I hope from my explanation of IMAP in a previous post that you have an understanding of why you want to configure outlook express with the IMAP Mailbox protocol. These instructions will be geared towards those who have teir own web hosting but most of the instructions will also be applicable to those who have an ISP mail account whose ISP allows the IMAP protocol to be configured. There are some ISP’s that will allow IMAP and will provide extra storage for a modest charge.
If you haven’t already got a e-mail address you should log onto your web hosts cpanel click on the “mail” icon and add a e-mail account. Zero out the storage quota box. This will allow unlimited storage. Take note of the e-mail address. For those using an ISP you should already have an e-mail address given to you.
If you follow these instructions you can configure your “Outlook Express” using the IMAP protocol:
1. If You do not have an outlook express icon on your desktop left click on the “Start” button at the bottom left of your screen. (or maybe top left if for some reason you have managed to get your bar at the top of the screen) Left click on programs and find “Outlook Express” (Make sure it is “Outlook Express not “Microsoft Outlook”. Click on it.
2. It is assumed that you already have one POP3 account configured so outlook express will open in your main account (identity)
3. Left click on the “tools” menu then “accounts” then “add” then “mail. A box will appear where you can enter a name you would like for this new account. Click “next”
4. In the next box type in the e-mail address for this identity. (The one you created in “cpanel” Left click on “next”wilf
5. Type in your incoming and outgoing e-mail server names. This will be in the format mail.yourwebhostdomain. (e.g. mail.microsoft.com.)
6. Click on the dropdown box marked “My incoming mail serve is a” and select “IMAP” . Click “next”.
7. Type in your mail login information. This should be your e-mail address and the password you gave it when you created it in “cpanel” Ensure “remember password” is set. Click “Next” .
8. On the next window just click “Finish” You should end up in your new e-mail account in Outlook express But we are not quite finished yet.
9. In the box that you end up with select the e-mail account just created then “properties”
10. Select the “General” tab and enter a name under “mail Account” overwriting what is there. I suggest you put the same as in the “name” field.
11. Select the “Servers” tab and tick the box labelled “My server requires authentication”
12. Select the “Advanced” tab. In the box marked “Outgoing Mail (SMTP”) there should be the number 25 which is the default port for sending e-mail. In some cases the ISP or web host provider uses 26. I suggest you try 25 first. If this does not work you can come back to the “Advanced” tab and change it to 26. If that does not work you will have to obtain the correct port number from your ISP.nfiguring-a-imap-mailboxnfiguring-a-imap-mailbox
13. Select the “IMAP” tab. In the box marked “root folder tab” you may have to enter “Inbox.” This should have upper case i and a period at the end (dot). If you get errors later on you may have to take this out. This depends how up to date the web host provider has kept his system.
Click on “OK”
14. When the next window appears just click “close”
15. You will then get a box saying “would you like to download folders? Click “yes”
16. All your folders should then be created. You should end up with an “inbox, a “sent items folder” and a “drafts folder”
17. Click on the “Send/Recv” icon at the top. You should then receive any e-mail that may be on your ISP’s server.
18. If there isn’t any mail for you, click on “Create mail” and send a message to yourself. This will check that e-mail sending is working OK.
19. If it is OK then your mail will get sent. If not check the port number per instruction 12. Click on the “Send/Recv” icon at the top. You should then receive back the e-mail you have just sent.
You have now set up your first IMAP mailbox. To add another IMAP mailbox make sure you are switched to the first one you created then repeat this procedure.