Outlook IMAP folder out of sync

microsoft-outlook imap microsoft-outlook-2013

22,684

Solution 1

I have tried multiple times to use my IMAP account with Outlook 2013, but it has gotten irreversibly out of sync each time. So it would appear that Outlook '13 is at this point completely unusable with IMAP. Maybe I'll reconsider using it when Office SP1 or SP2 comes out.

Solution 2

We have found a fix:

Ensure you have KB2837618 (the November 2013 Outlook update) installed.
Set the root folder path for your IMAP account. In the affected Outlook:
1. File - Account Settings - Account Settings...
2. Double-click the affected IMAP account.
3. Click "More Options..."
4. Switch to the "Advanced" tab
5. Find the "Root folder path" box
6. Set this to INBOX (or possibly Inbox).
7. "OK" out all of the opened windows.
8. Outlook will do some tests, which should succeed.

You’ll then (rather scarily) see any subfolders you have disappear, and then re-appear.

You may need to switch folders (ie click on your Sent folder, then back to your Inbox), and wait a few seconds, to see all your new emails and accumulated Outlook Test Messages.

22,684

Conrad

Updated on September 18, 2022

Comments

Conrad almost 2 years

I am running Outlook 2013, which I (sometimes) use to read my IMAP email. However, I can see using the server-based mail reader (squirrelmail) that Outlook is not properly syncing my Inbox folder - Outlook thinks there are 89 messages, but there are really 91. I can't see any way to "force refresh" the list of messages for an Outlook folder?
- Ramhound almost 11 years
  
  Are you sure the email is connnected to the inbox your checking and say not a catch all address or some other inbox that Outlook is not checking.
- Celeritas almost 11 years
  
  Is it possible some login attempts fail while others succeed? This sometimes happens with me a gmail, particularly when the IP address changes (though gmail is smart enough to give a warning when an unrecognized login attempt is made, squirrelmail may fail silently).
- Conrad almost 11 years
  
  @Ramhound - it is the actual inbox and not a "catch-all" address.
- Conrad almost 11 years
  
  @Celeritas - the IMAP account is not gmail. Unlikely only some login attempts are failing - I am getting no errors in Outlook, and the results from Outlook are consistent(ly wrong).
- kobaltz almost 11 years
  
  Had the same problem. Had to remove the account and add it again.
- Conrad almost 11 years
  
  @kobaltz Bleah.
- Conrad almost 11 years
  
  @kobaltz Is there any way to save account settings so they don't need to be recreated manually?
- Conrad almost 11 years
  
  Well, I recreated my account, attempted to re-download everything from my IMAP server, and - out of sync again.
Conrad over 9 years

I suppose that is a "fix" for some, but for me that is unacceptable. I now use Thunderbird.