mobile using IMAP doesn't reflect read mail on server

[Guest sf2]

I just got a i910 on VZW with the $30 web and email plan. I have Desktop Outlook that was previously using POP3 on a hosting account. I changed Outlook to access the mail server using IMAP. I set up the Omnia to use the same account using IMAP. My plan is to use active sync to sync calendar/contacts before I leave and then keep the email in sync with IMAP.

Both the mobile and desktop can send and receive with no problem. The issue I have is that the mobile shows items that were read with desktop Outlook as unread. Currently the mobile shows the account with 15 items, 5 unread. Desktop Outlook shows 1 unread and webmail shows 1 unread. When I do a forced send/receive on the mobile it shows connecting- logging on - looking for changes - finished, with no errors.

Anu suggestions appreciated.

[Guest shadowsjc]

whenever you add a new account, you get an automatic message from windows that goes into your inbox. this wouldnt show up on your webmail our outlook. double check your inbox on your phone and make sure that nothing got placed in there that's not from your webmail.

also, are you sync'ing any other folders other than inbox?

finally make sure that you check your trash/deleted folders on your phone as well. if you delete an email without reading, it will keep it as unread in your trash folder.

[Guest sf2]

I deleted the new account message. This is normal email where I am seeing the difference. There are 15 items total. Desktop Outlook inbox shows all of them and one as unread. Webmail shows the same thing. Mobile shows 15 but 5 are shown as unread. Also I noticed the mobile never shows anything in sent mail that was sent from the desktop although the Outlook desktop and webmail show them.

The mobile shows the same folder structure as webmail and desktop Outlook with inbox, drafts, deleted items, outbox and sent item folders.

Sent items on the mobile only shows email actually sent from the mobile. "keep copies of sent items in sent folder" is ticked. I though IMAP was supposed to show any client that connects to the server the same thing. It seems like the mobile is not synchronizing properly. I didn't see any settings that mentioned what folders the mobile should synchronize but right now it appears it isn't

As I test I just deleted the IMAP account on the mobile. When I reentered it it only got the headers in the inbox plus the automatic "Windows mobile tips and tricks" new message. The sent folder is empty but there are 9 items on the server shown by desktop Outlook and webmail.

[Guest shadowsjc]

go to your inbox, go to menu > tools > manage folders, and browse the hierarchy and check the box for sent mail in your imap mail (not the default sent or sent items - you may have to hit the + sign to expand the folders underneath your webmail. for example i use gmail, so i have to hit the + next to gmail).

also, click and hold on the folder you just checked, and click options. there you can further tweak settings for the sent folder. now your sent folder should update with mail sent from the pc/web, and vice versa.

this still doesnt explain your unread mail count t hough - t hats a weirder problem

Edited March 11, 2009 by shadowsjc

[Guest sf2]

I found what you described after a little tinkering and it doesn't make a difference if I select any of the folders and do a send/receive. It justs connects and says it is getting folders and the only thing that gets synced is the inbox.

It shows this structure on the mobile under manage folders:

server root

deleted items

drafts

------drafts

------Inbox_drafts

------Inbox_sent

------Inbox_trash

------mailboxlist

------sent

------sent-mail

------trash

outbox

sent items

This is what it showed when I connected it to the IMAP account. I didn't add/delete folders. Desktop Outlook 2007 shows a similar structure and shows it is subscribed to inbox, inbox.drafts, inbox.sent and inbox.trash

It seems like something changed for the good with the inbox sync. I just flipped one message to unread on the desktop and did a send receive and it was reflected on the mobile. Then I opened it on the mobile and the desktop Outlook showed the change.

Edited March 12, 2009 by sf2