How to Use Outlook with Mailshell IMAP access

These instructions will show you how to perform basic tasks when using Outlook 2000 with Mailshell IMAP access. (Please note that other versions of this program may have a slightly different interface.)

Getting Started
Managing Messages
Managing Folders
Other
Getting Started

How does IMAP work, in general?

Most users are familiar with POP access-the most common type of email setup, used by most ISP's and other email providers-in which you download messages to the Inbox on your computer and then read them there. IMAP works very differently: instead of downloading messages and storing them on your hard drive, you actually access the server remotely and read and manipulate messages there. This means that you can actually see all of your folders (not just your Inbox, as with POP), move messages between them, etc., and any changes you make will also be reflected on Mailshell's website, but it also means that you must be online to perform many operations (e.g., moving or deleting messages).

After I set up my client, how do I get my messages?

When you complete the basic setup, Outlook will display your Inbox folder. You can see messages in your Inbox by clicking on it.

To see messages in the rest of your folders, you'll need to "subscribe" to them: right click on the account name and select "IMAP Folders," then click the "Query" button. Select the folders you want to subscribe to and click the "Subscribe" button, then click the "OK" button. Your list of folders should appear under your Inbox.

You can then see the messages in any folder by clicking it. (Depending on the speed of your connection and the number of messages in a folder, it may be a few moments before the messages appear.)



Managing Messages

How do I check for new messages?

You can check for new messages by clicking the "Send/Receive" button in the top toolbar.

You can also set Outlook to automatically check for new messages by going to the main menu and selecting Tools > Options, selecting the "Mail Delivery" tab, and entering how often you would like to check using the "Check for new messages every ___ minutes" field.

How do I move messages between folders?

To move a message, open the folder the message is in and drag the message to the destination folder, or right-click the message, select Move to Folder, use the "+" icons to open the account and Inbox folder, then select the folder you would like to move the message to and click the "OK" button.

Note that the message will only be marked for deletion in the folder it was originally in, but will not be removed entirely. To remove it entirely, go to the main menu and select Edit > Purge Deleted Messages.

How do I compose a new message from one of my Mailshell addresses?

You can send a message by clicking the "New" button in the top toolbar. If you just send it normally, it will come from whatever email address you specified during setup (you can change which email address this is by going to the main menu and selecting Tools > Accounts, selecting the account and clicking the "Properties" button, and then modifying the "E-mail Address" field). To send from your Mailshell addresses, be sure to use remote compose format. (If you want your incoming messages automatically modified to remote compose format so you can easily reply to them without having to worry about entering the format manually, you should turn on Email Address Redirection.)

How do I reply to a message?

You can reply to a message normally by selecting or opening the message and clicking the "Reply" or "Reply All" buttons in the top toolbar.

If you just reply to a message normally, it will come from whatever email address you specified during setup (you can change which email address this is by going to the main menu and selecting Tools > Accounts, selecting the account and clicking the "Properties" button, and then modifying the "E-mail Address" field). To send from your Mailshell addresses, be sure to use remote compose format. (If you want your incoming messages automatically modified to remote compose format so you can easily reply to them without having to worry about entering the format manually, you should turn on Email Address Redirection.)

How do I delete a message?

You can delete a message by selecting it and clicking the "Delete" key on your keyboard or by right-clicking the message and selecting "Delete." Note that the message will only be marked for deletion but will not be removed entirely: to remove it entirely, click the "Purge" button in the top toolbar or go to the main menu and select Edit > Purge Deleted Messages.



Managing Folders

How do I create a new folder?

There are two ways you can create a new folder:

  • In Outlook, right-click the Inbox folder and select "New Folder" or select the Inbox folder, go to the main menu, and select File > New > Folder. Enter the name of the folder and click the "OK" button. The new folder will be added to your list under Inbox and will also appear on Mailshell's website.


  • You can also go to Mailshell's website, sign in to your account, and create a folder there as you would normally. Then, to make the new folder appear in Outlook, you'll need to subscribe to it: right-click the account name and select "IMAP Folders," click the "Query" button, select the new folder, click the "Subscribe" button, and click the "OK" button.

Note that you can also use Outlook to create subfolders, which aren't currently supported by Mailshell's website. To do this, right-click the folder you want the new folder to be under and select "New Folder," enter the name of the sub-folder, and click the "OK" button. The new folder will be added to your list under the folder you originally selected. If you go to Mailshell's website, the folder will be listed in the form Folder.Subfolder (e.g., if you created a "Jane" subfolder under your "Friends" folder, it would appear on Mailshell's site as Friends.Jane); you can deliver messages there as you would to any other folder, but it won't appear as a subfolder in any visual way.

How do I rename a folder?

There are two ways you can rename a folder:

  • In Outlook, right-click the folder and select "Rename," then enter the new name and click the "OK" button. (The new name will also appear on Mailshell's website.)

  • You can also go to Mailshell's website, sign in to your account, and rename the folder there as you would normally. Then, to make the change appear in Outlook, you'll need to re-subscribe to the folder: right-click the account name and select "IMAP Folders," click the "Query" button, select the new folder, click the "Subscribe" button, and click the "OK" button.

How do I delete a folder?

There are two ways you can delete a folder:

  • In Outlook, select the folder and click the "Delete" key on your keyboard or right-click the folder and select "Delete." (The folder will also be deleted on Mailshell's website.)

  • You can also go to Mailshell's website, sign in to your account, and delete the folder there as you would normally. Then, to make the change appear in Outlook, you'll need to reset your folder list: right-click the account name and select "Download Folder List."

Other

What if I have more questions?

If you have additional questions about how to use Outlook, we recommend you consult Outlook's help documentation by going to the main menu and selecting Help > Microsoft Outlook Help. If you are having problems that relate directly to Mailshell (e.g., Mailshell is rejecting your password, or you are using Mailshell's SMTP server and messages aren't being delivered properly), contact the Mailshell Support Desk. Your question should be answered within two business days.