Tip 830: Outlook 2010, IMAP & Send to commands

I’m hoping this will be my next-to-last post about the problem of Outlook2010’s handling of multiple accounts when an IMAP account is the default email account. (The last post will be an announcement that users can revert to the old way of handling default accounts. I don’t know if it will ever happen though.)

The problem: Outlook 2010 chooses the email account to send mail from based on the data file you are viewing. This works well when you use only POP3 or Exchange accounts, but when you have an IMAP account set as default and a POP3 account delivered to the default data file, Send to commands choose the account that is delivered to the default pst file, not the default email account as set in Account Settings (the IMAP account).

The IMAP’s data file can’t be set as default because IMAP doesn’t support Outlook’s special folders (calendar, contacts, notes, journal, and tasks).

The solution: a “fake” POP3 account. Create a POP3 account for the IMAP email address. Use a fake incoming server name and with the correct SMTP (outgoing) server name and authentication. Set this account as the default email account and deliver it to the default data file in your profile. Go to Send and Receive settings (Ctrl+Alt+S) and set this account to send mail only. Outlook will use this account as the default email account but won’t download mail.

One drawback: Messages sent using this account will go into the local sent folder and you’ll need to use rules to put them in the IMAP’s sent folder.

For more information and other solutions, see
Outlook 2010, Multiple Accounts and the Default Account Outlook 2010, Multiple Accounts and the Default Account

Published February 7, 2011. Last reviewed on May 8, 2014.