keeping messages in inbox

[steve]

I've been using Outlook for about a month to pull in my
emails from a different mail services I have - AOL and
SBC/Yahoo. The problem I'm having is that while my
messages are coming in from AOL correctly (or they seem to
be), Outlook only retains them for a week or so then they
disappear. It does not happen with the SBC mail (which is
the first/default mail account). I've looked everywhere
for something to adjust the length of time messages stay
in the Inbox folder for the AOL messages, but no success.
Anyone with ideas that might help would be greatly
appreciated, because now I lose the messages. As an
aside, because AOL mail is in IMAP format (versus POP3
like SBC), I also can't figure out how to leave a copy at
AOL so I'm losing the messages completely. Help!!

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Brian Tillman]

As an
aside, because AOL mail is in IMAP format (versus POP3
like SBC), I also can't figure out how to leave a copy at
AOL so I'm losing the messages completely. Help!!

The IMAP protocol shouldn't work that way. When working with an IMAP
server, Outlook (and all other IMAP clients as well), crates a local cache
that mimics the folders on the IMAP server, placing _copies_ of the messages
from the server into the cache when you synchronize the two. An IMAP client
doesn't download the messages from the server and delete them, unless you've
explicitly told it to do so.

 

[steve]

Brian, thanks for the info. I surely don't think I did
anything to set it up like it is currently working, and
can't really find a place in Outlook Account setup to make
fixes. Do you have any ideas on this? By the way, it is
Outlook 2000. Thanks,
Steve

 

[Brian Tillman]

Brian, thanks for the info. I surely don't think I did
anything to set it up like it is currently working, and
can't really find a place in Outlook Account setup to make
fixes. Do you have any ideas on this? By the way, it is
Outlook 2000.

You must be using OL 2000 in Internet Mode Only. I'm afraid it's been a
long time since I used that version and I don't recall ever using IMO.

 

[Adam Bailey]

The IMAP protocol shouldn't work that way. When working with an IMAP
server, Outlook (and all other IMAP clients as well), crates a local cache
that mimics the folders on the IMAP server, placing _copies_ of the messages
from the server into the cache when you synchronize the two. An IMAP client
doesn't download the messages from the server and delete them, unless you've
explicitly told it to do so.

AOL is unusual in this regard in that it expires old messages. You have to
copy the messages to a local folder if you want to keep them.

A Rule can be used to automate this procedure, essentially turning an IMAP
account into a POP3 account. I do this with several accounts.

More information about AOL's IMAP server, including its peculiarities, can
be found at:
http://members.aol.com/adamkb/aol/mailfaq/imap/