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Set up email in Microsoft Outlook for Mac (old version)

Set up your email account in the old version of Microsoft Outlook for Mac using IMAP. Follow these steps to configure your email address, password, mail servers, and default IMAP folders.

Are you using the old version of Microsoft Outlook on your Mac? This guide explains step by step how to add an email account using IMAP. After setting up the account, you will also check the default folders for sent messages, drafts, junk email, and deleted messages.

Add an email account to Outlook for Mac

  1. Open Outlook on your Mac. In the menu bar at the top of the screen, select Tools and then Accounts.

  2. In the Accounts window, select the + button in the lower-left corner and choose Add an Account.

  3. Enter your full email address and select Continue.

  4. When Outlook asks you to select the email provider or account type, choose IMAP.

  5. Enter the details for your email account and mail servers:

    • Email address: your full email address

    • User name: your full email address

    • Password: the password for your email account

    • Incoming server: mail.recra.net

    • Outgoing server: mail.recra.net

    • Use SSL to connect: enabled

    Make sure SSL is enabled for both the incoming and outgoing mail server.

  6. Check that all information is correct and complete the account setup. Once Outlook has successfully added the account, it will start synchronizing your email with the mail server.

Check the default IMAP folders

After setting up the email account, check that Outlook uses the correct server folders for sent messages, drafts, junk email, and deleted messages. This prevents Outlook from storing these messages in different folders or in folders that are only available on your Mac.

  1. In the menu bar at the top of the screen, select Tools and then Accounts.

  2. In the Accounts window, select the IMAP email account you have just configured.

  3. Select Advanced... and then open the Folders tab.

  4. Check the folder settings and make sure the following server folders are selected:

    • Sent messages: Sent (Server)

    • Draft messages: Draft (Server)

    • Junk messages: Junk (Server)

    • Deleted messages / Trash: Trash (Server)

Please note: the screenshot above was taken in the Dutch version of Outlook. The location of the settings is the same, but the menu and folder settings will be displayed in English when you use the English version of Outlook.

If you are adding an existing email account, it may take some time for Outlook to synchronize all existing messages and folders with the mail server.

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