todd1010

Q: How to backup Apple Mail?

I'm helping a friend because he's transferring his company email domain to another company and he wants to backup all of his Apple Mail before hand.

 

Ideas?

iPad 2, iOS 5.0.1

Posted on Jan 14, 2012 3:10 PM

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Q: How to backup Apple Mail?

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  • by Mike Floutier,

    Mike Floutier Mike Floutier Jun 25, 2013 1:13 AM in response to todd1010
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 25, 2013 1:13 AM in response to todd1010

    I've just switched from PC to MAC and am on the learning curve. Like the op, I'm looking to backup my mail messages.

     

    On the PC I just copied the Windows Mail file to my backup location; it took a fraction of a second.

     

    At the moment I'm waiting for my Mini to finish exporting the same mails; I understand this may take 30 mins or so, I thought I had a problem, didn't realise this was normal with Export Mailboxes.

     

    Surely there must be an easier way for such a routine operation.

     

    Please help us !

     

    Kind regards, Mike.

  • by Erangal,

    Erangal Erangal Jul 2, 2015 12:28 AM in response to gausina
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 2, 2015 12:28 AM in response to gausina

    gausina wrote:

     

    Last week I had my IMAP server full. I used the export mailbox function on smart mailboxes and it was working perfectly. I could create one archive file per year, then delete the files from imap server and re-import the mbox files to keep a local access of my old messages within mail. Really convenient and quick way to archive your mails with all the filtering possibilities of smart boxes.

    Thank you!  Great idea.

    In fact, I wanted to save a local copy of my emails to free some space on the IMAP server.

    Taking your idea I created a smart folder for each year and simply copied it to a local folder - NO NEED TO EXPORT.

    This is simple and easy and all is done via the Mail client.

    Then I can delete the messages from the server.

  • by Csound1,

    Csound1 Csound1 Jul 2, 2015 10:12 AM in response to Erangal
    Level 9 (51,151 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 2, 2015 10:12 AM in response to Erangal

    Erangal wrote:

     

    gausina wrote:

     

    Last week I had my IMAP server full. I used the export mailbox function on smart mailboxes and it was working perfectly. I could create one archive file per year, then delete the files from imap server and re-import the mbox files to keep a local access of my old messages within mail. Really convenient and quick way to archive your mails with all the filtering possibilities of smart boxes.

    Thank you!  Great idea.

    In fact, I wanted to save a local copy of my emails to free some space on the IMAP server.

    Taking your idea I created a smart folder for each year and simply copied it to a local folder - NO NEED TO EXPORT.

    This is simple and easy and all is done via the Mail client.

    Then I can delete the messages from the server.

    Check that your exported folders actually contain emails, a smart folder is simply a search, if you delete the originals there may be no email in the exported version.

  • by Erangal,

    Erangal Erangal Jul 5, 2015 6:02 AM in response to Csound1
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jul 5, 2015 6:02 AM in response to Csound1

    Csound1 wrote:

     

    Check that your exported folders actually contain emails, a smart folder is simply a search, if you delete the originals there may be no email in the exported version.

     

    Just to make it clear - the Smart Folder is merely a middle-stage that makes it easier.

    The emails are eventually stored in a local folder.

    And yes - if you just create a smart folder and delete the emails the will be deleted from the smart folder as well.

     

    BTW, when dragging emails from smart folder to local folder this is what happens:

    - the emails are written to local folder

    - the emails are moved to Trash on the server and Mail client

     

    So, no need to delete manually, as long as your Trash folder automatically deletes emails after a while.

  • by Ignacio Joannon,

    Ignacio Joannon Ignacio Joannon Feb 12, 2016 9:40 AM in response to Mike Floutier
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 12, 2016 9:40 AM in response to Mike Floutier

    You can do the same in a MAC. Locate the Mail folder inside the Library folder (usually hidden) and make a copy (if you drag it you move it) in a different location. For 6 GB it took me about 15 min.

  • by Michael Q,

    Michael Q Michael Q Feb 19, 2016 5:05 PM in response to Ignacio Joannon
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Feb 19, 2016 5:05 PM in response to Ignacio Joannon

    Ignacio Joannon wrote:

     

    You can do the same in a MAC. Locate the Mail folder inside the Library folder (usually hidden) and make a copy (if you drag it you move it) in a different location. For 6 GB it took me about 15 min.

     

    I believe you should also grab the mail preference files out of the /user/library/preferences folder.

     

    Look for com.apple.mail.plist and others - I had 4 preference files with mail - I just copied them all.

     

    AND do it with Mail.app closed !!!

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