Written for a user who asked for a way to get his mail from multiple computers, home and travelling. Often users know how to do this for inbound mail but not SENT mail and sometimes their POP client removes mail from the server while they are travelling - so they cannot see it until they are back home.

Thunderbird and Mozilla are IMAP compliant.

I recommend that you continue using your POP3 account - and just ADD an IMAP account to your Mozilla Mail or Thunderbird.

Both POP3 and IMAP will be accessing the SAME email address account: joe@mailcruncher.com

To add IMAP access to Mozilla Mail or Thunderbird:
Pull down menu File

Choose New.... Account

Type of account: Email
(next)

Your name... Joe Python or however you want it to appear when people get your mail

Your email address: joe@mailcruncher.com
(next)

On the next screen choose: IMAP as the type of account
Incoming Server: mail.mailcruncher.com
(next)

Incoming User Name: joe@mailcruncher.com
(next)

Account Name: I suggest you call it "IMAP Server Folders" or "Mail Server Folders"

to remind yourself that this mail IS NOT stored on your own computer and may not be accessible if you cannot get to the internet. These IMAP folders will be exactly the same as you can see when you access webmail: https://webmail.mailcruncher.com

After you save the new account, highlight the account name on your left menu, then look to the right and choose Manage Folder Subscriptions. There you will subscribe to all folders available.

Now you need to make a few changes to your original POP3 settings in Mozilla Mail / Thunderbird:

Highlight that account name on the left - ABOVE the "Inbox" you usually use. Look to the right and click "View Settings for this account"

Again on the left in the new window, click "Server Settings"

Put a checkmark next to "Leave mail on server"

Now on the left click "Copies and Folders"

Change "When sending save a copy to" ... select the new account you created, the one you named something like "IMAP Server Folders"

Click OK to save these changes

This will make all your future SENT mail available thru IMAP. Your SENT mail will be stored on the mail sever and thus accessible from multiple computers.

This is the setup I myself use. Why even bother with the POP account? Because IMAP mail may not be available when you are not on the internet - and you cannot keep thousands of emails building up forever on the mail server in the IMAP folders. You'll need to delete the IMAP mail periodically because you are no longer "downloading and removing" it... you are "downloading and leaving it there". The POP account brings it into your own computer. Keep 100,000 messages there forever if you like, as an archive of communications. When you delete from the IMAP folders - you will still have a copy of incoming mail in the POP account.


I also use it to PLACE email or files out on the internet for sharing. I can just MOVE messages from one account or folder to an IMAP folder - and they will be accessible from webmail wherever I go.