Help IMAP email being marked as Read before it is Read.

[TyRouteTutor]

Hi,

I am trying to assist a business user with an email issue. He uses an iMac, an iPad and a Samsung Galaxy SIII. He is using KOS email service (localish) on IMAP on all 3 devices. The mail shows as new on Samsung SIII for approx 5-10 minutes then it marks itself as read.

Originally I had discovered that the iMac had the same email coming in through a POP server. You could observe that the email came in to the iMac and then fairly promptly would be marked as read on the SIII and then later the iPad. The discrepancy in the server lead me to think changing the iMac to a an IMAP rather than a POP could be a fix, as it would add continuity. After making the change at first glance it appeared to fix the issue as with all three devices on IMAP they synced within seconds of each other to reflect if an email had been marked as read on any of the three device the other two would change promptly. If you then remarked that same email as new it would update promptly on the other two devices to show as new also. It made sense that this was fixed and was tested on all devices in the same manner.

However, my client was away from work for the weekend, checked no email and when he came in on Monday email on all three devices were marked as read even though they had never been viewed from any device.

Now, one could say that it is KOS, the email provider, or even possibly Apple's doing. However, the company has many employees all on KOS with the same back end set up by that provider and only this user is having this issue. What makes this user different from the pack? He is the only user on a Samsung SIII, everyone else chose to go with iPhone and are not experiencing this issue. (This also may seem weird, but this user is also the ONLY user to use an iMac computer, all others use PC.) So we have the only Samsung SIII user at the business and the only Apple computer user also.

If anyone has any ideas I and my customer would be greatly appreciative. I know the message has to be coming from somewhere to change the mail from new to read, but where?

Thanks!
@TyRouteTutor

 

[Rukbat]

Turn off the iMac. Turn off the SIII. (I know, but fixing things can sometimes hurt.) If it works for 48 hours (it should), turn on the iMac. See if that causes any problems in 48 hours. If not, turn off the iMac and trn on the SIII.

One of them is going to cause the problem. Then it'll be up to KOS or you to figure it out. (Change the email client on the one causing the problem and see if it's the client.)

 

[svensett]

I agree with Rukbat. Turn off each device, one at a time, for a period of time and see if you can isolate which one is causing the issue. My guess would be a setting in the email client of the Mac telling the server to mark messages read when they are downloaded to the email client. Was the Mac left running and actively receiving emails over the weekend or was it shut off?

 

[TyRouteTutor]

I agree with Rukbat. Turn off each device, one at a time, for a period of time and see if you can isolate which one is causing the issue. My guess would be a setting in the email client of the Mac telling the server to mark messages read when they are downloaded to the email client. Was the Mac left running and actively receiving emails over the weekend or was it shut off?

I think that is a great idea! Wish I thought of it myself! Im not sure if the computer was left on over the weekend but will look into that also.

Thanks so much!