IMAP accounts and data files

[Marco De Vitis]

Hi,
I need to use Outlook 2003 for accessing an IMAP account containing a
large amount of mails, but I'm a bit confused regarding the way Outlook
manages IMAP accounts.

1. My main concern is that I'd like to make Outlook use a specific data
file (goofy.pst) for this account, but as soon as I add the IMAP account
it creates a new .pst file instead, in a location of its choosing, with
an automatically created name, and moreover it's in the old 97-2002
format; I can't find a way to change or move it. I have my goofy.pst set
up as default mail delivery location, but it doesn't seem to matter.

2. In part, my concern at point 1 is due to the fact that the IMAP
account contains some gigabytes of mails, so I'm worried that soon or
later all this stuff could somehow end up in the new .pst file which,
besides reaching its size limit soon (even more as it is in the old
format), is placed in a partition which does not have a lot of free space.
So, what I'd like to know is: what use does Outlook make of this .pst
file he creates together with the IMAP account? Is it just an empty
reference/temporary file, or does it copy in there all messages you read
from the account, or what?
As far as I can tell, every message you read from the IMAP account is
then stored locally; is it stored in that automatically created .pst
file? Can I somehow tell Outlook to NOT store any messages locally?

3. Finally, an IMAP-newbie question: what's the purpose of folder
subscription? Is it only useful to avoid seeing in the folder tree any
folders you're not interested into, so just a visual setting, or does it
have any other meanings?

Thanks.

 

[Brian Tillman]

I need to use Outlook 2003 for accessing an IMAP account containing a
large amount of mails, but I'm a bit confused regarding the way
Outlook manages IMAP accounts.

1. My main concern is that I'd like to make Outlook use a specific
data file (goofy.pst) for this account,

Can't be done.

but as soon as I add the IMAP
account it creates a new .pst file instead, in a location of its
choosing, with an automatically created name, and moreover it's in
the old 97-2002 format; I can't find a way to change or move it. I
have my goofy.pst set up as default mail delivery location, but it
doesn't seem to matter.

Alas, Outlook 2003 always uses the old format PST for IMAP accounts.

2. In part, my concern at point 1 is due to the fact that the IMAP
account contains some gigabytes of mails, so I'm worried that soon or
later all this stuff could somehow end up in the new .pst file which,
besides reaching its size limit soon (even more as it is in the old
format), is placed in a partition which does not have a lot of free
space. So, what I'd like to know is: what use does Outlook make of
this .pst file he creates together with the IMAP account? Is it just
an empty reference/temporary file, or does it copy in there all
messages you read from the account, or what?

It will copy messages open to the PST and it may copy the entire contents of
any folders you open, depending on your download settings.

As far as I can tell, every message you read from the IMAP account is
then stored locally; is it stored in that automatically created .pst
file? Can I somehow tell Outlook to NOT store any messages locally?

You can't.

3. Finally, an IMAP-newbie question: what's the purpose of folder
subscription? Is it only useful to avoid seeing in the folder tree any
folders you're not interested into, so just a visual setting, or does
it have any other meanings?

I haven't figured that out.