Please help me get my mail

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Level 2

231 points

Please help me get my mail

Hello all,

We have been out of touch for months - questions have multiplied... This is the first issue with which I need help.

Some background info:

My G4 is finally well and truly dead. (Even though we kept it plugged into a UPS with surge protector while we were away - as suggested by Texas MacMan - and there were no power outages, it's finally refused to power up for good I fear)

Many of you recall that I have been running Tiger from an external HD anyway so all (or rather nothing) is lost.

I am having trouble accessing the already downloaded mail from my ISP webmail -
If I attach the external to my G3 iBook and boot up to the external HD I can access my mail.
If I attach the external to my MacBook Pro, which is also still running Tiger but does NOT get used to download mail from my ISP webmail, I cannot access the mail on the external by opening mail - I go to home or user folder on the external, but can't get mail to show me the mail that I know is there. (I can go to the mail folder on the HD and open individual messages until I find what I'm looking for, but that's a ridiculous undertaking.)

Is this problem happening when I go through the MBP because I am not booted up to the HD and so I am running the OS from the MBP and can't use the external's mail???

When I get a new iMac will I be able to transfer all the mail files/folders from the external HD and be able to use mail again?

BDA - Is it time to consider switching back to Eudora once I get the iMac (and will I be able to put all the past years of mail now in separate folders into Eudora once I do?) I know you're a fan of Eudora - what version do you recommend now? (will it work with SL which I'll have to use on the iMac...

Help, please...
Mrs H

MacBook Pro, Dual 450 G4/Apple Studio Display, iBook G3, Powerbook 170, Mac Plus, Mac OS X (10.4.11), 25+ years Apple user! iPod Classic 160G; 4 LaCie d2 Quadra HDs

Posted on Jan 31, 2011 2:18 PM

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Answer 1

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BDAqua

Level 10

238,961 points

Jan 31, 2011 2:31 PM in response to Mrs H

Hi, longtime no see! 🙂

Is this problem happening when I go through the MBP because I am not booted up to the HD and so I am running the OS from the MBP and can't use the external's mail?

Correct, on the MBP's Mail>File>Import, then choose Mail from OSX, then this whole folder on the G4's drive...

Users/YourUserName/Library/Mail

When I get a new iMac will I be able to transfer all the mail files/folders from the external HD and be able to use mail again?

Yes, as above.

BDA - Is it time to consider switching back to Eudora once I get the iMac (and will I be able to put all the past years of mail now in separate folders into Eudora once I do?) I know you're a fan of Eudora - what version do you recommend now? (will it work with SL which I'll have to use on the iMac...

It doesn't work well in Leopard/10.5, & even less well in SL/10.6 unfortunately, Thunderbird is about the only one besides Mail that does.

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Answer 2

Mrs H Author

Level 2

231 points

Jan 31, 2011 2:36 PM in response to BDAqua

Hi to you BDA,

I can't believe I came back and immediately had to deal with computer issues...

So what are you using for mail now?

If Eudora is a no go, then I'll probably stick with Mail as long as SL will be able to import all my mail once I get the new iMac and get it going.

For now, I don't want to put all the billions of messages onto the MBP which Mr H mostly uses (and I'm the prime mailentity in the household). There is no way to go from the MBP to the mail messages without going through the folders as I have already explained?

Thanks,
Mrs H

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Answer 3

BDAqua

Level 10

238,961 points

Jan 31, 2011 2:43 PM in response to Mrs H

So what are you using for mail now?

Mostly 10.4.11 & Eudora! 😉

But, Mail has improved in 10.6.x quite a bit, so I do use it in 10.5/10.6, yet still have Thunderbird for backup Mail on those Macs.

I'll probably stick with Mail as long as SL will be able to import all my mail once I get the new iMac and get it going.

Shouldn't be a problem.

For now, I don't want to put all the billions of messages onto the MBP which Mr H mostly uses (and I'm the prime mailentity in the household). There is no way to go from the MBP to the mail messages without going through the folders as I have already explained?

Correct, but a possible workaround would be to make an Alias of the external Mail folder & drag the Alias to the MBP's Mail folder, I haven't tried it & it may need more than that to work.

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Answer 4

Mrs H Author

Level 2

231 points

Feb 1, 2011 7:20 AM in response to BDAqua

BDAqua wrote:
But, Mail has improved in 10.6.x quite a bit, so I do use it in 10.5/10.6, yet still have Thunderbird for backup Mail on those Macs.

Backup? Are you running 2 copies of mail apps and downloading your mail twice? I keep mail on my ISP's very secure webmail site and have the original HD and 2 backup copies of the HD, but all just mail. Not safe enough??

...but a possible workaround would be to make an Alias of the external Mail folder & drag the Alias to the MBP's Mail folder, I haven't tried it & it may need more than that to work.

Would this be with the HD attached? (duh, well obviously, Mrs H)
I've never tried this, but would it be possible to boot the MBP from the HD formatted for the G4? It's Intel vs not Intel but I don't know if that's an issue, probably is. They both run Tiger and I have attached the HD and copied docs from the one to the MBP, but never tried to boot it. If I went to syst prefs and attempted to change the startup disk, if I don't see the G4 External HD would that mean it won't be bootable to the MBP?

And finally, I'm loaded with questions on going to SL and such; I hope the people on the SL forum will be a kind and helpful as my Tiger friends have been.

Mrs H

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Answer 5

BDAqua

Level 10

238,961 points

Feb 1, 2011 9:40 AM in response to Mrs H

Not safe enough?

You're plenty safe, in 10.6.x I only had to use T-bird once to check my mail on one account that Mail wouldn't check for some reason, I could have used a Browser & webmail, but I hate Webmail.

If I went to syst prefs and attempted to change the startup disk, if I don't see the G4 External HD would that mean it won't be bootable to the MBP?

That's one test, another is to boot with the Option/alt key held down & see if the G4's drive shows as a boot choice.

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Answer 6

Mrs H Author

Level 2

231 points

Feb 1, 2011 12:04 PM in response to BDAqua

BDAqua wrote:
... I could have used a Browser & webmail, but I hate Webmail.

Me too, but we travel so much that I have come to rely on my home ISP's webmail (which is the same in/outbox as my "real" mail)

That's one test, another is to boot with the Option/alt key held down & see if the G4's drive shows as a boot choice.

Yes, I could. That's how I boot off the iBook and it works there - I rarely get to the MBP with lots of time to spare. btw the iBook has had a dead HD for a while - stiction (spelling?) issue, so it is now the processor for the G4's external.

Mrs H

<Edited by Host>

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Answer 7

Mrs H Author

Level 2

231 points

Apr 20, 2011 12:43 PM in response to BDAqua

Hi BDA -

Just to finish this thread off - I couldn't boot the MBP from the G4's external LaCies probably an Intel/PPC issue. I can, however, do so from the iBook and can access mail from there.

The G4 is dead - more on that later.

When I get a new iMac I'll ask again for help in getting the Mail moved there; but I think - hope - it'll be a no-brainer to import everything from the Tiger G4 external HD onto the new SL machine.

I've been away a long time. I come back and all looks new. I am trying to get adjusted to this look here and to find my way around.

My above reply was edited, I don't know why...though I do recall what I said that is no longer there.

Glad you are still here.

Mrs H

On your old profile page there was a website. Is it still one I can find? And does one have the ability to PM or email you from there?

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Answer 8

BDAqua

Level 10

238,961 points

Apr 21, 2011 10:17 AM in response to Mrs H

>it'll be a no-brainer to import everything from the Tiger G4 external HD onto the new SL machine.

I'd just run Migration Assistant on first boot with them connected, it'll be an option.

There are caveats migrating from PPC to Intel, I had no problems, but see Kappy's fine/detailed "A Basic Guide for Migrating to Intel-Macs"...

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2295

>does one have the ability to PM or email you from there?

Yes, or ask there also...

http://x704.net/bbs/

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Answer 9

Mrs H Author

Level 2

231 points

Apr 21, 2011 1:14 PM in response to BDAqua

As always, thanks for finding this and getting back to me. And thanks for the link to Kappy's guide.

I'll go over to the other and expand further ...

Mrs H 🙂

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Answer 10

Mrs H Author

Level 2

231 points

Apr 25, 2011 1:56 PM in response to BDAqua

BDAqua wrote:

>it'll be a no-brainer to import everything from the Tiger G4 external HD onto the new SL machine.

I'd just run Migration Assistant on first boot with them connected, it'll be an option.

There are caveats migrating from PPC to Intel, I had no problems, but...

BDA -

I'll start a new thread on the migration question, just a few comments here.

I wish I remembered how I moved from our G4 to our MacBook Pro. Pretty sure I didn't migrate, but copied docs as needed to the MBP HD.

I wonder, given what Kappy says, if it'd be easier for most of the stuff to migrate from the Intel MBP (using the MBP's SuperDuper HD backup as source) and then connect the SuperDuper HD backup from the dead G4 for the rest of the stuff. Both are Tiger, the new iMac will be SL.

I don't know what to do about my Word app, for which I have a family pack with 3 installs. 2 are currently on dead computers. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to install on a 4th computer, and I can't uninstall from a dead computer. Hopefully someone will have an idea what to do when I ask this in an appropriate forum - if I can find one.

Thanks again,

Mrs H

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Answer 11

BDAqua

Level 10

238,961 points

Apr 25, 2011 2:11 PM in response to Mrs H

.>I wonder, given what Kappy says, if it'd be easier for most of the stuff to migrate from the Intel MBP (using the MBP's SuperDuper HD backup as source) and then connect the SuperDuper HD backup from the dead G4 for the rest of the stuff. Both are Tiger, the new iMac will be SL.

I think that's the way to go, & Migration Assistant does a pretty good jub, myself I'd try that first & if it's somwhow a failure, you can just erase & install on the new one easy enough

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Answer 12

Mrs H Author

Level 2

231 points

Aug 7, 2011 2:24 PM in response to BDAqua

Hi BDA,

Just to keep you up-to-date on the never-ending issues of Mrs H -

My G4 has finally died, really finally died and I've given up nursing it back to health - it just won't turn on. It's been this way since October. I can't decide what to do with the corpse - I don't know if anyone could use it to harvest parts (it had upgrades installed 3 years before) or whether I should just recycle it at the store. I may try craigslist first and then if nothing happens use the recycling option.

I finally decided I had to get a replacement. I just bought an iMac last week from our local Apple Store! I think I'll love it as I get used to it.

Setup Assistant moved Mail and everything else (data, docs, settings) like a charm. I had a bit of fussing to do when I downloaded almost a year's worth of emails from our webmail, but otherwise all is well.

I used the G4's HD SuperDuper backup because it had what I needed rather than the MBP which has more of Mr H's stuff. The only problem was that it moved the old folder for OS 9 system and OS 9 apps - it didn't move OS X apps because I told SA not to move apps, but the older folder didn't look like an app folder I guess. I'm in the process of trashing those.

Thank you for your continued help on this.

Mrs H

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