Jump to content
groovyPost Forums

Syncing Outlook to Gmail via IMAP - general questions


CJ33414

Recommended Posts

I just finished migrating a pst to Google Apps

 

I am confused by the folder hierarchy that was created (I copied it below) and want to

 

1. clean it up as much as possible - it looks like mail gets delivered to that second inbox, all the way down the hierarchy - and no longer to the "old" inbox I used before migrating. Is there a way to combine the two? I want to have only one file - this feels like I have an active inbox plus a "dead" pst structure

2. When I delete an e-mail in Outlook now it automatically disappears rather than get the line through it - any way to bring that back?

3. What is the difference between the Junk E-mail, Spam, and Trash folders?

4. I understand that Gmail's All Mail is an archive of all the mail sent/received - won't this create a really large pst file and then slow down my Outlook?

5. I plan on using Outlook 99% of the time to manage and work through e-mail - in general, is it better to set up structure on Outlook's side and then have that reflect in Gmail? I'm more interested in OL looking like I want it to.

6. Drafts - I was going to ask how to sync it with the Gmail drafts folder since I can't find a way to "map" where drafts get stored in Outlook...but then ran into a few articles saying that people have lost their draft e-mails because Google will just clean them out...if that's the case I'll continue to save them in the Personal Folders Drafts...(would love to know if anybody knows one way or another whether the Gmail Drafts does delete items from there though)

 

Thanks for all your help in advance! :)

 

(OH - and by the way - one problem/issue I am NOT having is the duplicate sent emails - thanks to one of Mr.Groove's articles I knew just what to do - thanks!)

 

FOLDER STRUCTURE

@my domain (how it used to read before migrating)

@Today

[Gmail]

All Mail

Drafts

Sent Mail

Spam

Starred

Trash

my.pst (the one I migrated)

Inbox

plus all the folders/structure I had set up before migration

Inbox (this 2nd inbox also seems to fall under the .pst parent )

Junk E-mail

Misc

Priority

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, will try to give you a hand CJ.

 

First, what version of outlook are you using? Also, are you really using Google Apps or just normal GMAIL?

 

To answer your first question:

 

1. clean it up as much as possible - it looks like mail gets delivered to that second inbox, all the way down the hierarchy - and no longer to the "old" inbox I used before migrating. Is there a way to combine the two? I want to have only one file - this feels like I have an active inbox plus a "dead" pst structure

 

If you are using Google Apps (not gmail) are you using the Outlook Sync Tool from Google or are you strictly connecting with iMAP? Next, if you imported your PST file into your Google email account, I reccomend you create a new Outlook profile to clean things up. That way you don't have your old PST file messing things up, just your new Gmail account being connected with iMAP or the Google Apps Sync client.

 

2. When I delete an e-mail in Outlook now it automatically disappears rather than get the line through it - any way to bring that back?

 

It's a little confusing but remember, GMAIL is funky. When you delete something in your inbox, what your doing on your GMAIl account is just removing its label. Labels is kinda another word for folders in GMAIL lingo but not really. TAG is almost a better word. Anyway, when you delete an email, you are essentially just removing the INBOX label so then it will now be placed in the All Mail folder in Outlook - /Gmail/All Mail] as well as in your gmail account.

 

Using GMail with iMap, you will not be using the Junk Email folder in face, Google says you should turn it off - http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answ ... swer=78892

 

SPAM will be in the [gmail]/spam folder. The Trash is your also deleted items. Honestly not sure how things end up in there heheh. Here's another good link on the matter: http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answ ... swer=77657

 

 

No. That isn't how iMap works. It will only download headers etc... you should be find.

 

 

Then yes. Set it up in Outlook. Remember, GMAIL LABELS = Outlook Folders.

 

 

Drafts... Hmmm, never played with that. I pay Google $5 a month so I have the premier edition of google apps plus the Google Apps Outlook Sync client. It's worth the $5 for me because Outlook acts like it should with an Exchange Server. No iMap craziness.

 

 

Is that what I did? :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok, will try to give you a hand CJ.

 

Sounds like you finally gave in to helping me, after much back and forth. :lol: Thank you so much! I was so excited when I saw your reply.

 

First, what version of outlook are you using? Also, are you really using Google Apps or just normal GMAIL?

 

Outlook 2007 - Google Apps, Standard (to tell you the truth, not sure I need Google Apps - I have to use Google Apps if I have a particular domain - not gmail - I want to use, right?)

 

To answer your first question:

 

1. clean it up as much as possible - it looks like mail gets delivered to that second inbox, all the way down the hierarchy - and no longer to the "old" inbox I used before migrating. Is there a way to combine the two? I want to have only one file - this feels like I have an active inbox plus a "dead" pst structure

 

If you are using Google Apps (not gmail) are you using the Outlook Sync Tool from Google or are you strictly connecting with iMAP? Next, if you imported your PST file into your Google email account, I reccomend you create a new Outlook profile to clean things up. That way you don't have your old PST file messing things up, just your new Gmail account being connected with iMAP or the Google Apps Sync client.

 

I am strictly connecting via IMAP. I did migrate my calendar and my contacts from Outlook - although I am now realizing that unless I use Outlook Sync Tool the contacts and calendar won't be synced up, so whatever I migrated is what will be there, that's it (and the Outlook Sync Tool is not available for the Standard edition).

 

If I create a new profile though won't that mean I won't have access to all the e-mail in that old PST file? OR (I'm just realizing this) are you saying that in fact when I create the new profile Outlook will pull down all that old pst e-mail which now lives in Google Apps?

 

2. When I delete an e-mail in Outlook now it automatically disappears rather than get the line through it - any way to bring that back?

 

It's a little confusing but remember, GMAIL is funky. When you delete something in your inbox, what your doing on your GMAIl account is just removing its label. Labels is kinda another word for folders in GMAIL lingo but not really. TAG is almost a better word. Anyway, when you delete an email, you are essentially just removing the INBOX label so then it will now be placed in the All Mail folder in Outlook - /Gmail/All Mail] as well as in your gmail account.

 

Yes, it's just now sinking in that All Mail is where stuff goes where you delete it (don't like that very much - it bugs me that an e-mail still lives after I killed it - although I'm sure it's also saved many people!).

 

Using GMail with iMap, you will not be using the Junk Email folder in face, Google says you should turn it off - http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answ ... swer=78892

 

I'll check this out, thank you for giving me this resource.

 

SPAM will be in the [gmail]/spam folder. The Trash is your also deleted items. Honestly not sure how things end up in there heheh. Here's another good link on the matter: http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answ ... swer=77657

 

OK will read further - I think the one thing I remember is that when you want to permanently delete, to move e-mails to the trash or spam since they're cleaned out every 30 days...

 

 

No. That isn't how iMap works. It will only download headers etc... you should be find.

 

OK

 

Then yes. Set it up in Outlook. Remember, GMAIL LABELS = Outlook Folders.

 

Got it. Although I'm going to wait until you tell me answer re: creating new profile because if that's the case I'll want to clean up the structure in Gmail so that when Outlook pulls the e-mails it will be how I want it.

 

 

Drafts... Hmmm, never played with that. I pay Google $5 a month so I have the premier edition of google apps plus the Google Apps Outlook Sync client. It's worth the $5 for me because Outlook acts like it should with an Exchange Server. No iMap craziness.

 

That sounds so good, to have Outlook behave as if it were on Exchange. Do you get to flag (including with dates) and categorize e-mail items and does the category stay from folder to folder? One of the things I hate about standalone Outlook is having limited categorizing and flagging capabilities in e-mail. (I found a workaround for categorizing e-mail but you lose it when you change folders - which really puts a damper on my organizing method :)

 

 

Is that what I did? :)

 

YES - you're helping me tons

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like you finally gave in to helping me, after much back and forth. Thank you so much! I was so excited when I saw your reply.

Were here to help :)

 

Outlook 2007 - Google Apps, Standard (to tell you the truth, not sure I need Google Apps - I have to use Google Apps if I have a particular domain - not gmail - I want to use, right?)

 

Yes. If you want to use your own domain, Google Apps is what you want to do! Custom and move control and a better terms of service.

 

 

I am strictly connecting via IMAP. I did migrate my calendar and my contacts from Outlook - although I am now realizing that unless I use Outlook Sync Tool the contacts and calendar won't be synced up, so whatever I migrated is what will be there, that's it (and the Outlook Sync Tool is not available for the Standard edition).

 

If I create a new profile though won't that mean I won't have access to all the e-mail in that old PST file? OR (I'm just realizing this) are you saying that in fact when I create the new profile Outlook will pull down all that old pst e-mail which now lives in Google Apps?

 

What you should do is COPY all the email from the PST file up into the Google Apps account VIA iMAP. You should be able to drag and drop to get it all up into your gmail account. Once that is done, just remove the email from your PST file with the exception of your contacts.

 

Yes, it's just now sinking in that All Mail is where stuff goes where you delete it (don't like that very much - it bugs me that an e-mail still lives after I killed it - although I'm sure it's also saved many people!).

 

Correct, with Outlook 2007 when you delete something from your GMAIL account over IMAP it will put it into the ALL MAIL folder. What you can also do is drag and drop it to the [gmail]\trash folder and then log into your gmail account (or google apps) and goto the trash and say empty the trash.

 

Now Outlook 2010 is WAY different in regards to how it manages email. You can choose where deleted email goes just like how you can decide where sent email goes. You can also delete it from the TRASH folder in outlook and over iMAP it is nuked.

 

Outlook has a lot of nice features in that regard for sure!

 

That sounds so good, to have Outlook behave as if it were on Exchange. Do you get to flag (including with dates) and categorize e-mail items and does the category stay from folder to folder? One of the things I hate about standalone Outlook is having limited categorizing and flagging capabilities in e-mail. (I found a workaround for categorizing e-mail but you lose it when you change folders - which really puts a damper on my organizing method

 

The Outlook Sync client for Google Apps is VERY nice. You can flag, with dates etc... just like you would using a normal Exchange client. Just like Exchange server.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Were here to help :)

 

Thanks!

 

What you should do is COPY all the email from the PST file up into the Google Apps account VIA iMAP. You should be able to drag and drop to get it all up into your gmail account. Once that is done, just remove the email from your PST file with the exception of your contacts.

 

OK - thank you very much for this tip, and for answering all my other questions, too. I really appreciate it.

 

I am really considering upgrading to Premier just to be able to use the Outlook Sync Tool!

 

Thanks again!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not rid of me yet :)

Did as you suggested - dropped all the e-mails from the PST into the gmail folders - it worked great - my Outlook hierarchy is cleaner, thank you.

 

Two questions:

 

1. Can I delete the folder that ends in .pst from the navigation pane, now that I dropped all the emails into gmail (or is that where my contacts and calendar live too?)

 

2. It is a bit annoying that Inbox isn't the first folder under [gmail], and that there are a whole bunch of folders (including Sent Mail) above it - any way to change that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
1. Can I delete the folder that ends in .pst from the navigation pane, now that I dropped all the emails into gmail (or is that where my contacts and calendar live too?)

 

Um.... Your using GMAIL with IMAP or Google APPS with IMAP right? Hmm... For some reason I'm thinking unless your using Google Premier, you cannot use the Google Apps Sync with Outlook. Because of this, your contacts and Calendar will not be SYNC'd to Outlook over IMAP. With that in mind YES, your PST file will contain your Calendar and Contacts so DO NOT DELETE THE PST FILE. It will hurt if you do. ;)

 

For #2.... I don't think there is anything you can do for that. Sorry. Perhaps groovyDude has a better answer?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
1. Can I delete the folder that ends in .pst from the navigation pane, now that I dropped all the emails into gmail (or is that where my contacts and calendar live too?)

 

Um.... Your using GMAIL with IMAP or Google APPS with IMAP right? Hmm... For some reason I'm thinking unless your using Google Premier, you cannot use the Google Apps Sync with Outlook. Because of this, your contacts and Calendar will not be SYNC'd to Outlook over IMAP. With that in mind YES, your PST file will contain your Calendar and Contacts so DO NOT DELETE THE PST FILE. It will hurt if you do. ;)

 

For #2.... I don't think there is anything you can do for that. Sorry. Perhaps groovyDude has a better answer?

 

yup yup.... Or... just use your web browser or your iphone. No need for Outlook. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Who's Online   0 Members, 0 Anonymous, 12 Guests (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
×
×
  • Create New...