How to change from POP to IMAP in Seamonkey?

[Barkingmad]

Hello

Folks here will be getting sick of me but here goes...

I have used POP to collect e-mail for years, since dial-up when when having mail locally seemed better than having to dial-in every time to refer to something.

I now have an ipad so have looked into how best to manage mail on two machines interchangeably and it looks as though IMAP will be more appropriate.

The ipad mail app has happily accepted my ISPs IMAP server settings and can see the inbox there so now what to do about Seamonkey mail on the PC

According to Seamonkeys own help I will have to make a new account to change the server type. If I do this can I still have access to my existing offline mailboxes in one place with future mail by IMAP? I am using a portable install of Seamonkey, in case that's important.

Thanks to any regular users for any advice.
Will

[puppy_apprentice]

I have only IMAP in Sylpheed. Messages that i want to store locally i export to .eml/html.

If I do this can I still have access to my existing offline mailboxes in one place with future mail by IMAP?

Edited:
I've gave you wrong answer, sorry.
If you make new account with IMAP the old will be safe. You could still download messages via POP and read old messages.

[mikewalsh]

@Barkingmad :-

Hallo, Will.

This doesn't apply directly - it's written for Thunderbird - but since T-Bird/SeaMonkey are all based around the same code, as the article says, it broadly applies (with perhaps some 'differences'):-

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Convert_a_POP ... AP_account

After reading this AND several other similar articles, the consensus seems to be that the simplest option is to create a new IMAP account, then transfer messages from the old to the new. But there's no reason why you couldn't keep your old POP3 mailboxes.....and maybe access those with a separate, standalone Thunderbird 'portable' that was set-up just FOR that purpose. That's what I would probably do if I was in your position.

(Despite having had a G-Mail a/c since around 2002/3, I made the decision to go with IMAP right from the word go, because to me it sounded like it made more sense. In my opinion, I had no reason at all to hang onto 1000s of old e-mails. Anything truly important that I NEED to keep, I archive in a dedicated directory.)

Just an idea, like. Entirely up to you, of course.....

Mike.

[puppy_apprentice]

After reading this AND several other similar articles, the consensus seems to be that the simplest option is o create a new IMAP account, then transfer messages from the old to the new.

But don't to INBOX folder of IMAP account or other already made after first login to this account, because those folders are synchronized and local messages could be deleted. Better to make new folder with name other than folders have on your account.

Edit: New local folder could be created on IMAP account to. I think that is better to make folder outside any account in Sylpheed this is possible.

[williwaw]

But don't to INBOX folder of IMAP account or other already made after first login to this account, because those folders are synchronized and local messages could be deleted. Better to make new folder with name other than folders have on your account.

I agree, problems like this become painful. For my self, the idea of moving local mail previously downloaded with POP back to a server, and then using imap to keep the devices syncronized, does not meet my needs.

currently. I use a webmail (imap) app on the new device to quickly respond and sort out spam etc. I only fire up my seamonkey portable and download the inbox with pop on occasions when I need to compose (and need access to my addressbook), and to archive.