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This question isn't so much a how-to related to Outlook and IMAP but rather related to nuances of Outlook when doing IMAP email.
In Outlook 2010 we have just a single account set up via IMAP. No other accounts.
The first point of confusion for folks is that in the account hierarchy on the left there's the "Outlook Data File" section - it shows up on top. The Inbox, Junk-Email and some other things are NOT the same as the respective folders under the IMAP account section. Since the "Outlook Data File" piece is on top, folks go to that Inbox (as well as other folders) and get confused when they see no mail. The Outlook Data File section does not show if I have an Exchange account set up along side the IMAP account. Any way to hide the section or put it below the other one?
Related, can the various sections on the left (Favorites, Outlook Data File, the IMAP account) be set to default to open vs. closed?
The other non-IMAP vs. IMAP area of confusion is the "Junk E-mail" folder. With an Exchange account, Outlook does a nice job of detecting spam and putting it in Junk E-mail. With IMAP accounts it catches nothing. Should this folder work the same for IMAP?
Note that the IMAP server is not GMail, in case that makes a difference.
Your answer is very complete and terrific. Regarding the local folders, I see what you mean. However if I have an Exchange connection and an IMAP account, why don't I see the Outlook Data File tree though? It's only when the IMAP connection exists alone that I see Outlook Data File tree - seems to me it should exist in either case. Regarding hiding that section I found http://www.itechtalk.com/thread10043.html but there's no "Close" option. Regarding Junk handling, please see my second comment. (Running out of characters.)
– Matthew – 2010-11-04T16:18:45.293(Continued...) Regarding Outlook's Junk Email handling, I've seen something different. My experience is that Junk Email folder is for spam which were not detected by the server-side protection and get through to Outlook. In this case Outlook will apply it's rules (at least when using an Exchange account) when it gets the email. I have Outlook running against exchange and I realized this when I installed Outlook on an additional machine. I'm using cached exchange mode so upon install, all mail from the server comes down to the local (continued...) – Matthew – 2010-11-04T16:20:46.823
(Continued...) .OST file. Mails that I'd previously marked as junk (or were detected as such) reappeared in the Junk Email folder since Outlook independently applies it's rules because the local client sees the email as a new message. The problem is that these rules aren't being applied when it's IMAP - even on the highest setting. – Matthew – 2010-11-04T16:21:21.783
1When you're connected to Exchange, the Exchange mailbox (by default) replaces the Outlook data file. So while you could add one if you wanted, you wouldn't see one by default. All your mail, tasks, etc are stored on the exchange server. Regarding the Junk Mail: This gets a bit complex, particularly regarding different versions of Exchange, but Exchange has settings which can quarantine junk completely, or simply move it to the individuals Junk Mail folder, usually depending on SCL. But also, if you turn on the higher filtering levels in Outlook, it may filter itself. (cont) – Coding Gorilla – 2010-11-04T20:36:31.963
But it would only filter email when it is delivered to Outlook; again since IMAP mail is not delivered to outlook, rather it is read from the IMAP server, Outlook wont apply the Junk Mail filtering to it. These comments are a difficult way to discuss this, so if you would like to discuss it further, feel free to email me at mark at warpool . org. – Coding Gorilla – 2010-11-04T20:38:27.767
Note too that with Outlook connected to IMAP the Sent Items are stored in the local PST folder rather than any Sent Items folder in your IMAP folders. I have to answer this question to our users at least once a day. – Matthew Lock – 2013-05-30T01:48:23.507