Understand IMAP

[IT_Architect]

I can see people wanting to use IMAP because you can manage the E-Mail from one device, and the changes become visible on all devices. What concerns me is if it becomes necessary to delete a mailbox and start over. What happens to the messages in Outlook, and how can the user restore the messages to the server?

 

[zEitEr]

Hello,

To start using IMAP, you need just apply changes in your mail programm. In Outlook you need to delete your account and create it again as IMAP. Then just use "mouse" to move (drag & drop) emails from current inbox to your server inbox folder.

 

[nobaloney]

I can see people wanting to use IMAP because you can manage the E-Mail from one device, and the changes become visible on all devices. What concerns me is if it becomes necessary to delete a mailbox and start over. What happens to the messages in Outlook, and how can the user restore the messages to the server?

I'm not sure Alex has answered your question. Are you asking what happens if you need to delete an already existing IMAP account?

If you do that all the emails in it will be deleted. Don't do it.

If you must do it, then you must copy all the Directories first, and then restore them afterwards. You can do this by creating another account and moving messages in your local client, or from the command line (experience required).

Or if you can rename the folders and recreate the user which will create a new user structure, then do some selective renaming again to point the user back to the original folders.

But why would you need to recreate the user? If you post your scenario, perhaps we can come up with a better solution.

Jeff