[Evolution-users] convert from POP to IMAP - update

[Reid Vail]

I think I understand part of the confusion now.  The IMAP account shows 
only what's on the server. Got it.  IMAP doesn't seem to allow the 
transfer of messages from the POP inbox, and (I think) moves them back 
to POP inbox, creating the duplicates. I wonder if a work-around might 
be to simply create a folder on the IMAP side for all of these legacy 
POP-inbox messages.

thx

On 4/25/26 5:42 PM, Reid Vail via evolution-users wrote:
> Hi
>
> The last part of this migration is near, but I'm confused by one bit:
>
> So far I've copied the folders (and content) where it all needs to be. 
> That is, from POP folders  to IMAP folders (because there were 
> differences). Great.  But don't understand how to make sure that the 
> IMAP Inbox sees the whole existing POP inbox.  At the moment there's 
> only a few days of IMAP mail in the Inbox,  but in POP there's years 
> of Inbox.  If I copy POP inbox content to IMAP inbox it only winds up 
> as duplicate POP messages.  I am missing something. Thanks for helping.
>
> Reid
>
> On 3/10/26 1:14 PM, Reid Vail via evolution-users wrote:
>> Thanks Pete -
>> It's entirely possible that I am overthinking it.  🙂😳  That 
>> wouldn't surprise me a bit.  The worst outcome is to make it worse, 
>> or to not think ahead
>>
>> I think I get it.  The copy/paste will happen between the POP 
>> instance and the IMAP instance. Both visible and accessible during 
>> the transition. Sounds very do-able.
>>
>> On 3/10/26 1:05 PM, Pete Biggs wrote:
>>>>   I mentioned earlier in this thread that I created an IMAP 
>>>> instance of
>>>> this account, and then afterwards added a folder; one each on the
>>>> client and then webmail side.  It worked fine and each was
>>>> replicated, like I would expect.  Looking back at your comment, if I
>>>> backup the POP mail client and restore it into a newly created IMAP
>>>> instance, will that be replicated to server, or will the server be
>>>> seen as "primary" and overwrite what I've restored, if you know what
>>>> I mean?
>>>>
>>> IMAP is a bidirectional sync.  You modify things on the client(s), it
>>> will be reflected on the server; modify it on the server it will be
>>> replicated on the client(s).
>>>
>>> On Evolution the IMAP accounts are in a separate folder structure to
>>> the "On This Computer" folders where the POP mail is stored. Restoring
>>> the backed up messages from a POP client will restore them to their
>>> original folders, it will not restore them into the IMAP folders.  If
>>> you want to have the messages in the IMAP folders, then move them there
>>> in Evolution (copy&paste / drag&drop / etc).
>>>
>>> I think you are thinking far too hard about all this. What Milan was
>>> suggesting with the back up was a safety net in case something goes
>>> wrong - it is good advice, but it is not an integral part of moving
>>> from POP to IMAP.
>>>
>>> P.