Mac desktop and laptop not syncing properly

[#1]

I have an iMac and Mac laptop, both on Sonoma, also a Gmail account. Gmail works fine. The Plusnet account works on the laptop but not all the messages appear on the Mac. Any ideas?

Colin  M

[#2]

Sorry, should have added this is with Outlook. Did not have the problem using Thunderbird.

Coli  M

[#3]

Which Outlook?

Are both configured as IMAP?

[#4]

Outlook 16.89.3  Only installed a couple of weeks ago.

Yes, both set up as IMAP. Plusnet seems to be dodgy with IMAP>

[#5]

Plusnet is absolutely fine with IMAP.

However, Outlook for Macs (still not sure which Outlook product you have - there's proper Outlook and chocolate-teapot Outlook) and MacOS are an entirely different matter - have a read here, see if it helps any - Outlook for Mac (Version 16.89.3 )not performing since upgrading - Microsoft Community

[#6]

Many thanks. Will try that. Glad to hear Plusnet is OK with IMAP, maybe it was just the trouble I had setting it up. Anyway I would have hoped I had the kosher Outlook version since I got it from the Apple app store. Will try that link and report.

[#7]

It’s not a matter of being not Kosher.

There are distinctly different products called “Outlook”. There’s proper Outlook which ships with Microsoft 365 subscriptions and the free “new” Outlook (on various platforms) which is not worth bothering with.

[#8]

Still struggling with versions. Did the updates via the link you sent and now have both macs on Outlook 16.90.2, under Office Home and Business 2021, copyright 2024 so one would have hoped they would at least work the same way. Sonoma is 14.6.1 on each. How does one tell if this is the real Outlook?

[#9]

That’s a really good question … which is not easy to explain. I know the difference when I see them!!

I know what the difference looks like on a real PC but have no idea of the MacOS variants.

Looking in the App Store on my iPhone I can see Microsoft 365 which does not mention Outlook and Outlook … which I would suspect is the cut down version … though version 4.2442 seems quite different to your reference.

Can you share details of the server configurations please? Do not disclose your account details.

[#10]

If you mean account details

iMac - imap.plus.net  993    relay.plus.net  465

laptop - the same, both using SSL

All other details are the same on both machines.

[#11]

“Not working” exactly what happens?

Server connection errors or email not appearing to download load / send.

[#12]

I have turned off the focus/other feature so that I can compare the list of messages easily.

On the laptop everything seems to be there and the inbox agrees with my phone (Android, not using Outlook). On the Mac there are no messages after 26/10. This date seems to change a bit being basically about 4-5 days behind where it should be. I'm afraid I sometimes delete messages on one and sometimes on the other so cannot be sure how the contents compare for earlier dates.

[#13]

If they are all configured as IMAP and they are all syncing properly, they should show the same.

"This date seems to change a bit being basically about 4-5 days behind where it should be"

I recall a friend having a similar experience ... turned out that they were displaying in group mode...

• Received TODAY
• Received YESTERDAY
• Received THIS WEEK
• Received THIS MONTH
• ...

They reported not seeing email until the day after it arrived.  Investigation identified that the first group above was not expanded!!

[#14]

Townman, many thanks for all your efforts but I am giving up on this. In my attempts so far to sort it out:

• I have inadvertently upgraded my Mac to Sequoia, while the laptop is too old to do the same
• managed to delete a whole raft of messages from my gmail account, the one that worked fine before and the main one I use
• lose everything on gmail more recent than 15/10, including in the folders I try to keep the important stuff in.

I am now permanently on the gmail webpage so as to keep an eye on things until I calm dow,

But thanks anyway, not your fault

Colin