How to delete email messages on the server!

[mitchell65]

In Windows Live Mail, > Account> Properties> Advanced Tab there is, under "Delivery", the choice of how to deal with messages on the sever. This is for a POP 3 account. However this facility is missing for a IMAP account. It looks as if with an IMAP account you need to attend to the server manually. Is there no setting to automatically delete the messages on the server?

 

[DavidE]

IMAP works differently than POP.
It is intended to work better with multiple clients/devices accessing the same email account.
The email provider may have settings available in the Email Web interface for IMAP.
Here is what I see in Gmail Webmail for configuring IMAP.



If you can't sleep, you can read more at:
Internet Message Access Protocol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[mitchell65]

Thanks for your import. Sorry for delay in responding but I have been waiting for my server to reply to a query on this. Will post here when I get a response.

 

[Kari]

The whole idea of IMAP is that mail is synchronized. Delete from server, next time local email client goes online it's deleted from the client, delete it from client and it will be deleted on server.

IMAP mail is never deleted from server when read to client. If that's what you want to, you need to use POP3.

Kari

 

[mitchell65]

Many thanks for that explanation. I have searched the internet for the answer to this and didn't find that anywhere. All makes sense now!

 

[Kari]

You are welcome. That is maybe the biggest difference between POP3 and IMAP.

It's also the single most important feature on IMAP for those who need to check same email address using several computers; each computer (email client) get the same mail and see the same Outbox / Sent folders, because of synchronization the messages already read on PC1 appear as read also on PC2.

You can have the same inbox using POP3 by selecting not to delete messages on server when read, too, allowing each computer (email client) get the same messages but then messages read on PC1 appear as not read on PC2. Also the Outbox / Sent folders are different on PC1 and PC2.

Kari

 

[mitchell65]

Have now got a much better understanding of IMAP emails accounts. However, one problem has arisen. One of my club members uses a PC and an Iphone. Both are configured to send and receive the same IMAP email account. So just so I get this staright, if I delete an email message on the iPhone then when I next open Outlook on the PC it will delete the message (ie move the message to the deleted items folder) on the PC and on the server keeping all three in sync. This will keep in sync with all the folders on all three systems!
That being so I need to impress upon this lady to make sure that if she wants to keep a message on the PC then she mustn't delete it on the iPhone? OK I know she could set up a Storage folder on the PC and move the message to there, then she could delete it from the main system but I don't think this lady will be able to cope with that!
Still I can now see the merit of an IMAP account, much the tidier option, Thanks.

 

[Kari]

Have now got a much better understanding of IMAP emails accounts. However, one problem has arisen. One of my club members uses a PC and an Iphone. Both are configured to send and receive the same IMAP email account. So just so I get this staright, if I delete an email message on the iPhone then when I next open Outlook on the PC it will delete the message (ie move the message to the deleted items folder) on the PC and on the server keeping all three in sync. This will keep in sync with all the folders on all three systems!

That is the idea of IMAP. Every time you run an email client with an IMAP account set up, it synchronizes with server.

Normally all local clients (Windows Live Mail and similar) let you select what happens when a message is moved on local client to Deleted Items folder (name may vary). You should be able to select if:

1. Messages are deleted from server already when message is moved to client's Deleted Items
   
   OR​
2. Messages are deleted on server only when Deleted Items folder on client is emptied

If the alternative 2. is selected, the message is deleted (moved to Deleted Items folder) on client but all other devices used to check this IMAP account will still see it in Inbox.

That being so I need to impress upon this lady to make sure that if she wants to keep a message on the PC then she mustn't delete it on the iPhone? OK I know she could set up a Storage folder on the PC and move the message to there, then she could delete it from the main system but I don't think this lady will be able to cope with that!
Still I can now see the merit of an IMAP account, much the tidier option, Thanks.

A tip: sometimes you delete a message for instance on your phone mail client that you shouldn't have deleted. If this happens, you can use PC where you have this account set up on an email client, boot PC and before running the client make PC offline. When certainly offline, run the client, search the message and forward / resend it to your own address.

Turn PC online, let IMAP synchronize. This way you can (with a bit luck!) save an accidentally deleted message.

Kari

 

[mitchell65]

Many Thanks Kari. I feel quite happy with the situation now!

 

[DavidE]

Thanks Kari for doing a better job explaining this than I did!

Sorry I cant rep you right now
mitchell65, glad you got this sorted!