Firstly, sorry for the length of this post and the number of questions!

I have read a number of threads about multiple mailboxes and how to merge, demerge etc. I don't have the menu options for merging mail into one folder and I don't have a full understanding of what is happening on my device.

So, for a newbie to Blackberry, can someone give me the lowdown?

Here is my setup:

I have a 9300 with t-mobile UK. I have a Blackberry plan but it's not clear whether it allows BES or only BIS.

I run Small Business Server and downloaded and installed BES Express. The admin app shows 150+ emails sent, so it must be doing something, but I'm not sure they are reaching the device.

I synched the device with my laptop to get all contacts and calendar info across.

At some point in all this, I got an extra messages inbox appear on the device (called Desktop). It has a complete copy of my Outlook inbox. Currently it is not updating with new email.

I also tried setting up a BIS mailbox. I wasn't sure if BES was working and how the Desktop mailbox got created. With it not updating, and not being sure if mail had come via the synch using Desktop Software, I wanted to get wireless updates. So I set up a POP BIS connection. Fine, but everything on my laptop became marked as read even if it hadn't been read on the device, because POP had pulled a copy and marked it.
So I killed that and set up an OWA account instead. This is working just fine. All new mail comes to the device, and if I reply, that goes to my Outlook sent items. If I delete items they move to Deleted in Outlook. That's all great.

What I don't understand is:
What the Desktop folder that is no longer updating, belongs to - how does it get created? Why doesn't it update?

Whether I can hide the icon for the Desktop mailbox (I've read you can on some devices but I can't see it on my 9300).

I would like to use BES obviously, but if it worked and isn't any more I don't know why.
If it isn't going to work and if Desktop is actually the BES inbox then two questions: why would it have stopped, and how do I hide the icon on a 9300.

Thanks for anyone who is prepared to wade through this and explain how it all works!

Desktop is the BES mailbox.
Why its not updating, I'm not sure, I have no understanding of how BES works.

You must highlight the desktop icon menu - hide
If Show All in that menu is ticked, it will still show it, you would then need to go menu - show all to untick and therefore hide all hidden icons.

Brilliant! Wasn't that easy? Thank you for that. At least it clears the icons up a little.

Now, just need to understand the rest of it...

I have been through the Web Desktop Manager and the Web Admin manager and checked everything. I think there was a reconciliation switched offf somehow and I am now getting messages in the Desktop inbox.
However I can't send from that inbox, and delting items doesn't seem to replicate back to Outlook (or rather, to the Exchange mailbox).
I found an article that says I need to change permissions for BB users to send as Besadmin, so I've done that and am waiting to see if that fixes the send problem (and maybe the delete problem).

If that works I guess my questions will have been answered. If not, on with the search for info and solutions