Closing external IMAP email... how cut connection with Outlook 2013?

Kerryon

New Member
I'm closing some VERY old Earthlink email accounts as I no longer use them and don't want to continue paying for the service. But, I want to save all the old emails on my laptop.

I've got the accounts set up (IMAP) on my laptop's Outlook 2013 and it has downloaded and synced all emails and folders to the laptop. I want to know how I can close down the IMAP connection between my laptop's Outlook and the external Earthlink email so that when I delete the Earthlink email account my Outlook 2013 will not continue to try and find it. Also, I'm also worried that if I delete the earthhlink account it will also "update" my Outlook email and delete it from my Outlook.

Basically I'm asking, how do I delete (close down) my earthlink account with out also deleting the emails on my laptop's Outlook 2013 AND so my OUtlook 203 son't continue to llok for these accounts everytime it does a Send/Recieve.

I tried to 'unsubscribe' all the folders, but it won't let me unsubscribe the 'Sent' folders, saying "Cannot unsubscribe from folder. 'Sent is a special folder and cannot be unsubscribed from in Outlook.". I suppose I could just move the content of my sent folder to another new folder... ? But that would still leaves my Outlook 2013 still trying to find and sync with an account that is no longer out there.

Seems it should be simple but I'm not finding how get this done!
 

johnb35

Administrator
Staff member
Just remove your login details so it doesn't look for it? I don't think if you remove the email account the stored emails will be deleted, they should remain.
 

Intel_man

VIP Member
If you're worried about it deleting the stored emails, export/archive them into the .pst files and bring them back in after you've removed your email account details from outlook.
 

Kerryon

New Member
If you're worried about it deleting the stored emails, export/archive them into the .pst files and bring them back in after you've removed your email account details from outlook.
Thank you for your response! What would be better... archive or export to a new file. Wouldn't archive just be to the same .pst to which the account is already saving the emails and would therefore be the same account that is being updated through the IMAP? And would therefore not stop any of the issues which I mentioned?
 

Darren

Moderator
Staff member
File > Open & Export > Import/Export > Export to a file > Outlook Data File (.pst) > Select your folders you want (can just select entire account) > Select file location and Finish.

Remove the account from outlook after doing this. You can import the .pst file independently of the account connection to view emails or even load it into another email client that supports .pst
 

Intel_man

VIP Member
Archive will pull the emails off your main account (cut + paste into the .pst file) and Export will make a copy of the emails off your main account (copy + paste into the .pst file).
 

Kerryon

New Member
So the advice is to archive or export my Outlook Earthlink accounts, then delete the accounts on my Outlook program, then re-setup the accounts in Outlook. Which method is easier to set up as a local (not linked to an outside account) email in my local Outlook 2013... the archived email .pst or an export/backup .pst. Remember, I'll no longer have the outside Earthlink accounts.

Thanks!!
 

Darren

Moderator
Staff member
I would export.

Keep a separate copy of the .pst file somewhere else too if you're really worried.
 
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