Setup Gmail IMAP in Vista mail

VISTA: Setting Up gmail IMAP Support

There is an internet protocol specifically used for message transmission, similar to ftp being a file File Transfer Protocol.  This mail protocol is called Internet Message Access Protocol, or IMAP.  It was designed to promote seamless and efficient transfer of messages between more than one machine or device.  It also allows you to download mail for offline perusal, and provides two-way communication between your email clients and gmail.  I’d like to explain how to set up gmail’s IMAP support on your Windows Vista system.

First, you must enable IMAP in gmail.  Basically, this means going to gmail’s settings, and select “Forwarding and POP/IMAP”.  Select “Enable IMAP”.  Now we can set it up to work in Windows Vista:

 1. Start Windows Mail
 2. Click Tools >> Accounts
 3. Click “Add”
 4. Select E-mail
 5. Enter your name.
 6. Type your email address, including “@gamil.com”, or your custom domain, if you have one.
 7.  Select “IMAP” on the pull-down menu.
 8. For Incoming Server, enter “imap.gmail.com”.
 9. For Outgoing Server, type “smtp.gmail.com”.
10. Check “Outgoing server requires authentication”.
11. Enter your gmail address (email username).
12. Enter your gmail password.
13. Check “Do not download my e-mail and folders at this time”.
14. Click “Finish”.
15. Select your gmail account.
16. Click “Properties”.
17. Click the “Advanced” tab.
18. Check both choices for “This server requires a secure connection(SSL)”.
19. Make sure the ports are set to:
      Outgoing mail (SMTP): 587
      Incoming mail (IMAP): 993
20. Click the “IMAP” tab.
21. Uncheck the box that reads “Store special folders on IMAP server”.
22. Optionally, but strongly advised:
      * Uncheck [Gmail].
      * Uncheck [Spam].
      * If you have a lot of messages, uncheck [All Mail].
      * Change all folders except “Inbox” to “Headers only”.
23. “Send/Receive”. That should have gmail running perfectly.

Article written by MyComputerAid.com