Knowledge Base

OL98: (IMO) Using an IMAP Server with Outlook

Article ID: 185820

Article Last Modified on 6/13/2001

APPLIES TO

Microsoft Outlook 98 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q185820

NOTE: These procedures only apply if you have installed Outlook with the Internet Mail Only option. To determine your installation type, click About Microsoft Outlook on the Help menu. If you have the Internet Mail Only option installed, you see "Internet Mail Only".

For information about the differences between Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Outlook Express e-mail clients, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

257824 OL2000: Differences Between Outlook and Outlook Express

SUMMARY

Outlook supports the Internet Messaging Access Protocol 4 (IMAP). This open Internet e-mail standard uses server-based mail storage. Because its storage is server-based, there are differences between it and other e- mail protocols. The following are the major differences.

MORE INFORMATION

No Non-mail Folders Can be Stored on an IMAP Server

Due to limitations of the IMAP protocol, as well as efficiency and interoperability concerns, Outlook does not allow non-mail folder storage on an IMAP server.

No Mail "Special Folder" Can be Stored on the IMAP Server

Your Sent Items, Drafts, and Deleted Items folders cannot reside on an IMAP server. Outlook requires that all special folders exist in the default store. IMAP cannot act as the default store because it cannot contain the non-mail special folders.

You can simulate a server-side Sent Items folder by creating a rule in Rules Wizard which copies all outgoing mail to the IMAP folder of your choice. There is no workaround for Drafts and Deleted Items.

Different Deletion Model

Deletion works through marking items for deletion and then purging all items marked for deletion in a given folder. There is no Deleted Items folder because moving an item in IMAP is inefficient; the source item is not immediately deleted due to the two-phase deletion model. This requires that you double the storage requirement for that message.

Unable to Start Outlook in the IMAP Inbox

Even if you use only IMAP accounts, or your IMAP account is set as your default mail account, Outlook will still launch into a POP3 inbox, the Inbox of your default store. Using Outlook 2000 you can, however, set the IMAP account as your default account for mail delivery.

As a possible workaround, you can create a shortcut to the Inbox of the IMAP store on your desktop, and start Outlook from this shortcut.

Outlook Today Does Not Display Information for Your IMAP Inbox

Even if you use only IMAP accounts, or your IMAP account is set as your default mail account, Outlook Today will only show the unread count from your POP3 Inbox, the Inbox of your default store. This is because IMAP cannot act as the default store.

No New Mail Notifications

When new mail arrives in the IMAP store, you will not receive a sound, the mouse cursor will not change briefly, and the envelope icon will not appear in the system tray.

Rules Wizard Does Not Function on Incoming Mail

The Rules Wizard is not designed to function when used with an IMAP mail server. Rules created in this scenario will not have any effect.

This behavior is changed in Outlook 2000, which does support the processing of rules as mail arrives in your IMAP Inbox.

Net Folders Do Not Function with IMAP

The Net Folders component depends upon the Rules Wizard and thus will not function when used with an IMAP mail server.

REFERENCES

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

195430 OL2000: Switch From IMO to CW Does not Transfer Account