Is it a new communique? When I looked at this in December I didn't find an indication that Microsoft was ending IMAP support.

Does Outlook.com (soon to be Outlook Mail) work with Thunderbird?

The latest post I could find about this issue is here: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1005310

This is a new post (note the date). Microsoft announced yesterday that they are dropping support for WLM on Outlook.com. They will only support ActiveSync.

Can you give a link to the announcement made yesterday?

I believe this is the link you requested

Windows Live Mail 2012 synchronization with Outlook.com: Frequently Asked Questions

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook_com/forum/oemail-oapps/windows-live-mail-2012-synchronization-with/53d17f08-75e9-486d-9957-ccb6069dc6b6

.... and this is the link labeled "help article" provided in the email that MS sent out today.

https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Windows-Live-Mail-2012-will-not-connect-to-Outlook-com-45453b92-373b-4bbb-88ca-f8ec74f8e8fd?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US

I'm surprised Microsoft only promotes its own software to replace Windows Live Mail. Not really: ActiveSync is the best way to work with Office365, and Microsoft knows its own protocols the best. However, I have not seen any indication that it will be the only way.

Many users are already on the "new infrastructure" using IMAP in other programs -- as shown in the attached, the IMAP settings are available in my account -- so if they plan to discontinue that, they need to be more specific.

I haven't tested TBird with my own @hotmail address, it's not one of my main accounts.

Yes, MS is very carefully avoiding any mention of POP or IMAP.

FYI, if you are not using the outlook app like pictured above and are looking to find this same info via a web browser do not look in your outlook settings.

Instead follow this link http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/outlook/send-receive-from-app

MadeUpName30 said

FYI, if you are not using the outlook app like pictured above and are looking to find this same info via a web browser do not look in your outlook settings.

Instead follow this link http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/outlook/send-receive-from-app

That screenshot was the "new" website (https://outlook.live.com/owa/) but you make a very good point: Windows Live Mail users are not yet on the "new" platform so they won't have that specific settings screen when they go to the old Outlook.com (mail.live.com).

jscher2000,

You seem to be having difficulties believing MS is dropping POP and IMAP.

See the quote below from MS at http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windowslive/forum/livemail-sync/windows-live-mail-2012-synchronization-with/a0b297ec-ac83-4ed7-bc8c-4bbf3da95060

"How long do I have before I must stop using Windows Live Mail?

Windows Live Mail will stop connecting to Outlook.com beginning late June 2016. We recommend migrating to the Mail app on Windows 10 before that, though you can move any time you want to. Also, you can continue to access your email in a web browser at www.outlook.comat any time.

You can continue to use Windows Live Mail to connect to other email services via IMAP or POP3."

No WLM 2012 users are on the "new" platform.

Hi LeoHamm, yes, the way I read it, this article is about the inability of Windows Live Mail to work with the new "Outlook Mail" (Office 365). It does NOT say the new "Outlook Mail" cannot be accessed using any IMAP client. That is what I'm not seeing there, or anywhere.

The only stated limitation I have seen for IMAP with Office 365 is that IMAP clients do not sync data other than mail, such as contacts and calendar. If you want your local contacts and calendar to sync to the server, you need to use an ActiveSync client (or maybe an add-on). Thunderbird does not natively have ActiveSync, so you would need to use an add-on such as the one mentioned earlier in this thread.

jscher2000,

You seem to be having problems understanding the following MS statement:

"Windows Live Mail will stop connecting to Outlook.com beginning late June 2016."

Either that, or you know something the rest of us do not. The above states "connecting" not syncing.

Office Mail does not, I believe, exist. Office 365 is their suite of productivity software such as Word, Excel, etc., including Outlook. They have offered it as an alternative to web mail or their Mail app with the first year subscription free. Since it is a subscription product, I assume it is their cloud-based version of Office. The Outlook product in Office 365 is a mail client that will interoperate with the "new" Outlook.com, which they called Outlook Mail for a while.

I could be wrong, but I don't believe so.

You are correct about the sync issue with IMAP and Outlook.com. That is why I didn't convert to TBird when the original issue arose. My current connection is DeltaSync.

Please advise if you feel I am in error and you have a solution that allows TBird or any other client to work with Outlook.com via ActiveSync. I am not interested in a 3rd party add-on to a 3rd party product.

Thanks.

Hi LeoHamm, I am definitely not saying that the Windows Live Mail program will work with the new version of Outlook.com that runs on the Office 365 platform. I'm not providing support answers for the Windows Live Mail program.

But I am saying that Thunderbird should be able to sync mail with the new Outlook.com using IMAP. IMAP is indeed limited to mail only and will not sync Contacts and Calendar.

Since you want to use ActiveSync, and you do not want to use an Add-on, then you will not want to use Thunderbird.

So you're done here. But for anyone else reading, the subject line of this thread is, as far as I can tell, incorrect: Outlook.com will continue to be accessible using IMAP.

jscher2000,

You should not be responding to posts when you are not aware of the subject matter. You don't seem to be able to comprehend the communications from MS, i.e.,:

"It appears that you are currently using Windows Live Mail 2012 to connect to your Out‍look‍.‍com account. Windows Live Mail 2012 does not support the synchronization technologies used by the new Outl‍ook‍.‍com. When account upgrades begin at the end of June, you will no longer be able to receive email sent to your Out‍look‍.‍com account in Windows Live Mail 2012. Rest assured, you can always access your email by logging into Out‍look‍.‍com from any web browser, and you will continue to have access to all your data that is currently in Windows Live Mail 2012."

The 3rd sentence is quite clear to the most casual reader.

You are correct in one aspect however...I am done here!

In Thunderbird 45, I tested using IMAP to sync mail with the new Outlook.com (the one with the URL https://outlook.live.com/owa/) and it works. (Screen shots attached) So WLM users who are not concerned about synchronizing contacts and calendar between their local copy and the server have that option.

jscher2000,

I had not intended to respond to your less than thought through response, but for the sake of those who may accept you as an expert, I submit the following. It should understandable to most who want to understand.

View the following on Microsoft Community at:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windowslive/forum/livemail-sync/windows-live-mail-2012-synchronization-with/a0b297ec-ac83-4ed7-bc8c-4bbf3da95060

It contains, amongst much more, the following statement:

You can find additional details and options for accessing your Outlook.com account once Windows Live Mail 2012 stops connecting to the email service at Windows Live Mail 2012 will not connect to Outlook.com: help and next steps.

Note that states that WLM 2012 will stop connecting to Outlook.com. Earlier in the article it states that will occur in late June 2016. If you check your calendar, it is not yet late June, so any testing you have done or will do prior to late June 2016 is invalid.

PLEASE QUIT PUUTING OUT BAD INFORMATION. I MERELY ASKED IF TBIRD WOULD SUPPORT ACTIVESYNC!

I MERELY ASKED IF TBIRD WOULD SUPPORT ACTIVESYNC!

DON'T SHOUT. To answer your question, no, Thunderbird will not support ActiveSync.

Thank you. If you read the full chain, you'll see why my frustration ended in shouting!

Your response is appreciated, probably by more than me.

Hi LeoHamm, I apologize for antagonizing you.

I think I see the source of the disagreement. I don't know whether you can edit the title of this thread because it currently is "Microsoft Outlook.com will drop support of POP & IMAP. Will TBird still work?" The answer to that question is: No it isn't and yes it will (yes it does), with IMAP, not ActiveSync. So I've been trying to focus on that, which really wasn't your point. You prefer ActiveSync without having to use ExQuilla, so Thunderbird isn't the right choice for you.

In case anyone IS looking for the answer to that question:

The June change is news for WLM users who have been delayed in moving to the new platform (because DeltaSync won't connect to it), but Outlook.com users that are already on the new platform are using Thunderbird with it using IMAP for mail only sync. The ExQuilla add-on ($10/year) adds ActiveSync for the full experience (Mail, Contact and Calendar sync).

jscher2000,

Thanks for your reconsideration, but you should understand the title is correct. As specified in the documentation I have presented, Microsoft WILL drop support of IMAP and POP in late June. They also offer a free subscription to Office Personal for 1 year (includes Outlook client), which I prefer over an add-in to TBird. I have had enough problems with WLM and it is a Microsoft product. Guess what kind of support I'll get from Microsoft if there is an Outlook.com issue and I'm using TBird with an add-in. No thanks.

Obviously it is still not clear to you that the sync features of Outlook.com and ActiveSync are not what I have been addressing. My question was correctly stated. I have my answer. I have merely been trying to advise those who see this question chain that they are being mislead by your insistence that you will be able to connect to Outlook.com via IMAP after late June.

This will be my last response, as it seems we are getting nowhere. If you have documentation from Microsoft that backs up your position, I'm happy look at it. Otherwise, please don't respond.