Not Checking IMAP Inbox

[Jack Kelly]

Hi There - I have Entourage set up for IMAP and it works some of the time
but is not reliable at all. I've got Thunderbird running concurrently just
so I can tell when I've actually got new mail - Thunderbird receives all
mail like clockwork, as do Apple mail and webmail. I don't like any of
these programs as well as Entourage, but this is kind of driving me nuts.

When I click send/receive either nothing happens or it acts like it's
checking the server but doesn't receive the unread mail that I'm staring at
in Thunderbird. If I toggle between mailboxes in Entourage (i.e. Go to
INBOX/Sent & then back to INBOX) it seems to wake up and check the server,
but that's not acceptable. I've used the existing "send/receive all"
schedule, created a separate "receive" schedule (both with "inbox" checked)
and set it to download "all messages" but that didn't improve reliability.

Sometimes if I log on to webmail or change the status of messages in
Thunderbird it wakes Entourage up and it checks the server. Live Sync
doesn't seem to change anything, nor does entering "INBOX" as the root
folder (that actually made it worse). Again, I can force Entourage to work,
but don't feel that I should have to. Database test says it is working
properly, I run Yasu frequently & repair permissions often. Nothing helps.
I've had this problem since switching my work account to IMAP. Oddly, my
..mac IMAP account works fine in Entourage, so I'm pretty sure it's a screwy
setting, I just can't figure out what it is! I've also since removed the
..mac account from Entourage in case the app was "confused" by two IMAP
accounts. Any thoughts?

 

[Ed Kimball]

Hi There - I have Entourage set up for IMAP and it works some of the time
but is not reliable at all. I've got Thunderbird running concurrently just
so I can tell when I've actually got new mail - Thunderbird receives all
mail like clockwork, as do Apple mail and webmail. I don't like any of
these programs as well as Entourage, but this is kind of driving me nuts.

When I click send/receive either nothing happens or it acts like it's
checking the server but doesn't receive the unread mail that I'm staring at
in Thunderbird. If I toggle between mailboxes in Entourage (i.e. Go to
INBOX/Sent & then back to INBOX) it seems to wake up and check the server,
but that's not acceptable. I've used the existing "send/receive all"
schedule, created a separate "receive" schedule (both with "inbox" checked)
and set it to download "all messages" but that didn't improve reliability.

Sometimes if I log on to webmail or change the status of messages in
Thunderbird it wakes Entourage up and it checks the server. Live Sync
doesn't seem to change anything, nor does entering "INBOX" as the root
folder (that actually made it worse). Again, I can force Entourage to work,
but don't feel that I should have to. Database test says it is working
properly, I run Yasu frequently & repair permissions often. Nothing helps.
I've had this problem since switching my work account to IMAP. Oddly, my
.mac IMAP account works fine in Entourage, so I'm pretty sure it's a screwy

setting, I just can't figure out what it is! I've also since removed the
.mac account from Entourage in case the app was "confused" by two IMAP

accounts. Any thoughts?

It sounds as if the Action "Receive Mail" from your IMAP account is not part
of your "Send and Receive Al" schedule. Double check it from
Tools > Schedules.

Every account for which you want mail polled must have a corresponding
"Receive Mail" action in the Send and Receive All schedule.

Hope this helps!

 

[Jack Kelly]

It sounds as if the Action "Receive Mail" from your IMAP account is not part
of your "Send and Receive Al" schedule. Double check it from
Tools > Schedules.

Every account for which you want mail polled must have a corresponding
"Receive Mail" action in the Send and Receive All schedule.

Hope this helps!

Thanks Ed - I do have the account in the send/receive all schedule, but
regardless I suspected that was part of the problem and created an
additional schedule simply for the purpose of receiving mail in that
account. The problem persisted even when I had both schedules running
concurrently. The really odd thing is that it's intermittent: sometimes it
works and sometimes it doesn't.

 

[Diane Ross]

Thanks Ed - I do have the account in the send/receive all schedule, but
regardless I suspected that was part of the problem and created an
additional schedule simply for the purpose of receiving mail in that
account. The problem persisted even when I had both schedules running
concurrently. The really odd thing is that it's intermittent: sometimes it
works and sometimes it doesn't.

Check the screenshots here for IMAP schedule:

Create a Schedule <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/get_started/schedules.html>

 

[Jack Kelly]

Check the screenshots here for IMAP schedule:

Thanks Diane. I can't see anything here that jumps out at me as the reason
why Entourage periodically refuses to actually check the server. I have a
schedule that includes this account, "INBOX" is checked in the schedule &
I'm subscribed to the folder. As I said, it's not that I never get email
but more often than not Thunderbird or Mail or webmail shows me that I've
got mail and then I have to jiggle Entourage into receiving it. Very odd.

 

[Diane Ross]

Thanks Diane. I can't see anything here that jumps out at me as the reason
why Entourage periodically refuses to actually check the server. I have a
schedule that includes this account, "INBOX" is checked in the schedule &
I'm subscribed to the folder. As I said, it's not that I never get email
but more often than not Thunderbird or Mail or webmail shows me that I've
got mail and then I have to jiggle Entourage into receiving it. Very odd.

Have you discussed this with your ISP?

 

[Jack Kelly]

Have you discussed this with your ISP?

Yes, their response was "we don't support specific email programs." Doesn't
make sense that it's an ISP problem as it's absolutely, totally confined to
Entourage. All other apps receive mail when it arrives with no problem. If
I toggle between mailboxes Entourage gets new mail, too, but what a pain!
I'd use one of the other apps but I really, really like the "suite"
approach, especially the integration of the calendar & the poor
compatibility of iCal with Windows users (one of our clients is MSN, too, so
that's not a small issue).

 

[Diane Ross]

Yes, their response was "we don't support specific email programs." Doesn't
make sense that it's an ISP problem as it's absolutely, totally confined to
Entourage. All other apps receive mail when it arrives with no problem. If
I toggle between mailboxes Entourage gets new mail, too, but what a pain!
I'd use one of the other apps but I really, really like the "suite"
approach, especially the integration of the calendar & the poor
compatibility of iCal with Windows users (one of our clients is MSN, too, so
that's not a small issue).

OK, let's look back to see what we can do to troubleshoot.

Try option-command-L. It does an (undocumented) "special" IMAP refresh.

First, I'm not an IMAP expert. I have IMAP accounts, but they are for
accounts I rarely check so if I were having problems, I probably wouldn't
notice. I learn from personal experiences and from other users. There is no
course to teach us.

1) many Entourage users use IMAP and do not have the trouble you are having
so we need to find out what's different on your computer and/or your email
provider.

2) standard testing options are to test in a new Identity and/or new User.
Let's create a new Identity and see if that works.

3) I suggest setting up a free Gmail IMAP account as a comparison. This
would give Entourage a different testing situation. If that works, you could
forward your current account to Gmail and use that. Gmail's spam filter is
great!

Connect Entourage 2004 to Gmail¹s IMAP service

<http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/2007/11/connect_entourage_2004_to_gmails_ima
p_service.html>

Create Gmail labels and make Entourage folders

<http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/2007/11/create_gmail_labels_and_make_entoura
ge_folders.html>

Gmail Account <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/accounts/gmail.html>Gmail
Account <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/accounts/gmail.html>

Let me know how the testing goes.

 

[Jack Kelly]

You're the closest thing to an expert I've got! It appears that my new
identity is happier than my old identity. What's odd is that my .mac
account worked just fine in the old identity (which is why I didn't have to
set up the gmail account etc). Oh well. I'm declaring victory and moving
on. Thanks for your help.

 

[Diane Ross]

Glad I could help.

--
Diane

You're the closest thing to an expert I've got! It appears that my new
identity is happier than my old identity. What's odd is that my .mac
account worked just fine in the old identity (which is why I didn't have to
set up the gmail account etc). Oh well. I'm declaring victory and moving
on. Thanks for your help.