Connect to an Exchange Mailbox by Using POP3 or IMAP4

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[This is pre-release documentation and subject to change in future releases. This topic's current status is: Revising Per Edit.]

Applies to: Exchange Server 2010* *Topic Last Modified: 2009-10-02

Your users can configure a POP3 or IMAP4 client application to connect to their Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 mailboxes. To enable your Exchange 2010 users to do this, you must correctly configure the Exchange server environment. Then, each of your users must correctly configure their client application to connect to the Exchange server by using POP3 or IMAP4.

Your users can use various POP3 and IMAP4 applications to connect to Exchange 2010. These applications include Microsoft Outlook, Windows Mail, Microsoft Outlook Express, Microsoft Entourage, and third-party clients such as Mozilla Thunderbird and Eudora.

Looking for other management tasks related to setting up POP 3 and IMAP4? Check out Managing POP3 and IMAP4.

Prerequisites

The following procedure provides the steps that you should follow to configure client access to an Exchange mailbox when you use Outlook Express.

Note

Each client application provides slightly different user interface options to configure the connection to an Exchange 2010 server. Because the steps in this example will be different if you're using an application other then Outlook Express, use the logic of this example to connect to your mailbox. For information about how to configure a different POP3 or IMAP4 e-mail application, see the Help for the respective application.

Set up Windows Mail for POP3 or IMAP4 access

Your users can follow these steps to configure access to an Exchange 2010 mailbox from the Windows Mail e-mail application:

  1. Start Windows Mail. The Internet Connection Wizard runs the first time it's opened. If the Internet Connection Wizard doesn't run when you first open the program, do the following:

    1. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
    2. In the Internet Accounts dialog box, click Add.
    3. On the Select Account Type page, click E-mail Account, and then click Next.

  2. On the Your Name page, enter your full name in the Display name box.

  3. On the Internet E-mail Address page, enter your e-mail address in the E-mail address box, and then click Next.

  4. On the Set up e-mail servers page, in the drop-down menu under Incoming e-mail server type, select IMAP or POP3. You might want to use IMAP because it supports more features. Do the following:

    1. Under Incoming mail (POP3 or IMAP) server, enter the IMAP or POP server name. To determine, your IMAP4 or POP3 server name, contact your system administrator.
    2. Under Outgoing e-mail server (SMTP) name, enter the SMTP server name. To determine, your SMTP server name, contact your system administrator
    3. Select the check box next to Outgoing server requires authentication, and then click Next.

  5. On the Internet Mail Logon page, enter your e-mail address and password. If you want Windows Mail to remember your password, select the check box next to Remember password. After you've entered this information, click Next.

  6. On the Congratulations page, select the one of the following check boxes, and then click Finish.

    • If you're using IMAP4, the check box text says Do not download my e-mail and folders at this time.
    • If you're using POP3, the check box text says Do not download my e-mail at this time.

  7. On the Internet Accounts page, under Mail, select the account you just set up, and then click Properties.

    Note

    To open the Internet Accounts page, on the Tools menu, click Accounts.

  8. On the Properties page for your account, click the Advanced tab, and do the following:

    1. Under Server Port Numbers, under Outgoing mail (SMTP), select the check box next to This server requires a secure connection (SSL).
    2. Under Incoming mail (IMAP) or Incoming mail (POP3), select the check box next to This server requires a secure connection (SSL).
    3. If you're using POP3, it's a good idea to set up your client to keep a copy of the messages that you retrieve to your local computer on the server. To do this, under Delivery, click Leave a copy of messages on server. This lets you access your messages from a different mail program.
    4. Click Apply, and then click OK.

  9. On the Internet Accounts page, click Close.

  10. If you're using IMAP4, a message appears that asks if you want to download folders from the mail server you added. Click Yes. Use the Windows Mail user interface to select which folders you want to synchronize between the server and your local computer, and then click OK.