I tend to use 2 email accounts, gmail and ntlworld which are both based on google mail servers. Is it possible to do the following with a combination of IMAP/POP?

Keep a local copy of my email on my desktop PC that is in-synch with the mail servers. So I have access to inbox, sent mail (not just on the device that sent it) etc. on all devices. The copy on my PC is up-to-date, not just an archive e.g. if I delete an email on my phone when my PC syncs it deletes the email as well.

I tend to delete stuff as it comes in on my phone, but my PC just builds up a mass of emails I’ve already deleted once.

Maybe outlook.com is the answer?

Current set up is:

Win7 Desktop – Outlook 2010 as a client. Currently it uses POP and downloads all my ntlworld email leaving a copy on the server.

gmail account is linked to ntlworld account

Phone – Windowsphone 8.1 (Lumia 930) mail client – setup with IMAP to gmail account

Tablet – Android – Gmail client setup with IMAP to gmail

Also got various Linux boxes and laptops but don’t tend to use them for mail.

Thanks,

Smoggy

PS I know I should ditch MS – I’m a Unix techie, but the ex-wife always insisted on main home PC. I spend all my time messing about with Unix at work, prefer riding bikes when not in the office 🙂

Why not just use IMAP? Then when they’re deleted in one place they go from the others. It doesn’t need to be complicated. I have, at the current count, 5 devices synching my gmail and work exchange accounts and it’s not that complex.

You say you’re a unix techie but, seriously, using POP3 in 2014?

Just use IMAP – all your email everywhere. Then occasionally archive old emails on the PC to free up space on the mail server, if you can be bothered.

I know, I know – just haven’t really bothered until now. POP3 was the only option for ntl when we signed up years ago. Just went for an easy life not changing things the ex-missus used

Will IMAP let me keep a local copy, the stuff I’ve read implies I can only have a copy on the server (might be reading bollocks though).

Thinking about email gives me flashbacks to some horrendous sendmail.cf configs I’ve had to troubleshoot in the past. Try to avoid anything to do with email at work.

Depends on your mail software – I use Thunderbird, and that has an option to synchronise all messages locally.

Cheers – sounds like I need a proper look at IMAP. As long as I can archive to my PC and backup locally that should cover what I need.

Read three articles that all implied I still needed POP3 for the local copy but thought/hoped they must be wrong.

Will IMAP let me keep a local copy, the stuff I’ve read implies I can only have a copy on the server (might be reading bollocks though).

It syncs with the server so if it’s on the server then you can access it locally or save it locally.

Use IMAP, all emails kept on server, subset (i.e. last 7 days, 2 weeks etc. ) kept on phone / tablet depending on settings on phone. IMAP allows updates between devices, so delete on phone, it deletes on all devices. Read on tablet, its read on all devices. Send email from computer, its in the sent folder of all devices. You get the idea.

Thanks guys, I get what IMAP does. I just don’t want to rely on the server copy for important emails.

bencooper has it, I think what stumped me was Outlook 2010 doesn’t archive IMAP folders. Looks like there is a MS plugn and free utility that will do it, or now I won’t piss off the ex switch to Thunderbird.

I just don’t want to rely on the server copy for important emails.

They’ll be safer than local as the backups will be much better.

Fair point – it’s probably me just having a tinfoil hat moment, and I’m the one using Outlook/Windows

As others have said, IMAP does exactly what you need it to (though your trust of your own PC over a multinational’s servers is something you’re on your own in resolving).

(full) Outlook has a lot going for it, but it’s a rubbish Internet email client. I’d take Live Mail (formerly Outlook Express) over it any day of the week. There’s no reason why Outlook and Thunderbird can’t coexist either – there’s a Windows version of it.

There’s an option with POP to keep emails on the server. This will let you download mail locally but they’d still be available on the server via IMAP – no?

Most servers support both afaik.

though your trust of your own PC over a multinational’s servers is something you’re on your own in resolving

Point taken – it was more a case of being able to recover something I delete and months later decide I actually need (user error, not a fear of the multinational’s servers).

Cheers Cougar – it’s clicked now, if I switch to IMAP I can switch clients whenever I want. Will have a play with Live Mail and Thunderbird.

There’s an option with POP to keep emails on the server. This will let you download mail locally but they’d still be available on the server via IMAP – no?

Aye, that’s possible, but then the IMAP copy doesn’t reflect anything you’ve done to the copy you’ve downloaded via POP – makes it harder to keep track of read/unread etc., and it also means you can’t delete emails easily, they just keep popping back up until you go in via IMAP and delete.

There’s an option with POP to keep emails on the server. This will let you download mail locally but they’d still be available on the server via IMAP – no?

That’s what I’m doing now – but accumulating masses of emails 30k+ in my Outlook as I tend to delete them as I read them on my phone, but Outlook has already downloaded them.

I just didn’t think it through properly – IMAP is what I want with possible a client based local archive to guard against my own stupidity (or live life on the edge/think before deleting).

Point taken – it was more a case of being able to recover something I delete and months later decide I actually need (user error, not a fear of the multinational’s servers).

At the risk of sounding flippant; don’t do that, then?

I can’t remember the last time I deleted an email on a web-hosted server. I’ve had a Gmail account for ten years and a Hotmail one for, eh, longer, and I’ve yet to encounter any space issues.

Yeah you could create a script of some kind to download and archive them via POP.. interesting idea.

Messing about with Live Mail and Thunderbird – now got an Inbox with 32000 messages, but that’s my fault for managing them on the POP3 local copy in the past.

Will delete the obvious rubbish and manage it properly from now on

Ta for your help and answering a 20th century daft question.

I just didn’t think it through properly – IMAP is what I want with possible a client based local archive to guard against my own stupidity (or live life on the edge/think before deleting).

If you’re concerned about storage, add your NTL account to GMail and import it there. You can then use gmail to send/receive from NTL and you can use the large storage you get with that to avoid local archiving.

If you’re concerned about storage, add your NTL account to GMail and import it there. You can then use gmail to send/receive from NTL and you can use the large storage you get with that to avoid local archiving.

Or bin the NTL one and get something else. You’re knackered if you ever move ISPs otherwise.

Yeah, the ntl mail is imported into gmail. Tend to use the ntl mail address out of habit as it’s firstname.lastname@. Been meaning to get a domain registered for ages, so will add that to the list.

I get loads of spam on gmail coz some woman in Canada doesn’t know her own email address. Being invited to church tea parties for post-menopausal ladies was a bit off the wall.

I’d stopped messing about with tech at home (and most things I enjoyed) when the marriage wasn’t great (got pretty depressed).
A lot happier now (as is my ex-wife and daughter – we get on much better) so I’ve started trying to sort my shit out. Can’t ride bikes as bust my collar bone BMXing in June, so starting with trying to get tech working for me (email is the first small step). After this it will be building a decent NAS and music streaming.

Did I just hijack my own thread?

Thanks for the suggestions and help – realised pretty quickly I should have figured it out for myself.

Smoggy