Outlook 2016 IMAP & Optimum Server - 6 Duplicates of each email - How to Stop Duplicates

Mnesnay 0 Reputation points
2024-03-28T19:09:32.7566667+00:00

Hi. I just got a new computer and am setting up my email account in Outlook 2016. I re-installed Office 2016 and Outlook on the new machine. I set my Outlook account as IMAP with optimum as my internet provider (mail.optonline.net) with the port # and SSL. I also imported my .pst file from the older machine.

Then, I received an email from Opt. that my storage was full. When I signed-in to Optimum email, there were 3-6 duplicates of each email. I spent a few hours deleting stuff on Opt. so I would have some free space. When I went back into Outlook, and hit the send/receive button, the storage was then full gain on Opt. in like a split second. There are no duplicates in Outlook. It seems to possibly be a syncing problem?

I also have this email setup on my ipad and iphone. It seems to affect the iphone not the ipad. The phone has 1,000s of “new” messages. My Question is, can I:

1.    Delete all the emails on the optimum server so I have 100% free storage. 2.   Uninstall and reinstall Outlook. 3.   Import the .pst file 4.   Configure it for IMAP. 5.   Connect to optimum acct. Or will this still result in duplicates on Opt. server? Trying to figure the quickest way to fix it, so I prevent duplicates on the Opt. server, especially after I open Outlook.

I need the emails and have made a few back-up .pst files on different drives, to be safe. I would not need these files to be on Opt. server, if I have copies in Outlook.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

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  1. Diane Poremsky MVP 251 Reputation points MVP
    2024-03-29T02:26:44.84+00:00

    I set my Outlook account as IMAP with optimum as my internet provider (mail.optonline.net) with the port # and SSL. I also imported my .pst file from the older machine.

    You imported the pst file into the IMAP folders? Never do that. :)

    1. Yes, if you don't need any of the mail that was not already in the pst file.
    2. Not necessary. Just delete the IMAP ost at C:\Users%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
    3. , 4,, 5. not necessary.

    After you clean up the mail on the server, do not import the pst - open it using file > open & export > open Outlook data file if you need the mail in it. Never import a pst into an IMAP account. If you need some messages on the server, either copy them to the imap folders or use a filtered import to import just the newer messages.

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