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faq:email:how_to_disable_emails_being_deleted_from_server_pop3

How to prevent emails from being deleted from server (POP3)

When you are using a mail client like Ms Outlook to access your emails via POP3, you may not want to delete the emails from the server for some reasons like, you are also accessing those emails from your phone using IMAP (and you don't want to miss any emails that are downloaded to the mail client and deleted from the server!).

Here's what you can do on your POP3 mail client to leave a copy of message on the server.

MS Outlook

  1. Go to FileInfoAccount Settings.
  2. Select More Settings.
  3. On the properties window, click on the Advanced tab.
  4. Check the checkbox: “Leave a copy of messages on the server”.

You can choose to remove the emails after a certain number of days or when deleted from “Deleted Items”.
If you wish to leave messages in the server without deleting them, just uncheck both “Remove from server after n days” and “Remove from server after deleted from “Deleted Items””.


Windows Live Mail

  1. Click on MenuOptionsEmail accounts… on the toolbar.
  2. Select your email address and click Properties.
  3. Click the Advanced tab.
  4. Check the “Leave a copy of messages on server” checkbox.

You have the option to remove the emails from the server after a specified number of days, or remove them when they are deleted from “Deleted Items”.
If you wish to leave messages in the server without deleting them, just uncheck both “Remove from server after n days” and “Remove from server after deleted from “Deleted Items””.


Mozilla Thunderbird

  1. Click ToolsAccount Settings… from the menu bar.
  2. On the Account Settings window, click Server Settings.
  3. Check the checkbox: “Leave messages on server”.

You may also check to delete the mails after certain number of days, or delete them once they are deleted or moved from Inbox.
If you do not want any emails being removed from the server, just uncheck both “For at most n days” and “Until I delete or move them from Inbox”.


Apple Mail

  1. Go to MailPreferences.
  2. Go to the Advanced tab.
  3. Uncheck “Remove copy from server after retrieving a message”.

Or, alternatively, you can set to remove the emails after a week or a month, depending on your mailbox size.


Outlook Express

  1. Click ToolsAccounts… from the menu bar.
  2. Select your email address and click Properties.
  3. On the properties window, click on the Advanced tab.
  4. Check the checkbox: “Leave a copy of messages on the server”.

You can choose to remove the emails after a certain number of days or when deleted from “Deleted Items”.
If you wish to leave messages in the server without deleting them, just uncheck both “Remove from server after n days” and “Remove from server after deleted from “Deleted Items””.

faq/email/how_to_disable_emails_being_deleted_from_server_pop3.txt · Last modified: 2015/11/12 15:34 by vikki