Q: When I reinstalled Microsoft's Office 365, its Outlook e-mail program unexpectedly changed my e-mail settings from POP (Post Office Protocol) to IMAP (internet Message Access Protocol). This is an entirely different way of handling e-mail, and doesn't match the type of mail account I have. How can I change my e-mail settings back to POP?
Stan Brown, Winter Haven, Fla.
A: You can make the change, but here are things to consider:
First, do you really want a POP e-mail account? The Outlook program in Office 365 automatically sets up e-mail accounts to use IMAP because that's currently the preferred way to handle mail.
IMAP allows an e-mail to be read from any of several different devices, such as a PC, a phone or a tablet computer. That's possible because IMAP keeps the original message on your e-mail provider's mail server; each device merely copies the e-mail from there. In POP, an older e-mail technology, only one device (in this case, your PC) can read an e-mail. That's because POP downloads the original e-mail to your PC, then erases it from the mail server.
If you prefer to have a POP mail account, you'll have to set it up manually in Outlook. You must first add your e-mail account to Outlook using the POP settings, then erase your previous account that used the IMAP settings (see tinyurl.com/yczcnfcf).
If you decide instead to use the IMAP settings, make no changes in Outlook. Instead, go to your internet service provider's e-mail website and convert your existing POP account to one using IMAP.
Second, is your choice of IMAP or POP being influenced by an Office 365 update problem? Earlier this year, an update unintentionally prevented Outlook from receiving new IMAP mail. Fortunately, there are several solutions to this problem (see tinyurl.com/yavxcku4); the easiest is to uninstall an update named either KB2837618 or KB2837643. To do that, go to Control Panel. In the "view by" drop-down box, choose "large icons," then choose "programs and features." On the left side of the menu, click "view installed updates." Find either of the updates listed above, right click it and click "uninstall."
