Sometimes it can be convenient to copy to an IMAP server of PlanetHoster all emails kept on another IMAP server belonging to a given provider (Outlook, MSN, etc.).
PlanetHoster provides you with a free tool designed for this purpose.
Prerequisites
To access the tool, enter the following address in your web browser: https://imapcopy.planethoster.com/en/.
How to Copy Emails
The interface of the tool has been designed to guide you step by step through the process of copying messages. Three steps are required:
- First step: the Source allows you to indicate the information of the source IMAP server, i.e. the one where the messages to be copied reside.
- Second step: the Destination allows you to set the parameters of the destination server, i.e. the PlanetHoster server on which the messages will be copied.
- Third step : the Finalization allows to launch the copy as such.
Throughout the process, if you make any errors, messages are displayed explaining how to correct them.
In the following, we will explain in detail each of these steps.
Note : All passwords must be alphanumeric (no special characters), both for the source and the destination.
Note : It is recommended to use SSL/TLS encryption whenever it is available.
Step 1: Specify the Source Server Informations
At the outset, it is worth providing some information here that you will need in relation to various mail providers:
| Mail Provider | Source Server |
| Microsoft 365: Outlook Hotmail Live.com | outlook.office365.com |
| Outlook | imap-mail.outlook.com |
| MSN | imap-mail.outlook.com |
| AOL | imap.aol.com |
| iCloud | imap.mail.me.com |
| Gmail | imap.gmail.com |
Note : For transfers from Gmail, you need to check that IMAP is turned on, as explained in Google’s article Check Gmail through other email platforms.
- To populate the interface, click on the Source tab:
- Enter the source IMAP Host/server name.
- Enter the source Email address.
- Enter the Password to access your email messages.
- Enable SSL Encryption. This should be done systematically when the mail provider requires it.
- Click on the Next button.
Step 2: Set the Destination Server Settings
- Click on the Destination tab:
- Enter the destination Host/server name at PlanetHoster.
- In the Email address field, enter the email account of your World or HybridCloud hosting (ACCOUNT@DOMAIN).
- Provide the Password of the destination mailbox.
- Enable SSL Encryption. This should be done systematically when the mail provider requires it.
- Click on the Next button.
Forgotten Destination Host/Server Name
If needed, the PlanetHoster host/server name can be accessed by opening the Account Management interface and clicking on the Login icon against the domain (how).
Simply copy the host/server name, as displayed under sFTP / SSH Access:
Since it is placed in the clipboard, it can then be pasted into the Host/server name field of the Destination tab.
Forgotten Password to the Destination Mailbox
The password of the destination mailbox is not displayed anywhere. If you have forgotten it, you can change it from the “Email Accounts” page of the N0C panel, as explained in the paragraph “How to Change the Password of an Email Account” in the article on Messaging Management.
Once the password has been copied and saved in the clipboard, simply place it in the Password field of the Destination tab.
Step 3: Confirm the Launch of the Migration
- Click on the Finalization tab:
- Start copying your email messages by clicking the Start the copy! button.
Confirm the Execution of the Copy
- Make sure the following interface is displayed during copying:
- If you want to start another copy immediately, click on the Transfer another one button and repeat the operation as explained above.
Note : You can close the interface at any time without danger of interrupting the copy, which will be processed as soon as it is your turn. A very large copy can even take several hours.
When the copy is successful, a message is displayed to confirm it. However, sometimes errors occur. We will explain in the next paragraph how to correct them.
Error Correction
After clicking the Start the copy! button, if you see the “Invalid Destination” message, you need to verify that the Host/server name and/or Email address in the Destination are actually registered to PlanetHoster.
The following message is sometimes displayed: “Error during the transfer for [source email address] to [destination email address at PlanetHoster].” Immediately below it, a full error log is displayed:
Typically, the most significant error occurs when the email address or password is incorrect.
However, other errors may occur. To help you find them, look for the word “Err” in the report (usually at the end). For example, “Err 1/2” means “Error 1 of 2”. The following table is intended to help you interpret each error in the report and know what corrective actions to take so that the email copy is successful.
| Error | Corrective Action |
| Invalid argument. Invalid credentials (Failure). Network is unreachable. Connection timed out. | Validate the Host/server name of the Source. |
| Plaintext authentication disallowed on non-secure (SSL/TLS) connections. | Validate the Host/server name and enable Source SSL Encryption and/or enable Destination SSL Encryption. |
| Command received in Invalid state. | Validate the Email address and/or activate the Source SSL Encryption. |
| Error login on [server hostname] with user [source email address] auth [LOGIN]: 2 NO LOGIN failed. | Validate the Email address and/or make sure the password contains only alpha-numeric characters in the Source. |
| Authentication failed. | Validate the Email address and/or make sure the password contains only alpha-numeric characters in the Destination. |
Note : In case an error occurs even if all corrective actions have been taken, try disabling SSL encryption.
Note : You may see other errors. You can contact the technical support if you need to. It would also be appreciated if you would notify us, so that we can improve this article by explaining the required corrective actions.