POP3 to IMAP

J_B

'Our Kid' uses Office (365) outlook on his W10PC

Always used pop3 ... ain't broke don't fix

Also used the gmail app, which now won't work with pop3 as his ISP has 'upgraded' (broken) something

Disregarding the phone, if he swaps MS Outlook to IMAP ...

a) how to do it

b) will he loose any info

Any pointers?

sausage_time

You will need to know your ISP IMAP server details.  In Outlook the settings are described here.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/imap-account-basic-settings-0a3f843d-d858-4527-ba0c-b57aeb83bf4e

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/how-do-i-set-up-an-imap-account-7af3289c-3a33-46ab-bf51-93f2d095455f

Gmail app will let you connect to an IMAP server too.

J_B

sausage_time said:

You will need to know your ISP IMAP server details.  In Outlook the settings are described here.

Thanks

The 'really helpful ISP' said ... 

<<Suggest using imap for phones (faster). Read all the info with settings as its easy to get it right & wrong.by skipping some of the detail. Support link below

https://www.farming-online.co.uk/support >>

But, the link doesn't give the server details!

Don't want to lose any of the current info - will he?

Neil_Jones

POP3 downloads to the computer/client and then optionally removes it from the server immediately or a few days later.  The default tends to be the former, though if you're just changing server settings it should retain what's there.

IMAP is effectively a mirror of what's on the server (with folders) so rather than downloading messages and handling them locally if you delete something it is gone.

The server details are on the link you provided - click settings at the top and pick your domain.

J_B

Neil_Jones said:

POP3 downloads to the computer/client and then optionally removes it from the server immediately or a few days later.  The default tends to be the former, though if you're just changing server settings it should retain what's there.

He has it set to 'keep on the server for 14 days'

IMAP is effectively a mirror of what's on the server (with folders) so rather than downloading messages and handling them locally if you delete something it is gone.

I understand that

The server details are on the link you provided - click settings at the top and pick your domain.

Ah - that's well hidden!

Many thanks

J_B

Do you think I ought to just go into his outlook program and alter the settings from pop3 to IMAP or isn't it that simple?

sausage_time

Yes, that should work.   

You may want to consider the Outlook app on his phone too (versus the gmail app).  It's rather decent I think.

treaclepumpkin

J_B said:

Do you think I ought to just go into his outlook program and alter the settings from pop3 to IMAP or isn't it that simple?

It isn't that simple, as Neal Jones said. If Outlook has old emails that aren't held on the server when you switch from POP3 to IMAP you could loose those local ones during the sync process. It's going to depend on how Outlook is configured currently, are offline folders used, as in do they archive emails? Biggest change is that IMAP is syncing across multiple devices so you have the same view. Try using ChatGPT for more assistance in the move.
https://chatgpt.com/share/687cc1d0-bff4-800a-a597-908743530d22

alanjuk

i would backup your emails before you do anything, I have used https://www.mailstore.com/en/products/mailstore-home/ for years, its free for home use

J_B

treaclepumpkin said:

J_B said:

Do you think I ought to just go into his outlook program and alter the settings from pop3 to IMAP or isn't it that simple?

It isn't that simple, as Neal Jones said. If Outlook has old emails that aren't held on the server when you switch from POP3 to IMAP you could loose those local ones during the sync process. It's going to depend on how Outlook is configured currently, are offline folders used, as in do they archive emails? Biggest change is that IMAP is syncing across multiple devices so you have the same view. Try using ChatGPT for more assistance in the move.
https://chatgpt.com/share/687cc1d0-bff4-800a-a597-908743530d22

Thanks

All old emails from forever (?) are stored locally in the depths of his Office 365 Outlook program on his W10 PC (and on the server for 14 days)

We don't want to lose them really.

I've managed since W95 without chatgpt and am amused by the disclaimer at the bottom saying << ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.>>  

Doshwaster

J_B said:

treaclepumpkin said:

J_B said:

Do you think I ought to just go into his outlook program and alter the settings from pop3 to IMAP or isn't it that simple?

It isn't that simple, as Neal Jones said. If Outlook has old emails that aren't held on the server when you switch from POP3 to IMAP you could loose those local ones during the sync process. It's going to depend on how Outlook is configured currently, are offline folders used, as in do they archive emails? Biggest change is that IMAP is syncing across multiple devices so you have the same view. Try using ChatGPT for more assistance in the move.
https://chatgpt.com/share/687cc1d0-bff4-800a-a597-908743530d22

Thanks

All old emails from forever (?) are stored locally in the depths of his Office 365 Outlook program on his W10 PC (and on the server for 14 days)

We don't want to lose them really.

I've managed since W95 without chatgpt and am amused by the disclaimer at the bottom saying << ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.>>  

Of course ChatGPT and other AI agents can make mistakes. LIke other tools it's a useful helper rather than a guaranteed solution. Us oldies need to get used to the fact where the default way of answering questions is changing from "Google it" which we have been using for the last 20+ years to "Ask ChatGPT/Gemini". We are in the middle a of paradigm shift in technology.

Anyway, back to the plot. If you have a lot of old emails in Outlook you can export them to a PST archive file which can then be kept somewhere safe or imported into a new copy of Outlook. Frankly I have PST files going back 20 years but they are just backed up somewhere as on a day to day basis I am very unlikely to want to find an email from 2009, Having them all in my current Inbox would just cause clutter.