IMAP FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What are the advantages of IMAP?
With IMAP, your messages remain stored on the IMAP server. You can read and manage them from any location: your office, your home, as you travel.
How do I download my email to my computer?
Most IMAP programs have a feature that lets you copy messages to your local
system.
Do I need to download my email to my
computer?
No. You can leave email and attachments on the server.
Why can't I delete my email or attachments?
This could happen for several reasons:
- You may be using an incorrect email deletion procedure
Make sure that you first mark the mail for deletion,
then remove it from the server using an "expunge" operation. Some
email programs refer to the expunge operation as "compressing folders."
- There may be a cache problem in Netscape Messenger
Netscape Messenger keeps
the downloaded headers of received email messages in cache files, which can become corrupted. Here's where the files are located:
- On a Unity Windows workstation,
they have the ".snm" extension and are stored in the "M:\Settings\Netscape\ImapMail" directory.
- On a Unity Unix workstation,
they have the ".summary" extension and are stored in the "~\.netscape\ImapMail" directory.
- On a stand-alone PC, they
have the ".snm" extension and are in "Program Files\Netscape\Users\<ACCOUNT_NAME>\ImapMail".
Here's how to delete the cache files:
- Quit Netscape. You must do this in order for the cache to be deleted and reconfigured properly.
- Locate and delete the cache files. If you have a slow connection, try deleting
just the "inbox" and "trash" files.
- Restart Netscape. The cache files should be rebuilt automatically.
- Netscape Messenger's Trash settings may need to be changed.
If you are close to your limit on space (quota) for storing email and are using the "Move Deleted Messages
to Trash" option, the cache can become corrupted. To fix this problem,
uncheck the "Move Deleted Messages to Trash" option. You may also have
to correct the cache problem as described above.
- The Delete key does not work or is greyed out. This may be due to a cache problem, which you can correct as described above.
- You can't empty Trash. You may have
to correct a cache problem as described above. If this does
not resolve the situation, try selecting the "Trash" folder and then choosing "Delete
Folder" from the Edit menu. The Trash folder will be recreated the next time you open the program.
- Webmail's Trash settings may need to be changed. See the procedure for deleting messages when your storage space is full.
What are the options for deleting messages and folders?
Some email programs use a "Mark/Purge" model. When you mark a message for deletion, it remains in a folder until you permanently delete it by performing a "purge" action. Other programs use a "Trash model." When you delete a message, it goes to a Trash folder but isn't permanently deleted until you perform an "empty the Trash" or purge action.
The server says that I have exceeded my file storage space (quota). How can that happen?
If you receive a large email attachment, it may exceed the space allocated for storing your messages (quota). To recover some of this space quickly,
- Select the items in your Trash folder that you want to delete.
- Press Shift+Delete.
- Close the Trash folder.
- Reopen the Trash folder.
Repeat these steps as needed. If you've deleted all the messages you can, and you still need more space, see the page on file storage space for instructions on re-allocating what you have. If reallocation doesn't solve the problem, and you're using Webmail (Squirrelmail), see the procedure for deleting messages when your storage space is full.
Will I receive a warning if my email space is running low?
A procedure runs on the IMAP servers to check your account and alert you when you have less than 1 MB of remaining storage space.
What happens if I use up all my email space?
- You won't receive any new messages.
- The sender will receive a notice indicating that your email couldn't be delivered due to lack of storage space.
- The NC State IMAP server will send your email program a warning message. Even though the IMAP protocol requires that your email program display this message for you, some email programs don't.
How do I find out how much email space I have?
The easiest way is to use a Web browser to both check your total disk storage space (disk quota) and re-allocate more for email. For the procedure, see the page on file storage space.
Can I get more email space?
See the file storage space page to find out how much total storage space you have and how you can re-allocate it among your email, personal files and Windows profile (in Unity labs). If you've done this and still need more for email, you can rent IMAP space for a yearly fee plus processing charge. Use your Web browser to complete and submit the application form at
https://sysnews.ncsu.edu/tools-bin/usmdb-purchase?
Faculty/staff
space rentals are billed annually. Student accounts
are billed on a semester basis.
What is disconnected mode?
IMAP email programs that support disconnected mode allow you to save
a copy of your IMAP mailbox on your local system, disconnect from
the network, perform any message functions that would normally be done
while connected (e.g., save, delete, reply, send). Then when you reconnect, all
actions are synchronized between the local and remote IMAP mailboxes.
Be aware that some email programs that claim to support disconnected
mode may not support all of its features.
Why did my login fail?
There may be a problem with your Unity ID or password.
See Getting Started with Your Unity Account.
Send questions or comments to help@ncsu.edu
Go to the IMAP main page
Last modified
December 28, 2005
by cawalker
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