Here is my solution to avoding the problem altogether. My ISP is comcast. I have two addresses, gmail and comcast. I use gmail as my working address. When I recieve email at gmail that I need to preserve, I forward it to comcast. Once a week I bring them down from comcast to Thunderbird.
Posted by: Gene Thomas at July 18, 2009 2:53 PM
Leo,
There is a program called MailStore (has a freeware version). I use it to backup Outlook Express. Very handy. I see it does POP3. Would that let one at least KEEP all of the old e-mails when changing provider?
Posted by: John at July 19, 2009 5:10 PM
I use MailStore to back up GMail. Gmail offers IMAP (as well as POP3), so folders are preserved. It's very easy to find and read messages in MailStore.
Posted by: Philip Spohn at July 19, 2009 5:19 PM
I notice a lot of general questions about email providers such as gmail, hotmail, etc... Each time, the discussion invariably leads to issues like this one or the questionable reliability of free email services. In my business, I've run across many new clients with similar issues and most times they are unaware or have forgotten that they have email services available via their ISP. Especially if they're using a broadband (high speed) ISP and today most are. They've just gotten used to using whatever email provider they had when they were still using dial-up service to access the internet.
I always suggest they use their ISP's email service. It supports POP3 access and most also have a web interface for when you're traveling. After all, they're already paying for it.
Posted by: kptech at July 20, 2009 11:01 AM
Microsoft provides a free Hotmail/Outlook connector, and they also provide a free email client in Windows Live Mail. Both allow the synchronizing of email folders, contancts, and calendars to the local PC. And you still have HTTP access from any internet connected pc on the planet.
Posted by: Shawn at July 21, 2009 1:13 PM
IMAP does this. I don't know of any mail providers out there that don't offer IMAP.
Contacts export to CSV from almost all servers. Problem solved.
Sadly there is little, very little, consistency in how contacts are exported to CSV and how all they additional and optional fields are treated. Problem definitely not solved - just replaced with another problem and confusion. (I've tried, and given up, on this approach several times.)
- Leo 22-Jul-2009
Posted by: Joe Bob at July 21, 2009 1:27 PM
In Gmail you can export your contacts as CSV. Not sure if other providers offer the same thing..?? Then you could import into outlook.
Posted by: Timmy at July 21, 2009 5:13 PM
As Leo says, provided the old account supports a desk-top program, that program can be used to transfer messages easily from one account to another. I use Outlook Express to move messages from a little used account to Hotmail from time to time: I simply select all of the messages in that account's inbox and drag them into Hotmail's inbox.
However, if these messages simply need archiving "just in case" then like John I would download them and then use a back-up program. I use Genie Backup with Outlook Express and archive the mesages on to a CD or DVD every year. They should then be safe from a failure of the account provider or of the computer hard drive.
Posted by: Bernard Winchester at July 22, 2009 2:02 AM
I use Eudora and download messages from Comcast and gmail. I get all the messages from gmail from all the folders as well as the inbox. I have the 'leave mail on server' option checked so that I am able to download to more than one PC, laptop, etc.
Posted by: George Jensen at July 22, 2009 11:26 AM
Solution to moving all old mail to Gmail:
Install email client.
Download all old email via POP3 or IMAP.
Configure Gmail account with mail client. [IMAP]
Create new folder in Gmail named Old Mails.
Copy old downloaded emails to Old Mails.
Synch ..
.
Voila - your old email is on Gmail servers ..
you may not kiss me for helping out ..
.
I used this method with the Windows Live Mail client. Worked like a charm
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Here is my solution to avoding the problem altogether. My ISP is comcast. I have two addresses, gmail and comcast. I use gmail as my working address. When I recieve email at gmail that I need to preserve, I forward it to comcast. Once a week I bring them down from comcast to Thunderbird.
Posted by: Gene Thomas at July 18, 2009 2:53 PMLeo,
Posted by: John at July 19, 2009 5:10 PMThere is a program called MailStore (has a freeware version). I use it to backup Outlook Express. Very handy. I see it does POP3. Would that let one at least KEEP all of the old e-mails when changing provider?
I use MailStore to back up GMail. Gmail offers IMAP (as well as POP3), so folders are preserved. It's very easy to find and read messages in MailStore.
Posted by: Philip Spohn at July 19, 2009 5:19 PMI notice a lot of general questions about email providers such as gmail, hotmail, etc... Each time, the discussion invariably leads to issues like this one or the questionable reliability of free email services. In my business, I've run across many new clients with similar issues and most times they are unaware or have forgotten that they have email services available via their ISP. Especially if they're using a broadband (high speed) ISP and today most are. They've just gotten used to using whatever email provider they had when they were still using dial-up service to access the internet.
I always suggest they use their ISP's email service. It supports POP3 access and most also have a web interface for when you're traveling. After all, they're already paying for it.
Posted by: kptech at July 20, 2009 11:01 AMMicrosoft provides a free Hotmail/Outlook connector, and they also provide a free email client in Windows Live Mail. Both allow the synchronizing of email folders, contancts, and calendars to the local PC. And you still have HTTP access from any internet connected pc on the planet.
Posted by: Shawn at July 21, 2009 1:13 PMIMAP does this. I don't know of any mail providers out there that don't offer IMAP.
Contacts export to CSV from almost all servers. Problem solved.
22-Jul-2009
In Gmail you can export your contacts as CSV. Not sure if other providers offer the same thing..?? Then you could import into outlook.
Posted by: Timmy at July 21, 2009 5:13 PMAs Leo says, provided the old account supports a desk-top program, that program can be used to transfer messages easily from one account to another. I use Outlook Express to move messages from a little used account to Hotmail from time to time: I simply select all of the messages in that account's inbox and drag them into Hotmail's inbox.
However, if these messages simply need archiving "just in case" then like John I would download them and then use a back-up program. I use Genie Backup with Outlook Express and archive the mesages on to a CD or DVD every year. They should then be safe from a failure of the account provider or of the computer hard drive.
Posted by: Bernard Winchester at July 22, 2009 2:02 AMI use Eudora and download messages from Comcast and gmail. I get all the messages from gmail from all the folders as well as the inbox. I have the 'leave mail on server' option checked so that I am able to download to more than one PC, laptop, etc.
Posted by: George Jensen at July 22, 2009 11:26 AMSolution to moving all old mail to Gmail:
Install email client.
Posted by: A G at July 22, 2009 3:38 PMDownload all old email via POP3 or IMAP.
Configure Gmail account with mail client. [IMAP]
Create new folder in Gmail named Old Mails.
Copy old downloaded emails to Old Mails.
Synch ..
.
Voila - your old email is on Gmail servers ..
you may not kiss me for helping out ..
.
I used this method with the Windows Live Mail client. Worked like a charm
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