Setting up an IMAP mailbox is almost the same as setting up a POP3 account. Once again, we’ll click on the Tools menu and click E-mail Accounts to bring up the e-mail accounts wizard. Then, we’ll click Add a new e-mail account and click Next. Of course, this time we’ll click IMAP and click next. The screen we’ll see with the main IMAP account settings looks a lot like the POP3 settings screen:

 

 

You’ll see that most of the boxes are the same: we still have the User Information, Logon Information, and Server information sections where we’ll enter the information given to us by our e-mail account provider (such as your system administrator or your Internet Service Provider). You’ll notice that there is no Test Account Settings button; that feature is only available for POP3 accounts.

 

Also like the POP3 screen, you’ll have a More Settings button. It’s the exact same as the POP3 options, except for the Advanced tab which has these options:

-       Server Port Numbers: Here’s where you can change which port your computer

-       will use for e-mail. (You shouldn’t change these settings unless your e-mail account provider tells you to.) The default ports for IMAP are 143 for incoming and 25 for outgoing. This is also the spot where you can tell Outlook to use a secure connection (SSL).

-       Server Timeout: Tell Outlook how long you want it to try to communicate with the server (anywhere from 10 seconds to 10 minutes).

-       Root Folder Path: This tells Outlook which folder is the main folder.

 

  

 

 

Just like POP3 accounts, you can either click OK or cancel in the advanced settings screen. This will either save or discard your changes, and then it will take you back to the main IMAP settings screen. Click Next and then click Finish, and you’re done setting up your account!