GMail instructions for backing up e-mails

[mdrejhon 8]

Hi,

I am posting this because somebody from dropzone.com asked me for instructions regarding this, but there are many others who are interested in this info... Sangrio's laptop got stolen (and he lost all his recent email) and I offered a GMAIL invitation as a solution to backup emails. While he probably wasn't interested, I got some PM's and email's asking me questions or an invitation.

(The below is mostly a copy-and-paste of what I wrote, edited for privacy reasons)

How to use GMAIL merely as online backup of your Thunderbird/Outlook/Eudora email. (If you like to keep existing email address on existing desktop client)

Some of us like GMAIL because of its features (searching, filtering, file attachments, spell check, email autosaving as you write, etc.) It does all of these extremely well.

However, some of us like to keep using Thunderbird or Outlook or Eudora, or any other desktop client with our existing ISP email address (i.e. DZO@mycozydz.com or janedoe@highspeed.com) and never would switch to GMAIL fully.... There's a solution to this.

Essentially, what you need is two emails with the ability to forward emails to each other. GMAIL is one of them. In order to prevent infinite forwarding loops (forwarding back and fourth), one of the email accounts needs to have selective forwarding that prevents forwarding emails that have already been forwarded, and the ability to ignore duplicate emails. (otherwise you do need both email accounts to have selective forwarding, but for GMAIL this is not necessary) The bonus thing is that GMAIL has that selective forwarding feature, and the ability to ignore duplicate emails (to stop the infinite loop)

What this means is that anytime anybody emails either of my email addresses, the same email shows up in both email accounts! So this is a very convenient feature.

If all the above confuses you, don't worry too much about it -- the instructions are rather simple:

1. Configure your original email account to forward to your GMAIL account. (this depends on your ISP). Make sure it also keeps a copy of emails in your original Inbox too.

2. Click "Create a Filter" in GMAIL.
Fill Matches "From: " your GMAIL email address
Click Next Step
Check "Forwards it to" checkbox
Fill with your other original email account.

Now, anytime people email your GMAIL address, your original account gets a copy. Anytime people email your original address, the GMAIL account gets a copy. So you can advertise either or both email addresses -- and both your Inboxes will get the same emails. Very convenient, provides an automatic backup, and makes it easier to transition.

Now before you go about this, you'll have to determine how to configure your original email address to forward to your GMAIL. This depends on the ISP. You may wish to contact the ISP to configure email forwarding (but also keep a copy of all forwarded emails in the original Inbox too). Sometimes some ISP's charge a small fee for forwarding (i.e. $5 per year) but most provide email forwarding for free.

Your older emails from before today won't be backed up on GMAIL but henceforth after today, after configuring, you've essentially got a perpetual online backup of all your offline emails. And very easily searchable too. (GMAIL provides so much disk space -- over 2.5 gigabytes -- and keeps increasing it, that it may even last a lifetime of emails just to fill up, unless you send lots of email attachments everyday. A 10 year email archive easily fits on GMAIL, for example.)

[sinker 0]

that is the LONGEST thread title i've ever seen...

i think you owe for it.

-the artist formerly known as sinker

[flyangel2 2]

I have www.spamarrest.com and that saves all my e-mail. I can log on to check e-mail from any computer. Plus, I don't get any junk mail

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

[mdrejhon 8]

Quote

I have www.spamarrest.com

I heard great things about that too. It's a pay service though. GMAIL is pretty convenient free 2.5 gigabyte email hard disk though with a great search engine though. It has spam filtering too, but not a challenge-response system like spamarrest.

[highfly 0]

Quote

Sangrio's laptop got stolen (and he lost all his recent email) and I offered a GMAIL invitation as a solution to backup emails. While he probably wasn't interested.........................

Meeeowww

Great idea though. I am implementing this as you read my post.

www.myspace.com/durtymac

[mdrejhon 8]

Quote

Quote

Sangrio's laptop got stolen (and he lost all his recent email) and I offered a GMAIL invitation as a solution to backup emails. While he probably wasn't interested.........................

Meeeowww

Great idea though. I am implementing this as you read my post.

Thanks, you're one of those who asked about how to do this.

I see that one of the greenies edited the topic title. Oops! It's more accurately "Instructions on using GMAIL as a backup for your existing email address" (apologies if my topic title was way too long -- but this topic title is now too vague and too GMAIL-specific)

[highfly 0]

Quote

Thanks, you're one of those who asked about how to do this.

You must have me mixed up with someone else.
I didnt ask but thanks anyway.

www.myspace.com/durtymac

[popsjumper 2]

I sent myself an email using this from Yahoo.com mail:

"Email delivery date: 2025 (yes, 2025).
Want to talk to yourself in the future? It's easy. Just make your own Email Time Capsule and Yahoo! Mail will work with our friends at Forbes.com to deliver it in 20 years."

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239