I am using and have been using "Postbox", a desktop email client, to send and receive all my emails through my Live account on "Outlook.com" using IMAP. Everything has worked perfectly between "Postbox" and "Outlook.com" for several years and I haven't changed anything on my end. About two weeks ago, I started having problems. Now, when I put a single name or a group list into the Bcc field on my "Postbox" desktop email client and send that email through my outgoing SMTP server at "Outlook.com", the email goes through "Outlook.com" and "Outlook.com" moves all the names from the Bcc field to the TO field. I am assuming this has something to do with the new changes associated with the updated "Outlook.com/Outlook Mail" web mail process. Notes: When I do the same thing using "Gmail" for my outgoing SMTP server, my names stay in the Bcc field as they should. My Outlook.com web page now shows Outlook Mail in the top left corner. I am using imap-mail.outlook.com Port 993 and smtp-mail.outlook.com Port 587 for my servers. I tried switching to imap-mail.live.com and smtp-mail.live.com as one MS web site suggested regarding the new changes to Outlook Mail but those new setting would not connect. I tried using Mozilla Thunderbird instead of Postbox as my desktop email client and the same problem occurred in that the name in my outgoing Bcc field was put into the To field after the email was processed through Outlook.com. Based on all of the above, I believe the problem has something to do with the way the new Outlook Mail is trying to process names from the Bcc field in emails sent from my desktop email clients. I hope someone from MS can look into this problem and get back to us.

Hi Laurel, That's interesting; I've just tried a similar test and it still doesn't work for me. I can see that you 'acquired' the bug several months before I did (when your account was 'upgraded') so I guess that I may have similarly have to wait whilst they roll the correction out to all of their servers in order to implement it worldwide (but let's hope that that does not take several months). On the main trust of your post though (your very sage advice to Microsoft about how best to use this site and those who contribute to it), I agree with you 100%; in fact, this site has requested me to complete a couple of surveys recently and I said pretty well much exactly the same as you when completing them. However, I think that your idea of saying it publically (as a post on the site rather than as part of a private survey) is much better. Thank you for that. Best regards John

Hi Laurel, I believe I found the bcc security problem essentially resolved for my hotmail.com account using clients Mac Mail, Thunderbird and for Mail on an iPad. (my email account is hotmail.com, and about 15 years old) Firstly, I hasten to add that my tests were not rigorous and I'll do another test before sending my next bcc mailing. However I found When address are only put in the bcc line, the messages were received without seeing the other addresses. -BUT If an address is put in the To line, then the bcc's are not received and the message goes only to the To: address. Caution to others however, as I found a hotmail.co.uk address performed differently in the past - no time at present to test that too. Ken

In respect of Ken's (Heron100447's) response above (and to clarify my post), it is my Hotmail.co.uk address which still isn't working as it should (can't speak for other Microsoft domains). Best regards John

Hi Sean I have just come across this thread with the BCC problem. I have been battling with not having this facility since I was upgraded from the Hotmail to Outlook system in July. Like others my business requires this field bu I have had to find other ways around it up to now as I am travelling all the time. I tried the IMAP server connections but cannot work with this so went back to POP which is what I have been using for many years with no problems, as I prefer to be able to write things offline on my desktop using my Outlook and then go online when it suits and send and receive. Can you advise if the problem has been fixed for POP too as I am still unable to use the BCC field. Thank you.

Outlook.com Moving Addresses From Bcc Field to the TO Field When Email is Sent via Desktop Email Client

Anonymous

I am using and have been using "Postbox", a desktop email client, to send and receive all my emails through my Live account on "Outlook.com" using IMAP. Everything has worked perfectly between "Postbox" and "Outlook.com" for several years and I haven't changed anything on my end. About two weeks ago, I started having problems. Now, when I put a single name or a group list into the Bcc field on my "Postbox" desktop email client and send that email through my outgoing SMTP server at "Outlook.com", the email goes through "Outlook.com" and "Outlook.com" moves all the names from the Bcc field to the TO field. I am assuming this has something to do with the new changes associated with the updated "Outlook.com/Outlook Mail" web mail process.

Notes:

When I do the same thing using "Gmail" for my outgoing SMTP server, my names stay in the Bcc field as they should.
My Outlook.com web page now shows Outlook Mail in the top left corner.
I am using imap-mail.outlook.com Port 993 and smtp-mail.outlook.com Port 587 for my servers. I tried switching to imap-mail.live.com and smtp-mail.live.com as one MS web site suggested regarding the new changes to Outlook Mail but those new setting would not connect.
I tried using Mozilla Thunderbird instead of Postbox as my desktop email client and the same problem occurred in that the name in my outgoing Bcc field was put into the To field after the email was processed through Outlook.com.
Based on all of the above, I believe the problem has something to do with the way the new Outlook Mail is trying to process names from the Bcc field in emails sent from my desktop email clients.

I hope someone from MS can look into this problem and get back to us.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

Thank you for the thorough feedback Laurel. The post-mortem investigation (as we call it) into the support escalation is underway.

Glad that the fix has reached you. For John and everyone else, the fix has reached about 75% of servers now. There will be a long tail of stragglers but we are working to reach 100% by the end of next week.

Regards,

Sean

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50 additional answers

Anonymous

2016-10-27T08:22:06+00:00

Hi Laurel,

That's interesting; I've just tried a similar test and it still doesn't work for me. I can see that you 'acquired' the bug several months before I did (when your account was 'upgraded') so I guess that I may have similarly have to wait whilst they roll the correction out to all of their servers in order to implement it worldwide (but let's hope that that does not take several months).

On the main trust of your post though (your very sage advice to Microsoft about how best to use this site and those who contribute to it), I agree with you 100%; in fact, this site has requested me to complete a couple of surveys recently and I said pretty well much exactly the same as you when completing them. However, I think that your idea of saying it publically (as a post on the site rather than as part of a private survey) is much better. Thank you for that.

Best regards

John
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Anonymous

2016-10-27T09:37:54+00:00
Hi Laurel,

I believe I found the bcc security problem essentially resolved for my hotmail.com account using clients Mac Mail, Thunderbird and for Mail on an iPad. (my email account is hotmail.com, and about 15 years old)

Firstly, I hasten to add that my tests were not rigorous and I'll do another test before sending my next bcc mailing.

However I found
- When address are only put in the bcc line, the messages were received without seeing the other addresses.
-BUT If an address is put in the To line, then the bcc's are not received and the message goes only to the To: address.

Caution to others however, as I found a hotmail.co.uk address performed differently in the past - no time at present to test that too.

Ken
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Anonymous

2016-10-27T15:52:21+00:00

In respect of Ken's (Heron100447's) response above (and to clarify my post), it is my Hotmail.co.uk address which still isn't working as it should (can't speak for other Microsoft domains).

Best regards

John
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Anonymous

2016-10-30T08:44:54+00:00

Hi Sean

I have just come across this thread with the BCC problem. I have been battling with not having this facility since I was upgraded from the Hotmail to Outlook system in July. Like others my business requires this field bu I have had to find other ways around it up to now as I am travelling all the time.

I tried the IMAP server connections but cannot work with this so went back to POP which is what I have been using for many years with no problems, as I prefer to be able to write things offline on my desktop using my Outlook and then go online when it suits and send and receive.

Can you advise if the problem has been fixed for POP too as I am still unable to use the BCC field.

Thank you.
Was this answer helpful?

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