Outlook + Gmail - How to get it working properly?

[Rob_B]

I've decided to use outllok for my gmail, I use it at work, it's simple so I thought 'why not'
Problem is that it has just spent 30mins downloading hundreds of old emails I don't want, I only really want recent stuff with the option to see/download archived stuff if I need to.

So how do I get it to work properly with labels etc?

A Google doesn't seem to offer much in the way of my question other than how to set it up initially (which Outlook 2007 does anyway!)



Rob

EDIT: Hmmm.only downloaded stuff upto last month, can't seem to show it that there are more recent emails?

[CaptainCrash]

The combination of Outlook and Gmail can get messy in all sorts of ways unless you're careful, because of the fundamentally different approach they take.

First off, are you using POP3 or IMAP?

[Rob_B]

POP3 at first as outlook seemed to use that as the default, then tried IMAP. Then removed the account & put it back, no change, my final step was to uninstall the bloody thing!

Would like to get it working though

[Biscuit]

I use IMAP and it works a treat. There is a guide on google mail website somewhere. I'm on phone net atm but a search should help you out. Make sure to check yoursetting in gmail itself I'm pretty sure there is a few things to adjust.

What I would really like is to sync contacts between the two!

[jim]

IMAP will by default give you access to the entire gmail system, which is what I prefer.

So new emails come into the inbox, you read and delete them, but your entire mail archive is still sitting there in the "All Mail" folder.

POP3 is no different to any other mail system. The mail is downloaded, and then you do whatever you want with it. No matter what you do, it will never affect the email in your gmail account.

Thing is, I effectively started with Outlook and migrated to gmail. So I don't use labels, or any other gmail specific stuff. I have an inbox and an all mail folder, and I leave stuff in the inbox until it is dealt with. If I need any old stuff, I search for it in Outlook. If you use gmail labels and address books and so on, so forth, then Outlook is going to be - by nature - a PITA to use. You're probably better off with google desktop mail or whatever they call it. If it even exists. Never been interested, since I'm an Outlook user.

IMAP is *imo* the way to go. It just depends whether you want to change the way you do things or not!

[jim]

What I would really like is to sync contacts between the two!

Just started using soocial yesterday, for the sake of Android. Still a couple of bugs that they're ironing out (it doesn't take well to company names for instance) but it worked like a charm.

[GoNz0]

use imap m8, as the others say its just better !

[Rob_B]

I've tried googling, lots of setup guides but no explanation why it just doesn't update past last months emails. New ones appear in gmail web fine but not outlook.

Probably not worth the effort methinks!

[CaptainCrash]

Probably not worth the effort methinks!

In all honesty, probably not, unless you're absolutely wedded to Outlook (which admittedly many people are for various reasons).

I used to use Outlook/Gmail/IMAP in parallel with the Gmail web interface, but the differences in behaviour just became irritating in the end, particularly the handling of sent mail and deletions. It's nothing that can't be worked around fairly easily, but Gmail (webmail) is so good nowadays it hardly seems worth the bother.