include an inbox/outbox/sent items etc.
Q1 do I just collapse them and pretend they are not there or do they serve
a purpose?

Since IMAP cannot support a calendar, contacts, tasks, or a journal (i.e., any
non-mail type of folder), Outlook must have these folders. Moreover, an IMAP
account's folders cannot be specified as the default folders in Outlook's mail
profile settings. Outlook always created the full complement of default
folders in its default folder file, so along with the non-mail folders, you
also get the mail folders, like Inbox, Outbox, Deleted Items, and so on. If
you do not use the non-mail features of Outlook, then, yes, those folders
won't help you. You should consider using a program other than Outlook in
that case. I hear Thunderbird is a good, free mail client that handles IMAP
accounts well.

In my IMAP folders I have a Google Mail folder which has
All-mail/Bin/Drafts/Sent Mail/Spam/Starred
Q2 do I collapse this until I need it?

I usually specify "[Gmail]" as my folder root in the IMAP account settings. I
then right-click the IMAP folder root in the Navigation Pane, choose IMAP
Folders, and subscribe only to the folders I wish to see, selecting the option
to hide all non-subscribed folders. "All Mail", "Spam", and "Starred" are not
among the folders I want to appear. Doing this makes the gmail folders all
appear just under the root like Outlook normally presents folders.

In my IMAP folders, but outside Google Mail I have another Inbox (and all
the folders I dragged from my pop account before I deleted it.
Q3 Are these really the only folders I need?

That's fine. If you have moved all your messags to the server. Since they're
not under the "Gmail" structure, my method of configuring the account won't
work well for you unless you put those folders at the same level as the normal
Inbox (which means you'd probably have to rename the extra Inbox you created
that's "outside".

I understand (most of) what you say except that the Inbox was not created
by me and appears OUTSIDE the Gmail folder.

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]]

I understand (most of) what you say except that the Inbox was not created
by me and appears OUTSIDE the Gmail folder.

It's the same Inbox, then. If you wish to try what I suggest, nothing adverse
will happen. See if you like it.

 

[Jim S]

It's the same Inbox, then. If you wish to try what I suggest, nothing adverse
will happen. See if you like it.

Nah.
It's the second or third time I have tried IMAP because - well no reason
really. I really don't feel comfortable with it and away from home I can
use webmail. So it's gone.
Thanks anyhow.

 

[Kjell B.]

Nah.
It's the second or third time I have tried IMAP because - well no reason
really. I really don't feel comfortable with it and away from home I can
use webmail. So it's gone.
Thanks anyhow.

You can of course only use webmail for email still on the server. Those
downloaded via POP3 are normally not accessible when you're not at home
(i.e. unless you can and do use a "keep on server" option such as at
least Thunderbird has). The need for this depends on your use case
though. I

A benefit with IMAP is that you don't need to arrange for a backup
yourself. That should be taken care of by the mail service provider. In
the case of Google, I assume they could be trusted on that part.

I use IMAP whenever possible both due to that all my mails are available
from wherever I am plus the backup aspect. I think most webmail services
I've came across with ISPs are awkward from a usability point of view.
(If I happen to have the luck to have an Exchange server option, I'd go
for that. Even better if it is Exchange 2007 as the webmail service
provided by it is very good although not as the full Outlook client.)

 

[Jim S]

You can of course only use webmail for email still on the server. Those
downloaded via POP3 are normally not accessible when you're not at home
(i.e. unless you can and do use a "keep on server" option such as at
least Thunderbird has). The need for this depends on your use case
though. I

A benefit with IMAP is that you don't need to arrange for a backup
yourself. That should be taken care of by the mail service provider. In
the case of Google, I assume they could be trusted on that part.

I use IMAP whenever possible both due to that all my mails are available
from wherever I am plus the backup aspect. I think most webmail services
I've came across with ISPs are awkward from a usability point of view.
(If I happen to have the luck to have an Exchange server option, I'd go
for that. Even better if it is Exchange 2007 as the webmail service
provided by it is very good although not as the full Outlook client.)

I know, I know but my isp's webmail uses Google so it's all always there.