Using python and imaplib4, how to download an email attachment and move into folder on desktop?

Question

I'm using python and the imaplib4 module to find an email, download its attachment to an output directory. I keep getting the following error (I attached a picture of the error below):

imaplib.IMAP4.error: command FETCH illegal in state NONAUTH, only allowed in states SELECTED

I think the issue is with the outputdir and the forward slash and backslash. Could anyone help to solve? See the code below:

import imaplib
import email
import datetime
# Connect to an IMAP server
def connect(server, user, password):
    m = imaplib.IMAP4_SSL(server)
    print("{0} Connecting to mailbox via IMAP...".format(datetime.datetime.today().strftime("%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S")))
    m.login(user, password)
    m.select()
    return m
# Download all attachment files for a given email
def downloadAttachmentsInEmail(m, emailid, outputdir):
    resp, data = m.fetch(emailid, "(BODY.PEEK[])")
    email_body = data[0][1]
    mail = email.message_from_string(email_body)
    if mail.get_content_maintype() != 'multipart':
        return
    for part in mail.walk():
        if part.get_content_maintype() != 'multipart' and part.get('Content-Disposition') is not None:
            open(outputdir + '/' + part.get_filename(), 'wb').write(part.get_payload(decode=True))
server= 'imap-mail.outlook.com'
user='myname@company.com'
password='thisisapassword'
emailid= 'attachmentemail@gmail.com'
outputdir=r'C:\Users\username\Desktop\imap4_folder'
m = imaplib.IMAP4_SSL(server)
connect(server, user, password)
downloadAttachmentsInEmail(m, emailid, outputdir)

Pic of the error:

Answer 1

Connect creates its own IMAP connection and returns it but you ignore it and pass a non connected IMAP session to downloadAttachmentsInEmail .

You should change your code to:

# m = imaplib.IMAP4_SSL(server)     # useless
m = connect(server, user, password)
downloadAttachmentsInEmail(m, emailid, outputdir)