Information Technology Services: Email Services

Configuring Outlook Express 5.x to Access the Mail Server

Troubleshooting

IMAP Account

In order for the Outlook Express mail client to work in conjunction with mail, you must select a protocol to use. If you choose to use IMAP protocol, you will need to take the following steps to configure Outlook Express:

  1. From the Tools menu, select Accounts.
  2. Click on the Mail tab.
  3. Click on the Add button, and select Mail from the pop-up menu.
  4. The Internet Connection Wizard will guide you through the Account set-up process.

Note: If an option is not mentioned in the proceeding steps, then the default selection is acceptable. Each dialog box screen name precedes the steps needed to complete to the configuration process for that particular screen. After each screen is complete click on Next. When all screens are complete, click on Finish.

Your Name

Display Name: <enter a display name>

Internet E-mail Address

I already have an e-mail address that I’d like to use.

E-mail Address: <enter your e-mail address>. Your address will include your Unix id. (e.g. NetID@albany.edu).

E-mail Server Names

My incoming mail server is a ? server: Select IMAP.

Incoming mail (POP3, IMAP or HTTP) server: imap.albany.edu

Outgoing mail (SMTP) server: smtp.albany.edu

Note: If you are using your own Internet Service Provider, you will need to contact them for your Outgoing mail server name.

Internet Mail Logon

Account name: <enter your unix user id>

Password: <enter your unix password>

When you have completed the account creation process, you will return to the Internet Accounts dialog box. If you have an old account, which will no longer be used, highlight that account name, and click on the Remove button. Click on the Close button to save your changes.

Once you have closed the Internet Accounts dialog box, and Outlook Express dialog box will appear. You will be prompted to download your messages for your new IMAP account. Click on Yes, if you wish to view your Inbox and folders immediately, and verify that your account is indeed set up correctly.

If you clicked on Yes, in the Outlook Express dialog box, a Show/Hide IMAP Folders dialog box is generated. (Your new account, Inbox and folders are displayed in the Show/Hide IMAP Folders dialog box). Click on OK to complete the download process to Outlook Express.

You have now successfully configured Outlook Express to access mail from the mail server. Please read the next section for additional information concerning your new IMAP Account.

Important Information Concerning IMAP Accounts:

When sending mail from the Outlook Express mail client, your sent mail is stored locally. In order for mail sent from Outlook Express, to appear in the same folder as those messages sent from the web interface, you need to make the following changes:

  1. From the Tools menu, select Accounts.
  2. Highlight the account that you just created for mail (e.g. imap.albany.edu).
  3. Click on the Properties button.
  4. Click on the IMAP tab.
  5. Under the Folders section, enter INBOX for your Root Folder Path
  6. Under the Special Folders section, check the box next to: Store special folders on IMAP server.
  7. For the Sent Items Path, enter Sent.
  8. Click OK, to save these changes.

POP Account

In order for the Outlook Express mail client to work in conjunction with Squirrel Mail, you must select a protocol to use. If you choose to use the POP protocol, you will need to take the following steps to configure Outlook Express:

  1. From the Tools menu, select Accounts.
  2. Click on the Mail tab.
  3. Click on the Add button, and select Mail from the pop-up menu.
  4. The Internet Connection Wizard will guide you through the Account set-up process.

Note: If an option is not mentioned in the proceeding steps, then the default selection is acceptable. Each dialog box screen name precedes the steps needed to complete to the configuration process for that particular screen. After each screen is complete click on Next. When all screens are complete, click on Finish.

Your Name

Display Name: <enter a display name>

Internet E-mail Address

I already have an e-mail address that I’d like to use.

E-mail Address: <enter your e-mail address>. Your address will include your Unix id. (e.g. myunixid@albany.edu).

E-mail Server Names

My incoming mail server is a ? server: Select POP3.

Incoming mail (POP3, IMAP or HTTP) server: imap.albany.edu

Outgoing mail (SMTP) server: smtp.albany.edu

Note: If you are using your own Internet Service Provider, you will need to contact them for your Outgoing mail server name.

Internet Mail Logon

Account name: <enter your unix user id>

Password: <enter your unix password>

When you have completed the account creation process, you will return to the Internet Accounts dialog box. If you have an old account, which will no longer be used, highlight that account name, and click on the Remove button. Click on the Close button to save your changes.

You have now successfully configured Outlook Express to access mail from the mail server. Please read the next section for additional information concerning your new POP Account.

Important Information Concerning POP Accounts:

When the Account set-up process is complete, you will be able to download your e-mail messages off the server, to your local machine. If you decide that you would like to keep a copy of your messages on the server, you will need to indicate this before clicking on Send/Recv. If you do not indicate this, before clicking on Send/Recv, your messages will be moved locally and removed from the server.

In order to keep a copy of your messages on the server, you will need to take the following steps:

  1. From the Tools menu, select Accounts.
  2. Highlight the account that you just created for mail (e.g. imap.albany.edu).
  3. Click on the Properties button.
  4. Click on the Advanced tab.
  5. Under the Delivery section, click the check box next to: Leave a copy of messages on the server.
  6. Click on OK, to save the settings and close the dialog box.

After you have decided whether or not to keep a copy of your messages on the server, you can click on Send/Recv. When using POP accounts, your mail client will be unable to decipher whether your messages were read or not, so all messages downloaded to the client will appear as unread.

Troubleshooting

Can't see IMAP folders

If you use Outlook Express 5.x or 6.x and have trouble seeing your IMAP folders after the switch to the new mail server, try the steps below.

  1. Select “Tools” | “Accounts” from the Outlook Express menu.

  2. Click on the “Mail” tab within the Internet Accounts dialog box.

  3. Highlight your University at Albany IMAP account, and click on the “Properties” button.

  4. Within the Account Properties dialog box, click on the “IMAP” tab.

  5. Under the “Folders” section, type inbox. for the “Root Folder Path:” entry.* (Leave “Check for new messages in all folders” checked).

  6. Under the “Special Folders” section, type in the name of the sent mail folder you used before the conversion (e.g. sent-mail if you used Pine) in the “Sent Items Path:” entry.

  7. Click on the “OK” button to save these changes and exit the Account Properties dialog box.

  8. Click on the “Close” button to close the Internet Accounts dialog box.

  9. Select “Tools” | “IMAP Folders” from the Outlook Express menu.

    Within the Show/Hide IMAP folders dialog box, highlight the folders you wish to display and click on the “Show” button.

    Click on the “OK” button to exit the Show/Hide IMAP folders dialog box.

All folders should then be displayed.

* Note: If you now have two sent mail folders -- one at the same level as INBOX and one within a Mail subdirectory -- your sent mail will be stored within the sent mail folder that is at the same level as the INBOX. If you wish to store your sent mail in the folder located under the Mail subdirectory, you should indicate inbox.Mail. for the “Root Folder Path.” This entry will cause your sent mail to be stored in the sent mail folder within the Mail subdirectory.

Receiving messages takes much longer than before

If you find that retrieving messages in Outlook Express takes much longer than it use to, you may want to disable synchronizing "All Messages" on your INBOX or other folders. By default, Outlook Express sets synchronization to "All Messages" on the INBOX. A blue arrow pointing downward on a folder represents Synchronization in Outlook Express.

Synchronization allows messages that were viewed on-line to be viewed after your Internet connection is terminated. When a folder is set to use synchronization in Outlook Express, synchronization occurs every time you try to retrieve messages from the server. Other mail clients do not synchronize messages each and every time new messages are polled for. Since the number of IMAP users has increased since moving to the new mail server, synchronization takes longer than it use to. Disabling synchronization entirely, or limiting synchronization to either a portion of a message or certain messages only, can significantly increase performance.

In order to speed up message retrieval, you may want to either change the "Synchronization Settings" to "No Synchronization", "New Messages Only" or "Headers Only". Keep in mind that these steps relate to IMAP ONLY.

  1. Right-click on the folder in the folder list that is using synchronization. (A blue arrow pointing downward on a folder represents Synchronization.)
  2. Select "Synchronization Settings…" from the menu.
  3. Select "No Synchronization", "New Messages Only" or "Headers Only", to speed up message retrieval.*

* Note: For an explanation of synchronization, select "Help" | "Contents and Index" from the Outlook Express menu. Click on the "Index" tab and type "synchronization" as the keyword to find.

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