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Abraham Deutsch

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smooth change in outlook from IMAP to POP

Currently my outlook to gmail is set to IMAP. I have set up folders where I drag in email from my inbox to keep it organized. outlook also syncs with other email accounts I owe, and to keep organized I drag from all email account to my costume folders created under my main email . since this is set to IMAP it pushes up to my main google account all email dragged into the folders up to my main email account which caused it to fill up to its limit.
The solution I have in mind is to create in outlook a new account for the same email account and drag all folders under the new created account then delete the imap account in outlook, and then do a clean up in gmail. with this deleted emails in gmail will not delete in outlook and in the future emails dragged into the folders will not get pushed up to gmail.
before I do it I want to confirm that this will work and will not do a mass.
Also the reason I use IMAP is to keep all setting (custom folders) when moving to a new PC as wall will it re download all emails regardless if it was already download. Is there anything I can do to keep this benefit of IMAP even with POP setting
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John
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The solution I have in mind is to create in outlook a new account for the same email account and drag all folders under the new created account then delete the IMAP account in outlook

This should work. Set the new account to NOT send/receive initially. Once the folders are in the new Account, it should function properly as a POP account. This is what I use.
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Blayney

You can archive your emails out of the main account to a PST. This will then attach to outlook as a separate file only on your PC. But you will be able to move email / data in and out of the PST.
Note: this PST will need to be backed up to protect against data loss

POP Vs IMAP
These are fundamentally different email protocols. I would advise to stick with imap.
I keep PST files backed up, but otherwise I prefer POP with email on my computer and not dependent on any particular ISP.
Avatar of Karl Timmermans (Outlook MVP 2012-2018)
@Abraham

Just to make sure everyone is on the same page (or at a minimum that I understand exactly what you're describing/asking) - let me restate your post in my own words

#1 - You currently have an IMAP account (in this case a GMAIL account)
#2 - You have created custom folders for the purpose of "archiving" emails that you don't necessarily want/need to maintain at the server level - that correct?
#3 - You want to retain the ability to sync your <Inbox> across devices (but not the custom folders as described in #2)
#4 - To restate items2 &3 again in a different way, you have no need to sync your custom folder across multiple devices which means that you have one primary machine where you would deal with archiving information. The word "archiving" in this case means manually moving items from the <Inbox> to your custom folders.

If the above is an accurate understanding of what you're asking / want to do then

#5 - No need to create a new email account or Outlook profile
#6 - Create a new PST file in your profile via
   - go to Home ribbon
   - select <New Items> --> <More Items --> Outlook Data File
#7 - Move the custom folders you created in your IMAP folder tree to the newly created PST file via
   - right-click on a custom folder in the IMAP folder tree
   - select <Copy Folder> --> select the <root> of the newly created PST file
(*** I am explicitly suggesting that you use <Copy Folder> instead of <Move Folder> so that nothing gets deleted from your IMAP account until you're sure everything has been copied correctly. Once done, then you can delete the source folder from the Imap folder tree)
   - rinse and repeat for each desired folder
#8 - Once the Imap folders are deleted, that data will get deleted from the server
#9 - Continue life as usual

The underlying data file (an .ost file in the case of OL'2013/'2016 and a PST file for OL'2010 or earlier) for an IMAP account is a "mirror" of what is contained on the server. Those data files get automatically re-created if Outlook doesn't find them.

Some background articles that may be of interest

Understanding Outlook PST and OST Data Files"]Understanding Outlook PST and OST Data Files

Understanding Email Protocols (POP, Imap, MAPI, EAS, Exchange)

Understanding which is better for you – POP3 or Imap
Avatar of Abraham Deutsch

ASKER

Sorry for being bit confusing
#1 - I currently have an gmail account and enabled IMAP.

#2 – In outlook the account is set up as pop/imap.

#3 - I have created custom folders for the purpose of – this is a management company and received emails in regard of multiple buildings, and want to keep the emails received for each building in a separate folder therefor I created custom folders and drag in all emails to the folder of the building in regard is was send.
 
4# - in addition to my email I have more email addresses like maintenance@ leases@ repairs@ …. which also come in to my outlook. And with these emails I do the same as with my emails I drag them into the folder of the building is was send to.
 
Here is the problem since all custom folders are subfolders on “my” email address inbox, all emails get pushed back up to my gmail and so it filled up all space (15GB) [when I login to my gmail account I see there email send to maintenance@ leases@ repairs@ ….

The solution I thought of disabling IMAP in gmail, so I assume emails dragged in outlook to my email will not get pushed up to my gmail anymore. But I am sure that this will not cause chaos. Please advice.
Re: "Here is the problem since all custom folders are subfolders on “my” email address inbox, all emails get pushed back up to my gmail and so it filled up all space (15GB) [when I login to my gmail account I see there email send to maintenance@ leases@ repairs@ …. "

Please review my previous post - specifically as your scenario was described in points 1 thru 4. The fact that the custom folders are subfolders has nothing to do with anything. Whether you want the data to remain on the server has "everything" to do with it has everything to do with it.

If you don't want/need that data to remain on the server, then steps 5 thru  9 describe the process else you need to describe what exactly you are after at the end of the day specifically as it pertains to "cleaning things up" - have no idea what that means. There's a simple reality - you can only maintain things in an IMAP account pursuant to server capacity limitations.

Just as a FYI to your point #2 which no doubt was a typo - your account(s) would be configured as IMAP/SMTP.
The solution I thought of disabling IMAP in gmail, so I assume emails dragged in outlook to my email will not get pushed up to my gmail anymore. But I am sure that this will not cause chaos

Emails you move to a non-IMAP account will NOT get pushed up to Gmail.
Just to clarify there will be no issue to change my account (myname@) from enable IMAP to disable. everything will stay as is except it will stop pushing up dragged emails. correct?
The issue with #6 is that is some cases not often [if this the bast solution I would not take this in consideration) I replay from a email that is already in the folder and since it is just a file not connected to a email this will not be possible.

Also if changing my account (myname@) from enable IMAP to disable it would be more simple process.
Re: Just to clarify there will be no issue to change my account (myname@) from enable IMAP to disable.

Enable/disable IMAP where exactly?

If you're referring to the Gmail server side, you won't be able to configure the account in Outlook as an IMAP account - your choice is either POP or IMAP but not both for the email client (i.e. Outlook) side of things. If you go with POP, you will only be able to "download" the <Inbox> which will not be sync'd across devices.

If you're referring to Outlook - there's no such thing.

Still confused about what it is that you are actually trying to accomplish in very specific terms. You can get all the answers in the world here about moving things around but may all be pointless if not applicable to your desired end result. Taking a guess at some things - let me summarize what you can and cannot do in terms of what I "think" you're after.

If Gmail is configured as a POP account....

- you can only "download" items from the <Inbox> - a one-way one-time action
- anything added or deleted to any folder with the folder tree will not be reflected on the server

If Gmail is configured as an IMAP account....

- a bi-directional (two-way) sync occurs on all email folders (exception to that is any folder that has the added words of "This Computer Only" in the folder name. To be more explicit/specific

a) any items added or deleted at the server level will also be added/deleted in the Outlook "offline data store" (.ost file)
b) any items added or deleted within Outlook to any email folder will be summarily added/deleted at the server level
c) unless you create folders that are created with the description "This Computer Only" - anything new will be sync'd with the server, whether you add those items manually or import anything (world strongly advise against maintaining data in any folder labeled as "This Computer Only".

In closing, what is it that you want to do that you feel hasn't been answered here already? Providing simple answers to partial questions without a complete overview of where you want to end up is not doing anyone, especially you, any favors.
Re: I replay from a email that is already in the folder and since it is just a file not connected to a email this will not be possible.

The "From" address in any reply will be the email account address to which it was sent. That behavior doesn't change just because the item is stored in a data file not associated with an email account.
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John
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From all information provided so far, the exercise of moving from IMAP to POP seems to be a pointless/needless exercise and actually counter-productive if the requirement is to sync the <inbox> across multiple devices while retaining historical data in an offline store.

In reference to "everything will stay as is except it will stop pushing up dragged emails. correct? " the technically correct answer is NO - everything will not stay "as is" for the following primary reason

If the account is configured as a POP account, only the <Inbox> data gets downloaded and unless the option to "Leave Messages on the server" is selected, the <Inbox> will be emptied so other devices will not see any data once that's done. If the option is selected, <Inbox> deletions can only be done online via WebMail. Moving anything from the <Inbox> to any local folder will not impact what is contained in the server-side <Inbox> (unlike an IMAP based account).
I am already half way past with moving folders from the email account the newly created PST file and on the gamil server got did not gain any free space its full exact  same as it was before
You can move the mail to a POP account and once you have assured yourself it is intact, delete the mail (or excess mail) on the Gmail server.
Re: "I am already half way past with moving folders from the email account the newly created PST file and on the gamil server got did not gain any free space its full exact  same as it was before"

If you're following the steps (#5 - thru 8) outlined in my earlier response - step #8 explicitly addresses the server space issue which was

"#8 - Once the Imap folders are deleted, that data will get deleted from the server"
There are already deleted
If the email is deleted AND if Gmail says you have no space (my interpretation of your earlier comment), you would need to ask Gmail support.
I think your solution will work I will move back all folders and then change it in gmail server from imap enabled to disable after it I will filter on the gmail server all emails sent to other email addresses (that where added by the dragging it outlook) and delete them on the gmail server. so it will not effect outlook but free space in gmail
If you've got all the folders moved to the PST file - why would you move things back? You have confirmed that the folders in question have been deleted at the server level by logging into your account via WebMail correct (as well as emptying the Trash folder)?
what I said is that I deleted it from "outlook". but this action did not delete it from the gmail server.
That may well be the case if Outlook hasn't sync'd completely or more time is required for things to occur server side. In any case, even if, for whatever reason, the folders weren't/aren't getting deleted (and the trash folder is emptied), the starting point would be to simply remove them from the server directly once you have everything copied rather then move back gigabytes of data. Don't know what moving things back would accomplish other then taking up a lot of time and bandwidth when the entire exercise is to maintain the historical folders locally which is exactly what copying things to a PST file does.
First I created a new file and moved all custom folder to the new created file emptied the trash but had no effect on the gmail server. (it may be since in outlook is was set up as a POP even if in the email server IMAP was enabled it only outlook only pushed up new mails added in outlook but did not delete on the gmail server wad was deleted in outlook, not that I understand why it should act so but this was the fact)
So I moved back the folders. on the gmail server I disabled IMAP. then filtered all email that was send to other addresses. it freed up 25% space, and did not affect outlook.
Thank you for the update and I was happy to help you with this.