Outlook + Gmail

[time]

Has anyone successfully used Outlook to access Gmail? POP3 isn't an option because it assumes a single client device, so I'm looking at IMAP, or is there some way to connect with ActiveSync (MS Exchange protocol)?

From what I've read so far, Outlook 2003 sort of managed IMAP okay, but Outlook 2010 has critical performance problems with a sizable email store. Unfortunately, that's been my initial experience: Outlook 2010 unusable with an IMAP connection to a Gmail store of about 2-4GB.

I've had no problems with Thunderbird under the same conditions, but the user insists on keeping Outlook.

 

[MaxBurn]

Actually I just connected 2007 to gmail without issue the other day. I used it to fwd a ton of old stuff from my limited size fastmail account to gmail and then to a pst file I will archive offline. I don't remember anything special but I don't believe it did imap.

 

[ddrueding]

Google has a special tool for it.

 

[time]

Ah, now I understand - I was thinking that was only to sync contacts.

Thanks Dave.

MaxBurn, does that mean you connected with POP3?

 

[Howell]

I used these instructions to connect OL2010 to Google Apps via IMAP. My mailbox is less than .5G though. I would be glad to test with credentials you PM me.

 

[MaxBurn]

MaxBurn, does that mean you connected with POP3?

Yes. Works for me.

I saw somewhere in a gmail writeup on how to connect outlook that you need to enable imap somewhere (above link), but then I found the other writeup on how to connect via POP. Outlook seemed to handle gathering the server names automatically from god knows where, I didn't put those in.

Gmail via pop instructions:
http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=86373

 

[time]

So I've connected Outlook with the Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook MAPI plugin, but I can't get it to display emails in custom folders.

Specifically, the upload process has created a folder (label) called Outlook.pst, and only a handful of emails appeared in the folders underneath it. Using the resync option didn't help and may even have made it worse.

The only advice I can find from Google is to select the option that deletes all your emails and redownloads them. That's 4GB worth and I wanted this up and running about 6 hours from now.

Any ideas?

Incidentally, my alternative IMAP connection is screwing up by changing all the email dates to today's date - similar to something Mercutio mentioned.

 

[time]

SOLVED

Dear Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook® user,

Your local mailbox is now full. You'll continue to receive new mail, but to see older messages you'll need to sign in to your Gmail account in a web browser. To store more mail locally, you can increase your local mailbox size. Just click the Google Apps Sync icon in the Windows system tray and choose "Set mailbox size limit..." Learn more at http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=184126.

Sincerely,

Google Apps Sync Team

Unfortunately, all the documentation is hopelessly out of date - there is no tray icon with the current version, and no option to increase mailbox size in the Outlook plugin or if you launch the program manually. I'm hoping the registry fix will do the job.

 

[MaxBurn]

Come to think of it the only folder the thing pulled in was inbox for me under pop3. I don't see the default spam or stared folders, but inbox was all I cared about at the time.

 

[Mercutio]

Relating to your difficulties time, as I believe I mentioned before, the Outlook mail uploader from Google barfed on complex folder structures (i.e. more than one level of nested folder) when I used it. I wound up verifying everything and moving what wasn't there by hand using simple IMAP copies.

 

[time]

Unfortunately, all the documentation is hopelessly out of date - there is no tray icon with the current version, and no option to increase mailbox size in the Outlook plugin or if you launch the program manually. I'm hoping the registry fix will do the job.

I need to correct this - the tray icon only appears while Outlook is running. The documentation is correct, although when I set it to keep 2GB locally, I found the PST file was actually 8GB!

 

[time]

Relating to your difficulties time, as I believe I mentioned before, the Outlook mail uploader from Google barfed on complex folder structures (i.e. more than one level of nested folder) when I used it. I wound up verifying everything and moving what wasn't there by hand using simple IMAP copies.

Unfortunately, IMAP drag and drop was almost unusable for me with Outlook 2010. Fortunately, Google Apps Migration for Microsoft Outlook sort of worked okay - it handled two levels of folders in most cases but not in others. It's not difficult to fix in the Gmail web interface, but it's a manual chore. After overloading it with my first try, I limited the number of emails uploaded at once by selecting date ranges in the tool. Still, it sounds like I was a lot luckier than Mercutio, or they've actually improved their software (less likely, I know).

Note that I didn't attempt to use the uploader that comes with the Google Sync plugin (MAPI).

 

[time]

More tears.

With the MAPI (ActiveSync) connection to Gmail, Outlook won't let me change the email settings. Specifically, I need to change the return address to a meaningful alias - the underlying email address is just a code, eg "ABC03".

When I click on 'Change' email settings, it brings up the Outlook File settings dialog instead. Is this a 'feature' for when Outlook thinks it's connected to Exchange, or a stupid Google bug?

I can't find anywhere in the registry that I can override it and it doesn't pick it up from the Gmail settings.

 

[Chewy509]

Is this a 'feature' for when Outlook thinks it's connected to Exchange

This one. For Exchange based connections the server holds all the client configuration.

 

[time]

it doesn't pick it up from the Gmail settings.

In other words, yet another half-assed effort from Google.

So it looks like I'm screwed - time to tell the client to give up Outlook?

 

[Mercutio]

In other words, yet another half-assed effort from Google.

So it looks like I'm screwed - time to tell the client to give up Outlook?

No. You go to the Google account that is being used and make the changes there.

And yes, give up on Outlook. It's just adding a layer of stupid complexity.

 

[ddrueding]

I'm so glad I don't have to deal with Outlook anymore. It is such a piece of crap.

*Except when helping my wife, who's company thought it would be a great idea to have Outlook 2007 in a Citrix Metaframe session inside a VPN....even when you are in the office.

 

[time]

You go to the Google account that is being used and make the changes there.

That's what I'm trying to tell you - it doesn't work!

Google lets me specify aliases and a return address, but these are not being picked up by Active Sync or Outlook.

 

[Howell]

More tears.

With the MAPI (ActiveSync) connection to Gmail, Outlook won't let me change the email settings. Specifically, I need to change the return address to a meaningful alias - the underlying email address is just a code, eg "ABC03".

Outlook is using generic standard MAPI not any form of exchange like connection. E.G, you will not get calendar or contacts support.

ActiveSync and its bastards are special use protocols only for mobile devices.

 

[time]

I'm uncertain what you mean. I take it Google Apps Sync is not using ActiveSync, but some other unknown piece of technology? That's how the Outlook client is set up, and it describes its connection method as MAPI - which probably just means it's not POP3 or IMAP I suppose.

I've actually resolved this problem, just by continuing to poke around with the Gmail settings. I created an entry under the the 'Send As' option (or something like that) and made it the default email address. This didn't work - at first.

I renamed the user, which enabled me to change the core email address to my desired alias. This then stopped Outlook connecting through the Google Sync plugin, because the email is hard-wired into the profile as the user. So I changed it back again and found the 'Send As' entries were still intact. Lo and behold, when I tried Outlook yet again, a From option had popped into existence, defaulting to the desired alias as configured in Google Apps.

In other words, I effectively rebooted the Gmail profile and it started working properly.

Now, all I have to deal with is why emails are taking more than twice as much storage space as they used to. The original local PST files were 4 - 5GB, Google says the uploaded total online size is about 4GB. After increasing the local cache from 1GB to 2GB, the local PST file became nearly 4GB. I can only see 27 weeks of email in Outlook, which should probably be more like 1 - 1.5GB. WTF?

Not surprisingly, the user is pissed that he can only see the last 6 months of email, rather than say, the last 2 - 3 years. I've optimistically increased the Google Sync cache size to 4GB - presumably, the PST file will now balloon to 8GB and we might get to see a whole year of emails. :roll:

I don't suppose anyone has had any ideas about the date problem with Outlook + Google IMAP? I wouldn't hesitate to switch if it would stop changing all the email to todays date ...

 

[Howell]

YOU said you were using ActiveSync. See the text I quoted. I was just letting you know you were not for your own clarity of thought.
I did not realize you were using the google sync tool. I've never used it so I can't really help with it though you seem to have got it working now.

 

[Mercutio]

I don't suppose anyone has had any ideas about the date problem with Outlook + Google IMAP? I wouldn't hesitate to switch if it would stop changing all the email to todays date ...

When I copy E-mail via Imap in Thunderbird, it does not do that.

 

[time]

When I copy E-mail via Imap in Thunderbird, it does not do that.

Me neither. It appears to be an Outlook 'feature'.

 

[ddrueding]

The problems seem to be with Outlook rather than GMail. I'm glad I am through with Outlook (and incredimail), hopefully for good.

 

[Howell]

IIRC, I did not have that problem with Outlook alone. It may be a Gsync feature.

 

[Howell]

In that case consider copying up to gmail via Tbird with Outlook for the user. That may also fix the space problem.

 

[time]

1. The email is already uploaded to Gmail (i.e. Google Apps).
2. I'm talking about Outlook WITHOUT Google App Sync, just native IMAP.
3. That's one reason I resorted to using Google Apps Sync instead in the first place.
4. The other reason is that Outlook was unusably slow with IMAP, but I'm desperate enough to try again ... (sob)

 

[Mercutio]

In my experience, Tbird is faster with my 8GB mail spool through IMAP on Gmail than it is with the same spool on Outlook 2007 with Google Sync.