3 Easy Ways to Configure Microsoft Outlook

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   1
   Understand the difference between POP and IMAP email services. There are two ways that email can be delivered to your email client: POP (Post Office Protocol) and IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol). POP is the older method of transferring email messages, and works by downloading new messages to your client and then deleting them from the server. IMAP was designed to allow you to check email from multiple devices, as messages and organization are synced between all of the clients you use. ^[1]

   • There is really no practical reason to use POP if IMAP is available. IMAP is more stable, more secure, and allows you to check your email from your computer, phone, and laptop without losing any messages.
   • Most email services allow you to use IMAP, though some may charge for it. Gmail, Yahoo!, Outlook.com (Hotmail), AOL, and most service providers allow for IMAP.
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   2
   Configure your service for IMAP (Gmail). Most email services allow you to access the IMAP functions without making any changes. The major exception to this is Gmail, where you will need to manually enable IMAP. ^[2]

   • Log into the Gmail website and click the Gear button. Select "Settings' and then click the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab. Select "Enable IMAP" and click "Save Changes".
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   3
   Open Outlook. When you add an IMAP email service, you'll be able to check, organize, and manage your email in Outlook and on all of your other devices. Any changes you make in Outlook will be reflected in your other email clients.
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   4
   Click the "File" tab. In the "Info" section, click the "+ Add Account" button.
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   5
   Select "Manual setup or additional server types". This will allow you to enter any email account.

   • Note: If you're using Gmail or Hotmail (Outlook.com), you can enter your email address and password in the "E-Mail Account" section of the Add New Account window and skip the rest of this section. Outlook will take care of the rest of the configuration for you. You can also manually set them up if you prefer by reading on. ^[3]
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   6
   Select "POP or IMAP". This will enable you to enter a web-based email account.
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   7
   Enter your email account information. Enter your name as well as your email address in the top section. Leave the Server Information blank for now (see next step). In the Logon Information section, enter your account User Name (usually the same as your email address) as well as the password you use to access the account.
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   8
   Enter your mail server information. In the Server Information section, enter in the information for your mail service. Select "IMAP" from the Account Type drop-down menu. Below is information for some of the more popular mail services:

   
   

   Service	Incoming Mail Server	Outgoing Mail Server
   Gmail	imap.gmail.com	smtp.gmail.com
   Yahoo! [4]	imap.mail.yahoo.com	smtp.mail.yahoo.com
   Hotmail	imap-mail.outlook.com	smtp-mail.outlook.com
   AOL [5]	imap.aol.com	smtp.aol.com
   Comcast	imap.comcast.net	smtp.comcast.net
   Time Warner  [6]	mail.twc.com	mail.twc.com
   AT&T [7]	imap.mail.att.net	smtp.mail.att.net
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   9
   Click the . More Settings... button. Click the Outgoing Server tab.
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    10
    Check the "My outgoing server (SMTP) requires authentication". Select "Use same settings as my incoming mail server". This setting is the same for nearly all email services.
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    11
    Click the . Advanced tab. These settings are usually correct, but you'll want to verify them using the table below:

    
    

    Service	Incoming Server/  Encryption	Outgoing Server/  Encryption
    Gmail	993/SSL	587/TLS
    Yahoo!	993/SSL	465/SSL
    Hotmail	993/SSL	587/TLS
    AOL	993/SSL	587/SSL
    Comcast	993/SSL	587/TLS
    Time Warner	143/SSL	587/SSL
    AT&T	993/SSL	465/SSL
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    12
    Click . Next > after entering all of your account settings. Outlook will begin testing your settings to ensure that it can connect to the server to send and receive messages.
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    13
    Wait for your messages to sync. once you've connected your email account, your messages and folders will begin syncing with Outlook. Depending on how many messages you have, this may take a few moments. You can monitor the process from the status bar at the bottom of the window.

    • Outlook will only have to do a major sync the first time you connect your account. After this, it will just sync any changes made from any of your email clients.
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    14
    Browse through your messages. On the left side of the window, you'll see your email account with its associated folders listed underneath. You can browse through these folders to see all of your messages. Any organizational changes you make in Outlook will be reflected in the web version of your email account, and vice versa.
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Troubleshooting

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   1
   I can't send email messages, but I can receive them. If you can receive messages just fine, but Outlook gives you an error when sending, you'll want to double-check your Outgoing Server settings.

   • Click the File tab and select "Info". Click "Account Settings" → "Account Settings", and then double-click the account you want to make adjustments to.
   • Double-check that your Outgoing Mail Server is set correctly. In the "More Settings" window, look up alternate ports to try for the Outgoing Server. Also ensure that "My outgoing server requires authentication" is checked in the Outgoing Server tab.
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   2
   I can't receive email messages, but I can send them. If you can send email messages, but you're having difficulty retrieving new ones, you'll want to double-check your Incoming Server settings.

   • Click the File tab and select "Info". Click "Account Settings" → "Account Settings", and then double-click the account you want to make adjustments to.
   • Ensure that you have the correct IMAP address for your Incoming Mail Server. In the "More Settings" window, make sure your Incoming Server port is set to 993/SSL, unless otherwise specified by the email service.
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   3
   I can't send or receive email messages. If you are receiving authentication errors and can't send or receive messages, you're likely dealing with a bad password.

   • Click the File tab and select "Info". Click "Account Settings" → "Account Settings", and then double-click the account you want to make adjustments to.
   • Retype your password into the Password field. Check to see if your mail service requires logon using Secure Password Authentication (most web mail services don't require this).
   • If you're using two-factor authentication, you'll need to crate and use an app-specific password for Outlook. Click here for instructions for Google's two-factor authentication .
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