Virgin Media Community

[FirstFloor]

Hello,

We have been using our POP @ntlworld.com email address for a number of years via webmail only - without using an e-mail client.    If we want to setup an e-mail client using IMAP what will happen to the emails currently stored on the ntlworld.com servers?  Is there a way to have them stay there for future reference?

RD

[CurlyKylie]

As far as I'm aware it'll be fine, they are just different protocols for accessing the same mailbox.  IMAP has more features, but they do similar things.  You should also be able to use them both at the same time, set up one program/device with IMAP and see how it goes.

[ravenstar68]

If you've been using VM's webmail then the mails are accessed over IMAP, not POP3.

If you set up an IMAP client then nothing will happen to the mails on the server.  The client will download a copy of the mails on the server and in the case of sent mails, will upload any to the Sent folder when you connect.  All clients will sync using the mail on the server.

The only drawback is that you have to remember that once a mail is deleted on one device - that change will be communicated to the server and then to all other connected IMAP devices.

Any mails that were "deleted" by any POP3 clients, are left on the server, they're simply hidden from all future POP3 transactions.  So if you had been using a POP3 client then mail sent after the server changeover in 2015 (IIRC) will still be there, unless you deleted it in webmail.

Tim

[FirstFloor]

Thank you for your reply.  

It is my understanding that once the client is "linked" to the account that all messages on the server will be downloaded to each client.  Will this reach back past the 2015 changeover? We have been with NTL/Virgin since 2004 although I am not sure what the earliest date was for e-mail.

Also, is access via VM's web mail essentially the same as using a client installed on another computer?

Thanks again for the help.

RD

[HowardML]

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@FirstFloor wrote:

Thank you for your reply.  

It is my understanding that once the client is "linked" to the account that all messages on the server will be downloaded to each client.  Will this reach back past the 2015 changeover? We have been with NTL/Virgin since 2004 although I am not sure what the earliest date was for e-mail.

Your understanding is wrong. A copy is downloaded. The original stays where it is. That is because using IMAP means that all devices display the same content.

Also, is access via VM's web mail essentially the same as using a client installed on another computer?

Yes it is a bit. Web mail is just a view of what is on the VM servers. But however it's done it makes no practical difference.

Thanks again for the help.

RD

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Hope that helps.

[FirstFloor]

Thank you Howard.

Good to know that downloading via the client will not delete the original off of the server.

Will be interesting to see how far back the sync goes.

Regards,

RD

[Graham_A]

@FirstFloor You can check that by looking at the contents of the folders currently available via the VM webmail page.  An IMAP connection will synchronise with what is showing in webmail.

[FirstFloor]

Hello Graham,

The inbox is show 33500ish emails. Shall be interesting.

Regards,

RD

[ravenstar68]

How far back the mails go will depend in part on whether you used POP3 in he past,  and part in the settings on the old Gmail system when you did.  Any mails that were on the Gmail servers were migrated across to the current servers.  Which is why old customers still see the old Gmail folders in webmail unless they deleted them.

Tim

[用心棒]

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@FirstFloor wrote:
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…  Is there a way to have them stay there for future reference?

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Is the implication here that this is the only store of these emails you have, i.e. there are no backups?

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