Can't synch POP mail to desktop Outlook?

[BillTheCat]

I may be late to the game on this issue, but I can't believe what I'm hearing from another source. Hope I put this in the right forum.

Is it true that when we send or receive a POP message on our PDA that there's no way we can synchronize that message back to Outlook on the desktop?

What I need to do is to have any message received or sent using Pocket Outlook with WiFi or 3G/GPRS while away from my desktop syncrhonized back to Outlook via ActiveSync. I've been told this can't be done.

In other words, what we have here is the electronic Roach Motel for email?

Someone please tell me it's not true. :eek:

[JimmyMcGee]

I don't think that's true. I haven't used Outlook/Pop Mail since my Dell Axim Days, but to worked then.

What's true is POP is a one shot deal. If you download the message from your email server using POP to your Mobile, you can't download it from your email server to your Desktop Outlook.

[BillTheCat]

Yes, I understand that with POP, you have the option of either keeping the messages on the server, or having them deleted after download.

Here's a scenario. This is what I'd like to happen. Please let me know if it's possible with a standard POP/SMTP server (NOT an Exchange server, and IMAP isn't an option for me at this time).

1) I synchronize my device with my pc and emails are updated to their respective folders on the PDA while physically connected to my desktop. I then disconnect and leave my office.

2) While on the road, I download an email to the device using one of my POP accounts via either 3G or WiFi. I respond to that message and send it back. Now, I have one new message in the In Box on the PDA, and a response in my Sent Items folder on the PDA.

3) When I return home, I want both those new messages - one in the In Box and on in the Sent Items folder to be synchronized back from the PDA to the desktop.

I've been told it's not possible. Can someone confirm, and if it's true, please explain to me (in layman's terms) how messages manage to go into the machine, but messages downloaded using the PDA just don't want to come out?

[GWelker62]

I've been told it's not possible.

AFAIK, it is not possible in the way you want to do it. Out the box WM will only do this with Exchange Server email. You have to go with a third party service like Xpress Fail (http://www.wireless.att.com/businesscenter/solutions/email-messaging/email-xpress-mail.jsp) that pushes email off your desktop Outlook to your phone.

Maybe someone could suggest a service that actually works, because Xpress Fail sucked for me.

You have probably been told this, but I set up Outlook on the desktop to leave an email on the server for 10 days. This way the phone and desktop get the same email. But thats as good as it gets with a POP account.

One more thing, the "Outlook" account you see on the phone is used for Exchange Server email. You can select it to sync with your desktop, but all it does is load up the email from your desktop.

[BillTheCat]

AFAIK, it is not possible in the way you want to do it. Out the box WM will only do this with Exchange Server email. You have to go with a third party service like Xpress Fail (http://www.wireless.att.com/businesscenter/solutions/email-messaging/email-xpress-mail.jsp) that pushes email off your desktop Outlook to your phone.

Maybe someone could suggest a service that actually works, because Xpress Fail sucked for me.

You have probably been told this, but I set up Outlook on the desktop to leave an email on the server for 10 days. This way the phone and desktop get the same email. But thats as good as it gets with a POP account.

One more thing, the "Outlook" account you see on the phone is used for Exchange Server email. You can select it to sync with your desktop, but all it does is load up the email from your desktop.

Incredible. I'm speechless. So, the phone really is like the D-Con roach motel.

I'm incredulous that we have a system that gets Email from the desktop to the machine, and a machine that can send and receive emails while away from the desktop, but can't manage to get the messages back to the desktop when you return.

I just fail to understand how something seemingly so simple can be so complex. After all, POP email is just more or less a text file.

[BillTheCat]

Ok, I've been thinking about this.

Of all the Email addresses I have, the majority of them are in my control. There is only one email address (att.net) that I have no control over and offers only POP.

If I migrate my domains from GoDaddy (which does NOT offer IMAP) to another IHV, can I have my att.net POP email automatically forwarded to a 'ghost' IMAP account at a new host, and accomplish what I want?

I still get back to being amazed that Microsoft hasn't had the forethought to supporting synchronization of POP messages from the phone back to desktop Outook. How F'n stupid is that???

Thanks in advance for any thoughts y'all have on this matter.

[JimmyMcGee]

I think in Windows Pocket PC 2003 it did sync with POP. But the Windows Mobile Line assumes everyone is using exchange servers. Microsoft makes a lot of assumptions like that.

To answer your question, You will get two benefits out of your solution.
1: You will be able to use IMAP.
2: You won't be using GoDaddy anymore.

WIN FEAKIN' WIN Man!

[VeerTheTIGuy]

I'm currently in quite a similar situation - I use Outlook 2007 on my desktop to download ALL my email, 95% of which comes from my Yahoo account. As it stands right now, I POP download my emails to my Outlook (Yahoo doesnt support desktop IMAP unless you pay), and I IMAP it to my Tilt (Yahoo does, however, support IMAP to mobiles, i guess? :confused:). Currently I'll BCC a copy of any email I send to myself, and then once it's POPed back to Outlook, I just move it to the Sent Mail. It's a hassle but it's the best I can do.

The one annoyance is that if you don't close Outlook before leaving home, the POP automatically marks the messages as "read" once downloaded, and so when the Tilt IMAPs them in, they're already marked as read and so I don't get notified.

If you figure anything out (that doesn't require access to my own server!) please let us know lol :)

[BillTheCat]

To answer your question, You will get two benefits out of your solution.
1: You will be able to use IMAP.
2: You won't be using GoDaddy anymore.

WIN FEAKIN' WIN Man!
LOL! Yeah, I'm thinkin' yer on to somethin' there. Looking at Dreamhost as an IHV. At least they support full shell access for more than one administrator so I can separate my domains that are serviced by another party.

Ok, but here's a problem. With IMAP, do I have a local copy on my machine, or must everything be stored on the server?

[JimmyMcGee]

LOL! Yeah, I'm thinkin' yer on to somethin' there. Looking at Dreamhost as an IHV. At least they support full shell access for more than one administrator so I can separate my domains that are serviced by another party.

Ok, but here's a problem. With IMAP, do I have a local copy on my machine, or must everything be stored on the server?


I prefer DreamHost myself.

In IMAP they are stored on the server, but most desktop email client give you the option to save a local copy. As to how, it depends on the client though.

[BillTheCat]

In IMAP they are stored on the server, but most desktop email client give you the option to save a local copy. As to how, it depends on the client though.

Ok, so bear with me, because I'm still getting my head around how this all works.

Let's say I migrate my hosting and set up IMAP accounts for my various email addresses. Then I set both the PDA and my Desktop respectively to download and delete messages from the server. Will messages sent and received on the PDA (therefore stored on the phone) be replicated to the desktop using ActiveSync when I reconnect for a synchronization? Or will I find myself back with the same situation I have with POP where ActiveSynch won't 'see' the PDA's IMAP folders and refuse to copy messages to my Desktop Outlook?

[JimmyMcGee]

Basically an IMAP server the Email stays on the server. Then with your desktop of PDA downloads the message it is a "Shadow copy." IMAP allows multiple client to access the same Mailbox and the same time if needed. POP hates that.

Active Sync won't have any role in this.

If you download on your PDA, you will get a "shadow" on your PDA and the original message will be on the server. You can then go to your Desktop machine it will look what's on the server that it doesn't have as a shadow copy and then download a shoadw copy of that. Meaning at that point, both Devices will have the message in it possesion.

[BillTheCat]

Basically an IMAP server the Email stays on the server. Then with your desktop of PDA downloads the message it is a "Shadow copy." IMAP allows multiple client to access the same Mailbox and the same time if needed. POP hates that.

Active Sync won't have any role in this.

If you download on your PDA, you will get a "shadow" on your PDA and the original message will be on the server. You can then go to your Desktop machine it will look what's on the server that it doesn't have as a shadow copy and then download a shoadw copy of that. Meaning at that point, both Devices will have the message in it possesion.

Wow. "Shadow". Now there's a term I haven't heard since my OS/2 days. Man, do I feel really old.

What you're saying is that essentially we then have three sets of copies of both sent and received mail in three different locations, the servers and local devices just setting their 'flags' as needed, correct?

Ok, I guess at this point I guess I really just need to set up an IMAP account somewhere and see how it works in practice so I can get my head around it.

Thanks for all your help!

[JimmyMcGee]

Wow. "Shadow". Now there's a term I haven't heard since my OS/2 days. Man, do I feel really old.

What you're saying is that essentially we then have three sets of copies of both sent and received mail in three different locations, the servers and local devices just setting their 'flags' as needed, correct?

Ok, I guess at this point I guess I really just need to set up an IMAP account somewhere and see how it works in practice so I can get my head around it.

Thanks for all your help!
Basically, yeah.

Maybe use a GMAIL account via Imap and seee what happens when you check it from two locations.

Feel free to shoot me any questions you have.