Configure POP3 and IMAP4 message retrieval format options
Applies to: Exchange Server 2013
You can configure the message retrieval format for users who connect to their email using POP3 and IMAP4. Message retrieval options can be configured at the server level using the Exchange admin center (EAC) or the Exchange Management Shell, and can be configured at the user level using the Shell.
For more information on POP3 and IMAP4, see POP3 and IMAP4 in Exchange Server 2013.
What do you need to know before you begin?
Estimated time to complete each procedure: 5 minutes.
You need to be assigned permissions before you can perform the following procedures. To see what permissions you need, see the "POP3 settings" and "IMAP4 settings" entries in Clients and mobile devices permissions.
For information about keyboard shortcuts that may apply to the following procedures, see Keyboard shortcuts in the Exchange admin center.
Tip
Having problems? Ask for help in the Exchange forums. Visit the forums at Exchange Server.
Set the POP3 message retrieval format at the server level
Use the EAC to set the POP3 message retrieval format at the server level
In the EAC, navigate to Servers > Servers.
In the list of servers, select the Client Access server, and then select Edit
.gif "Edit icon")
.On the server properties page, select POP3.
Under Message MIME format, choose from the following settings:
Text
HTML
HTML and alternative text
Enriched text
Enriched text and alternative text
Best body format
TNEF
Select Save.
After you've set the message retrieval format settings for POP3, you must restart the POP3 services for the settings to take effect. For more information about how to restart the POP3 services, see Start and stop the POP3 services.
Use the Shell to set the POP3 message retrieval format at the server level
This example sets the message retrieval format option to text only for all POP3 users on server CAS01.
Set-PopSettings -Server CAS01 -MessageRetrievalMimeFormat TextOnly
You can choose from the following settings. You can specify the value for the MessageRetrievalMimeFormat parameter by using a numerical value or a text string.
| Message format | Value |
|---|---|
| Text | 0 or TextOnly |
| HTML | 1 or HtmlOnly |
| HTML and alternative text | 2 or HtmlAndTextAlternative |
| Enriched text | 3 or TextEnriched |
| Enriched text and alternative text | 4 or TextEnrichedAndTextAlternative |
| Best body format | 5 or BestBodyFormat |
| TNEF | 6 or Tnef |
After you've set the message retrieval format settings for POP3, you must restart the POP3 services for the settings to take effect. For more information about how to restart the POP3 services, see Start and stop the POP3 services.
For more information about syntax and parameters, see Set-PopSettings.
How do you know you've successfully set POP3 message retrieval settings on a server?
To verify that you've successfully set POP3 message retrieval settings on a server:
Run the following command in the Shell.
Get-PopSettings | format-listVerify the MessageRetrievalMimeFormat setting is correct.
Set the IMAP4 message retrieval format at the server level
Use the EAC to set the IMAP4 message retrieval format at the server level
In the EAC, navigate to Servers > Servers.
In the list of servers, select the Client Access server, and then select Edit
.On the server properties page, select IMAP4.
Under Message MIME format, choose from the following settings:
Text
HTML
HTML and alternative text
Enriched text
Enriched text and alternative text
Best body format
TNEF
Select Save.
After you've set the message retrieval format settings for IMAP4, you must restart the IMAP4 services for the settings to take effect. For information about how to restart the IMAP4 services, see Start and stop the IMAP4 services.
Use the Shell to set the IMAP4 message retrieval format at the server level
This example sets the message retrieval format option to text only for all IMAP4 users on server CAS01.
Set-ImapSettings -Server CAS01 -MessageRetrievalMimeFormat TextOnly
You can choose from the following settings. You can specify the value for the MessageRetrievalMimeFormat parameter by using a numerical value or a text string.
| Message format | Value |
|---|---|
| Text | 0 or TextOnly |
| HTML | 1 or HtmlOnly |
| HTML and alternative text | 2 or HtmlAndTextAlternative |
| Enriched text | 3 or TextEnriched |
| Enriched text and alternative text | 4 or TextEnrichedAndTextAlternative |
| Best body format | 5 or BestBodyFormat |
| TNEF | 6 or Tnef |
After you've set the message retrieval format settings for IMAP4, you must restart the IMAP4 services for the settings to take effect. For more information about how to restart the IMAP4 services, see Start and stop the IMAP4 services.
For more information about syntax and parameters, see Set-ImapSettings.
How do you know you've successfully set IMAP4 message retrieval settings on a server?
To verify that you've successfully set IMAP4 message retrieval settings on a server:
Run the following command in the Shell.
Get-ImapSettings | format-listVerify the MessageRetrievalMimeFormat setting is correct.
Set the POP3 message retrieval format for a user
Use the Shell to set the POP3 message retrieval format for a user
This example sets the message retrieval format to text only for POP3 access for USER01.
Set-CASMailbox -Identity USER01 -PopMessagesRetrievalMimeFormat TextOnly
You can choose from the following settings. You can specify the value for the PopMessagesRetrievalMimeFormat parameter by using a numerical value or a text string.
| Message format | Value |
|---|---|
| Text | 0 or TextOnly |
| HTML | 1 or HtmlOnly |
| HTML and alternative text | 2 or HtmlAndTextAlternative |
| Enriched text | 3 or TextEnriched |
| Enriched text and alternative text | 4 or TextEnrichedAndTextAlternative |
| Best body format | 5 or BestBodyFormat |
| TNEF | 6 or Tnef |
After you've set the message retrieval format settings for POP3, you must restart the POP3 services for the settings to take effect. For more information about how to restart the POP3 services, see Start and stop the POP3 services.
For more information about syntax and parameters, see Set-CASMailbox.
How do you know you've successfully set POP3 message retrieval format options for a user?
To verify that you've successfully set POP3 message retrieval format options for a user:
Run the following command in the Shell.
Get-CASMailbox <identity> | format-listVerify the value for PopMessagesRetrievalMimeFormat is correct.
Set the IMAP4 message retrieval format for a user
Use the Shell to set the IMAP4 message retrieval format for a user
This example sets the message retrieval format to text only for IMAP4 access for USER01.
Set-CASMailbox -Identity USER01 -ImapMessagesRetrievalMimeFormat TextOnly
You can specify the value for the ImapMessagesRetrievalMimeFormat parameter by using a numerical value or a text string.
| Message format | Value |
|---|---|
| Text | 0 or TextOnly |
| HTML | 1 or HtmlOnly |
| HTML and alternative text | 2 or HtmlAndTextAlternative |
| Enriched text | 3 or TextEnriched |
| Enriched text and alternative text | 4 or TextEnrichedAndTextAlternative |
| Best body format | 5 or BestBodyFormat |
| TNEF | 6 or Tnef |
After you've set the message retrieval format settings for IMAP4, you must restart the IMAP4 services for the settings to take effect. For more information about how to restart the IMAP4 services, see Start and stop the IMAP4 services.
For more information about syntax and parameters, see Set-CASMailbox.
How do you know you've successfully set IMAP4 message retrieval format options for a user?
To verify that you've successfully set IMAP4 message retrieval format options for a user:
Run the following command in the Shell.
Get-CASMailbox <identity> | format-listVerify the value for ImapMessagesRetrievalMimeFormat is correct.
For more information
After you set the message retrieval format for IMAP4 and POP3 users, you may also want to:
Enable or disable POP3 access for a user
Enable or disable IMAP4 access for a user