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Martin M
Asked: 2009-06-05 08:36:59 +0800 CST

Is there a way to access Exchange accounts using IMAP - without changes to the Exchange server?

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I know that you can configure Exchange to allow connections using IMAP and POP.

But is there a way to let IMAP clients access an Exchange mail box, without changing any settings on the target Exchange server?

I'm up for any ideas, including if you can set up some kind of bridge server in the middle that loads mail as an Exchange client and sets up an IMAP-accessible server.

exchange imap

6 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    DavMail.SourceForge.net works for me.

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  2. The only "change" to the Exchange server for IMAP would be to turn on the IMAP service (in exchange 2003) and ensure that the user is enabled for IMAP access. I think the process is very similar for 2007. Both support IMAP as an access method out of the box.

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  3. I suppose somebody could write a MAPI (the "native" API that Outlook "speaks" to Exchange) to IMAP gateway, but seeing as how Exchange already has one built-in, I'm not sure why you'd want to.

    With Exchange 2003 you can do "Front End" Exchange Server computers that talk the IMAP protocol to clients and get mail from a "Back End" Exchange Server computer storing the mail.

    With Exchange 2007 you can deploy a server with the Client Access Role to do the same thing.

    Can you clarify what you're trying to do?

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  4. If you can only access the Exchange Server via MAPI, and I'm assuming this is the case here, you want IMAP access but aren't able to access the Exchange server via IMAP, and you can't get it turned on, then you would need something in the middle that is able to connect to the server via MAPI and then translate this into IMAP to pass on to the IMAP client.

    You could perhaps use something like FetchMail to get the mail off the Exchange server and forward it to an IMAP enabled server.

    Whatever you do is going to be a bit of a cludge though, your best bet is to try and convince your admins to enable IMAP.

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  5. Might want to a look at OpenMAPI.org. They have the beginning of an IMAP/MAPI gateway.

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  6. There is now (2022) a Thunderbird add=on called OWL that has worked for me. Free trial and then a reasonable payment per account it seems.

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