IMAP Backup Tool Frequently Asked Questions

No. Prism operates on a completely standalone 64-bit binary engine. It creates native Microsoft Outlook Unicode PST files directly on disk without requiring Outlook to be installed, running, or configured with Outlook profiles.

You do not need to restart from scratch. Prism features an embedded SQLite ACID checkpoint database that records every processed message UID in real time. When your connection restores, click 'Resume Migration' in the Step 1 Resume Center. The engine queries the local checkpoint table and resumes downloading from the exact message where it stopped, saving bandwidth and preventing duplicate files.

For accounts protected with 2-Factor Authentication like Yahoo Mail, Zoho, or Gmail, you must generate a dedicated 16-character App Password in your account security settings. Under Step 1, select your provider preset (Yahoo, Zoho, Gmail). Prism built-in ImapAuthHelper automatically connects over Port 993 SSL and sanitizes any spaces or hyphens accidentally copied, establishing an immediate authenticated TLS pipeline without socket drops.

Yes. In Step 1, select 'Enterprise CSV Batch'. Upload a standard CSV file with columns formatted as host, port, ssl, email, and password. The engine validates each connection, populates the batch queue, and processes mailboxes concurrently across isolated worker threads.

Port 993 is the standard IANA port for implicit IMAP over SSL/TLS, where encryption is negotiated immediately upon TCP socket connection. Port 143 is the traditional IMAP port that connects in plain text and then upgrades to secure encryption using the STARTTLS command. Prism supports both modes, as well as custom web host ports like 2096.

Yes. When exporting to PDF, you can configure sequential Bates numbering (such as CORP-CASE-000100), adjust header and footer positioning, and embed email attachments inside the PDF output.

Yes. Under Step 4 (Cloud Migrations), select 'Office 365' or 'Gmail'. Prism authenticates directly with Microsoft Graph API or Google OAuth 2.0 PKCE, streaming email messages directly from your source IMAP host into cloud mailboxes without writing intermediate files to workstation storage.

Prism includes a cryptographic deduplication engine. Under Step 3 (Deduplication), choose the fields to compare: Subject, Sender, Recipients, Sent Date, Message Body, Message-ID Header, or Attachment Names. You can also select pre-built presets ('Strict', 'Metadata', 'Content Only') to eliminate duplicated emails generated by aborted syncs.

No. Prism reads mail using RFC 3501 FETCH and UID commands. It never sends EXPUNGE, STORE \Deleted, or DROP commands to your remote mail server. Your mailbox on the server is not changed by the backup.

There are no software-enforced file size limits. Prism processes large mailboxes using chunked streaming buffers. When exporting to PST, you can enable adaptive PST splitting (2 GB to 50 GB) to ensure target data files comply with Outlook file size thresholds and prevent B-Tree fragmentation.

The free demo version has no expiration date and lets you explore full mailbox hierarchies, test server connections, and preview messages. It exports up to 50 items per folder so you can verify conversion fidelity, attachment preservation, and formatting before purchasing a license.

Yes. Prism provides native binaries compiled for macOS Sequoia, Sonoma, and Ventura on Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, and M4 chips) as well as 64-bit Windows 11, 10, and Windows Server.

Following successful payment, your digital license key is delivered to your billing email address. If you need your key resent or require assistance with activation, you can contact our team anytime via our Contact Support page.

We provide free evaluation versions for all tools so you can test compatibility and conversion fidelity on your own data before buying. If you encounter a verified technical limitation or defect that our engineering support team cannot resolve, purchases are covered under the terms detailed on our Refund Policy page.