I'm attempting to copy 1 email account and all it's folders to "local folders" but it doesn't appear to be copying.
I've been following instructions from this article http://www.howtogeek.com/148036/how-to-migrate-your-google-account-to-a-new-one/ in order to transfer an old gmail account to a new google apps email account. Everything has gone smoothly, but I'm getting stuck at the point where I need to copy my old email account to "Local Folders". I've right clicked on the old email account and selected "Copy to" and then "Local folder" but nothing appears to happen. When I check the destination folder I've set up on my hard drive, only a trash and unsent messages .msf file appear.
Before I copy everything to my new email, I want to ensure that it is copied to a local folder for backup. Not sure if I'm doing something wrong?
Thank you!!
All Replies (7)
you can not copy a whole account, only individual folders.
Thanks Matt - I've attempted to copy folders too (to either Local Folders or another email account) but it doesn't appear that anything is happening.
Try the following:
- Restart the operating system in safe mode with Networking. This loads only the very basics needed to start your computer while enabling an Internet connection. Click on your operating system for instructions on how to start in safe mode: Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, OSX
Anti virus and other background tasks can mess with this sort of stuff big time.
Sorry, that doesn't help either. I had downloaded the "copy folders" Add-On which is supposed to make this process simpler but I'm stumped.
When I right click any folder in my "old" email account and select "copy to here" (whether local folders or another email account), nothing happens. Nothing is copied, transferred or it doesn't appear that anything is even happening.
Have you synchronised the subscribed folders so that you actually do have a copy created as mbox files in your Profile folder on your computer? see info on synchronising:
Once you have a synchronized copy of folders in your Profile, then go into offline mode to stop further synchronizing. Then you should be able to move or copy emails into folders in Local Folders. OR Then use this addon: https://freeshell.de//~kaosmos/mboximport-en.html
This addon imports and exports. right click on Local Folders and select ImportExporttools > Import mbox file follow the wizard.
Thank you for your help. Unfortunately, I'm still not able to fix the problems I'm having so I'll be deleting my Thunderbird Account. I do think that the crux of this problem lies in Google as they have nothing to offer for a simple and clean way to merge 2 email accounts within their own platform. I had downloaded Thunderbird as a way to work around what Google is lacking, but as a small biz owner/only employee, I've spent way more time than I can afford trying to fix this and will just have to live with my current email configurations for now...
Download a backup of your mail from gmail. They package mail in MBOX files. using this link https://www.google.com/settings/takeout/custom/gmail,calendar
Thunderbirds native file format is MBOX, but to import them it needs an add-on https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/importexporttools/
Once the add-on has imported the mail from gmail to Thunderbird (into local folders) you can gradually move it to the gmail imap folder if you like. Anything over about 500-1000 mails at a time will just mess up. You may get a better result by ensuring your anti virus does not scan Thunderbirds profile folder as they add another dimension to the process scanning things over and over as they are moved and written.
Not perfect, but workable. Having all mail from both account in Thunderbird is also a bonus in my view because while we must keep a lot of stuff, it does not have to be in the "current working set" slowing down every search or lookup.
NOTE the MBOX mail that is imported is not really associated with any account as such. It is a purely local copy until it is placed into an imap account folder