Changing email from POP3 to IMAP

[SFD]

I have 5 email accounts set up which are all POP3, all different domains.

I work between a laptop and a desktop and POP3 is becoming unworkable, mainly for not being able to check my sent email when I sent from a different machine.

I created my most recent email address in IMAP and it is far easier to work with so would like to do this with my other email addresses.

Can I simply change my email accounts over to IMAP without fear of everything going belly up?

Any tips on doing this?

Cheers

[openmind]

Yep. All IMAP does is download the messages from the server but leaves the original on the server itself.

You can still reply to messages in the same way and when you delete a message using IMAP it will delete it on the box.

I use IMAP on several on my critical accounts and POP3 for the same accounts on my PC. The IMAP connection is for my PDA when I'm out and about so you can run both in tandem if you want.

[SFD]

Cheers Phil,

What's the benefit of running both together, that they are backed up on the PC if the server goes kaput?

Is that easy to set up?

[openmind]

Yep that's one benefit plus being able to check email while on the move.

Very simply to setup, just the same as POP3 just use IMAP as the connection type instead...

[Arhiann]

Yep that's one benefit plus being able to check email while on the move.

Very simply to setup, just the same as POP3 just use IMAP as the connection type instead...

I kind of like being able to move emails to and from my inbox too. It may not have any benefit to you, but I've found it useful a few times.

It's dead handy as well when working on a slow connection (so off your mobile), as you only need to download the message that you want to repond to.

[KM-Tiger]

.... not being able to check my sent email when I sent from a different machine.

That's one big advantage of IMAP, that it's easier to organise what goes where and get the same view everywhere.

If you are not doing it already, then you can set most email clients to save the sent email in the same folder as the email you are replying to, and then with a threaded view you can see the whole 'conversation'.

[Page]

Your accounts may not offer IMAP though.

As an example google now do - but did not always - hotmail last time I looked did not.

You try forwarding all mail via google.

If via a domain then it will depend on what they are running at their end.