E-mail sign-on

[Dendad]

Your Comcast email account is a POP account. Yahoo, Gmail, and most other modern services use either IMAP or Exchange servers that are far more flexible and powerful.

The nature of a POP account is to store your email until you download. At that point it will either delete the email or leave it; depending on the settings of the device you are using. If you've been leaving your email (the iPad's default settings) and something happens to the iPad to lose track of what emails are new/old, it will download them all again.

POP is a pain if you access your email from more than one device, because it does not sync back up to the server. You can never be sure to get the same emails on all devices, and when you do, you end up having to delete them individually off each device.

IMAP and Exchange make all change on the server, and sync those changes to each device that accesses the account. They are much better choices for primary email accounts in the modern multi-device world.

I strongly recommend using this type of account as your primary one and migrating off your Comcast account. If for no other reason than that if you ever change internet providers you are going to lose that email account. At that point any accounts or services using that account to contact you wont' be able to do so. This would include accounts that use that email to verify things like password changes or other important notifications.


The only suggestion I have as to deleting the old emails is to go to the webmail site for your Comcast account and delete them there. If you then delete and re-add the Comcast account on your iPad and iPhone the old emails should be gone. Otherwise you'll have to delete them one by one.

You should also dig into the settings for your Comcast account and turn on delete after download on at least one device or computer; then make sure you use that device/computer to access your email ever now and then. This should be the last device/computer you use each day, to give all the others a chance to download the emails before they are gone from the server.

And yes, they should be deleted from the server. Most POP servers have limited storage space. Eventually the account will fill up and stop working until you delete emails. Though that could be a long eventually, depending on the space available and how much email you get. Also, deleting the email off the server periodically will keep the old email thing from happening on your iOS devices again, or at least keep it from being quite so bad.

Good luck.

I can't thank you enough! You are a genius! I've hated Comcast for years, because of all the problems it caused me, but, to me, it was more user friendly that the others, so I just put up with it. All this was a blessing in disguise. I'm getting rid of Comcast this week and it will make my life much easier. Thank you soooooo much for taking the time to write such detailed information. If I could send you flowers or candy, I would.

 

[Dendad]

Hi Dendad.......I have found your earlier thread on your issue and have merged your new post to this thread. Just best to keep all info on the 1 topic/issue to the 1 thread in keeping with our Rules. Please post any further info on this topic to this thread only.

I kinda figured I was going to get my hands slapped for posting twice, but it was worth the risk. I couldn't figure any other way to get an answer to my problem. I got what I needed to make me a happy camper. I'm starting a new job this week and e-mail plays a big part of my responsibilities. I apologize for not following the rules and will never do it again...unless I'm desperate like I was this time.

 

[leelai]

I kinda figured I was going to get my hands slapped for posting twice, but it was worth the risk. I couldn't figure any other way to get an answer to my problem. I got what I needed to make me a happy camper. I'm starting a new job this week and e-mail plays a big part of my responsibilities. I apologize for not following the rules and will never do it again...unless I'm desperate like I was this time.

Well let's hope you're not desperate again!

We are a world wide Forum, many of us work for a living, have our own hectic lives and so forth, so it's normally just a matter of time until someone who wants to help, does come on the Forum to do just that. I understand your sense of urgency, but posting again really doesn't up your chances of getting an answer faster.....the best thing you can do is to post in the right area.....which you did.....twice.

Good luck with your new job.....so glad you are now prepared!!

 

[Dendad]

Your Comcast email account is a POP account. Yahoo, Gmail, and most other modern services use either IMAP or Exchange servers that are far more flexible and powerful.

The nature of a POP account is to store your email until you download. At that point it will either delete the email or leave it; depending on the settings of the device you are using. If you've been leaving your email (the iPad's default settings) and something happens to the iPad to lose track of what emails are new/old, it will download them all again.

POP is a pain if you access your email from more than one device, because it does not sync back up to the server. You can never be sure to get the same emails on all devices, and when you do, you end up having to delete them individually off each device.

IMAP and Exchange make all change on the server, and sync those changes to each device that accesses the account. They are much better choices for primary email accounts in the modern multi-device world.

I strongly recommend using this type of account as your primary one and migrating off your Comcast account. If for no other reason than that if you ever change internet providers you are going to lose that email account. At that point any accounts or services using that account to contact you wont' be able to do so. This would include accounts that use that email to verify things like password changes or other important notifications.


The only suggestion I have as to deleting the old emails is to go to the webmail site for your Comcast account and delete them there. If you then delete and re-add the Comcast account on your iPad and iPhone the old emails should be gone. Otherwise you'll have to delete them one by one.

You should also dig into the settings for your Comcast account and turn on delete after download on at least one device or computer; then make sure you use that device/computer to access your email ever now and then. This should be the last device/computer you use each day, to give all the others a chance to download the emails before they are gone from the server.

And yes, they should be deleted from the server. Most POP servers have limited storage space. Eventually the account will fill up and stop working until you delete emails. Though that could be a long eventually, depending on the space available and how much email you get. Also, deleting the email off the server periodically will keep the old email thing from happening on your iOS devices again, or at least keep it from being quite so bad.

Good luck.

I really hate to bother you again, but I still have a couple issues with my Comcast e-mail. I'm going to eventually get rid of Comcast, but until I have a new service, I need to use it for some important work-related tasks. For some reason, the e-mails I deleted long ago cleared on my iPad, but they are still on my iPhone. Plus, in "Settings", Comcast only shows e-mail. No Contacts, Calendars, Reminders. This is on both my iPhone and iPad. In my actual e-mail for Comcast, I only have an inbox and trash. None of my many folders are there, no drafts, no sent folder. There's also no syncing when I open e-mails on my iMac. They stay closed on both my iPhone and iPad. I have gone into Settings at least 10 times and completely deleted my Comcast account and re-entered everything. No luck. I'm hoping you can tell me how to fix this, for I'm at my wit's end. Thanks.

 

[twerppoet]

I have no idea if Comcast supports calendar or contacts syncing. If they do you'll probably have to set them up separately as CalDAV and CardDAV accounts. This type of syncing has nothing to do with the actual email account, but is rather something Apple bundles into some of the more common/popular accounts so that you don't' have to do each thing individually. A quick look at Comcast's support suggests this is not possible, but you may find something I dont', especially if you send them a support questions.

There are a number of XFINITY apps in the App Store. I didn't see any that would access your calendar or contacts, but I did not dig in very deep. If you're account is XFINITY compatible take a look and see if there is anything there to make your life easier.

You can also try connecting to your Comcast account in Safari. There is a fair chance they have a mobile version of your webmail and contacts, and that the site will automatically detect and use it when you access using the iPad and/or iPhone. If it does you can use the Save To Home Screen option under the icon with the box/up-arrow. This will place an icon on your Homes creen that you can use just like an app; though it's just a shortcut to opening it in Safari.

For the iPhone's extra emails the delete and re-add scenario is all I can thing of. Make absolutely sure those emails are deleted on the webmail site first. Even from the deleted/trash folder. Otherwise, you are stuck with deleting them all manually on the iPhone.

This is all I can guess/offer. I don't have a Comcast account so my ability to test any of these solutions is nil.

Good luck.

 

[Dendad]

I have no idea if Comcast supports calendar or contacts syncing. If they do you'll probably have to set them up separately as CalDAV and CardDAV accounts. This type of syncing has nothing to do with the actual email account, but is rather something Apple bundles into some of the more common/popular accounts so that you don't' have to do each thing individually. A quick look at Comcast's support suggests this is not possible, but you may find something I dont', especially if you send them a support questions.

There are a number of XFINITY apps in the App Store. I didn't see any that would access your calendar or contacts, but I did not dig in very deep. If you're account is XFINITY compatible take a look and see if there is anything there to make your life easier.

You can also try connecting to your Comcast account in Safari. There is a fair chance they have a mobile version of your webmail and contacts, and that the site will automatically detect and use it when you access using the iPad and/or iPhone. If it does you can use the Save To Home Screen option under the icon with the box/up-arrow. This will place an icon on your Homes creen that you can use just like an app; though it's just a shortcut to opening it in Safari.

For the iPhone's extra emails the delete and re-add scenario is all I can thing of. Make absolutely sure those emails are deleted on the webmail site first. Even from the deleted/trash folder. Otherwise, you are stuck with deleting them all manually on the iPhone.

This is all I can guess/offer. I don't have a Comcast account so my ability to test any of these solutions is nil.

Good luck.

Thanks again for your great help. I confess all this has left me numb. Just so you know, my Comcast e-mails appeared in Settings just like my Yahoo and Gmail before all the trouble. Chances are, it was something I did. I have followed your instructions for getting rid of my deleted e-mails several times, with no luck. I guess I'll do it manually. It'll be good therapy. Hello G-Mail, Goodbye Comcast. Thanks again. You're my hero.

 

[twerppoet]

No problem.

I'm sorry your Comcast account is acting up. No more ideas how to fix it. If you have not done so I'd give Comcast's support at least one try. After all, it's part of what you are paying them for.

By the way, I just started using Comcast this month, but all I got is the internet access. I'm ignoring everything else.

Edit: Scratch that. I have Charter. I'm just having a bad brain day.

 

[Dendad]

No problem.

I'm sorry your Comcast account is acting up. No more ideas how to fix it. If you have not done so I'd give Comcast's support at least one try. After all, it's part of what you are paying them for.

By the way, I just started using Comcast this month, but all I got is the internet access. I'm ignoring everything else.

Edit: Scratch that. I have Charter. I'm just having a bad brain day.

I hear what you're saying, but since I spent at least three hours on the phone with Comcast support on Saturday, which ruined my weekend, I think I'll wait till I cool off before I contact them again. I just sent out e-mails to my friends and relatives with my new g-mail account address. I feel a great amount of relief already. Whew!

 

[twerppoet]

Cool. If you dig into Gmail's settings (on the website) you can have Gmail go to your Comcast account and download your Comcast emails. That way you won't miss any while your switching over.

If you cant find it just search for "Gmail Settings" and you should find Google's support pages quickly enough.

 

[Dendad]

Cool. If you dig into Gmail's settings (on the website) you can have Gmail go to your Comcast account and download your Comcast emails. That way you won't miss any while your switching over.

If you cant find it just search for "Gmail Settings" and you should find Google's support pages quickly enough.

Thanks for the tip. As usual, you made my day. I was worried about that. You are now my new best friend.

 

[twerppoet]

You'er welcome.