[ALREADYEXISTS]

​Error

[ALREADYEXISTS]

Cause

This error indicates that your IMAP server is not RFC-compliant and gets confused about folder names because of "silent" renaming. It can also mean that a user disabled IMAP access to a folder at the Destination. This error message can come with different error messages ("mailbox" in IMAP terminology actually means "folder"):

• "Duplicate folder name"
• "Folder name conflicts with existing folder name"
• "Mailbox exists"

Here are a few cases illustrating the problem.

Case 1

1. The Source has two folders, F1 and F2, with similar names (for example, foo-bar and foobar).
2. We create folder F1 at the Destination (foo-bar).
3. The Destination creates F1 slightly differently (for example, special characters are replaced, so foo-bar gets created as foobar).
4. We create folder F2 at the Destination (foobar).
5. This conflicts with F1, which was created as foobar (even though it was foo-bar), and the Destination says the "mailbox already exists".

Case 2

1. The Source has a folder F1 (foo-bar).
2. We create a folder F1 at the Destination (foo-bar).
3. The Destination creates F1 slightly differently (for example, special characters are replaced, so foo-bar gets created as foobar).
4. Later, you perform a Delta Migration pass.
5. We find that folder F1 is not presented at the Destination (there is no foo-bar, only foobar).
6. We try to create folder F1 again, and the Destination says the "mailbox already exists".

Case 3

1. The Source has a folder F1 (for example, blah).
2. We create a folder F1 at the Destination (for example, blah).
3. The user disables IMAP access at the Destination.
4. Later, you perform a Delta Migration pass.
5. We find that folder F1 is not presented at the Destination (there is no blah).
6. We try to create folder F1 again, and the Destination says the "mailbox already exists".

Resolution

We recommend the following.

1. Check if the folder has a double space in its path (a Google IMAP bug will cause an error to be returned for this type of folder).
2. Review if there are two Source folders with similar names.
3. Check if the offending folder has special characters.
4. Review if the Destination folder is an altered version of the Source folder (for example, special characters replaced).
5. Check if the folder has been disabled for IMAP access at the Destination.
6. Rename folders at the Source to avoid special characters, double spaces, and conflicts.