Applies to: Exchange Server 2013, Exchange Online

Topic Last Modified: 2012-11-28

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 EAC or the Shell, and can be configured at the user level using the Shell.

For additional information related to POP3 and IMAP4, see POP3 and IMAP4.

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 this procedure or procedures. To see what permissions you need, see the "POP3 settings" and “IMAP4 settings” entries in the Clients and Mobile Devices Permissions topic.

  • For information about keyboard shortcuts that may apply to the procedures in this topic, see Keyboard Shortcuts in the Exchange Admin Center.

Tip:
Having problems? Ask for help in the Exchange forums. Visit the forums at: Exchange Server, Exchange Online, or Exchange Online Protection.

What do you want to do?

Set the POP3 message retrieval format at the server level

Use the EAC to set the POP3 message retrieval format at the server level

  1. In the EAC, navigate to Servers > Servers.

  2. In the list of servers, select the Client Access server, and then click Edit Edit Icon.

  3. On the server properties page, click POP3.

  4. 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

  5. Click 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 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.

Copy Code 
Set-PopSettings -Identity 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 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 this worked?

Do the following to verify that you’ve successfully set POP3 message retrieval settings on a server.

  1. Run the following command in the Shell.

    Copy Code 
    Get-PopSettings | format-list
  2. Verify 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

  1. In the EAC, navigate to Servers > Servers.

  2. In the list of servers, select the Client Access server, and then click Edit Edit Icon.

  3. On the server properties page, click IMAP4.

  4. 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

  5. Click 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.

Copy Code 
Set-ImapSettings -Identity 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 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 this worked?

Do the following to verify that you’ve successfully set IMAP4 message retrieval settings on a server.

  1. Run the following command in the Shell.

    Copy Code 
    Get-ImapSettings | format-list
  2. Verify 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.

Copy Code 
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 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 this worked?

Do the following to verify that you’ve successfully set POP3 message retrieval format options for a user.

  1. Run the following command in the Shell.

    Copy Code 
    Get-CAS Mailbox <identity> | format-list
  2. Verify 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.

Copy Code 
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 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 this worked?

Do the following to verify that you’ve successfully set IMAP4 message retrieval format options for a user.

  1. Run the following command in the Shell.

    Copy Code 
    Get-CAS Mailbox <identity> | format-list
  2. Verify the value for ImapMessagesRetrievalMimeFormat is correct.

For more information