How to Use Outlook Express with Mailshell IMAP access

These instructions will show you how to perform basic tasks when using Outlook Express 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 Express will ask if you would like to download folders from the account you added. Click the "Yes" button. If you didn't set Outlook Express to remember your password, you'll be asked to enter it now; otherwise, you'll be shown a list of all your Mailshell folders. If any you want to see aren't already chosen (i.e., have the small folder icon to their left), select them and click the "Show" button. If any you don't want to see are already chosen, select them and click the "Hide" button. When you're done, click the "OK" button.

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/Recv" button in the top toolbar.

You can also set Outlook Express to automatically check for new messages by going to the main menu and selecting Tools > Options, selecting the "General" tab, and entering how often you would like to check using the "Check for new messages every ___ minute(s)" 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, click the "Purge" button in the top tool bar or 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 "Create Mail" icon 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 the message and clicking the "Reply" or "Reply All" icons in the top toolbar.

If you just send 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 Express, 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 Express, you'll need to show it: click the "IMAP Folders" button in the top toolbar or right-click the account name and select "IMAP Folders," select the new folder, and click the "Show" button, then click the "OK" button.

Note that you can also use Outlook Express 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 Express, 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 Express, you'll need to re-show the folder: click the "IMAP Folders" button in the top toolbar or right-click the account name and select "IMAP Folders," then click the "Reset List" button to update your folder list. Then select the new folder, click the "Show" button, and click the "OK" button.

How do I delete a folder?

There are two ways you can delete a folder:

  • In Outlook Express, 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 Express, you'll need to reset your folder list: right-click the account name and select "Reset List."

Other

What if I have more questions?

If you have additional questions about how to use Outlook Express, we recommend you consult Outlook Express's help documentation by going to the main menu and selecting Help > Contents and Index. 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.