Support - How Do I . . .?

Archive Email

Email can be accessed from any internet location via the webmail client or via an IMAP email client (e.g. Netscape Messenger, Outlook, Outlook Express, Apple Mail, etc...). It is easier to archive messages using an IMAP client than using webmail. POP mail clients, though not recommended, can be used, but they will only download the Inbox and will not see the other folders on the account. Note that once messages have been archived to your local computer, you will not be able to access them via a webmail client as the messages will no longer be stored on the central email server.

Copy via IMAP Client

To copy your message to your local system using an IMAP client, configure your local software (e.g. Netscape Messenger, Outlook, Outlook Express, Apple Mail, etc...) to read messages from Denison's email servers. Instructions can be found here.

Once you are able to see your messages using the client software, you will have two mailboxes: Local and IMAP (usually called your email address, e.g. beamert@denison.edu). Click on the messages or folders in the IMAP mailbox and drag them to the local mailbox. This should copy the messages to your local system.

Copy via Webmail using MBOX Format

This format will save entire folders in an MBOX file that can be used in several different email clients. However, it cannot directly be used with Outlook or Outlook Express.

Login to webmail with your email account
Click on the “Folders” icon
Check the box next to the folder you wish to archive
In the “Choose Action Box” select “Download (zip format)”
Click “Yes” to indicate you wish to save the folder in MBOX format
Click “Save” to indicate you do wish to download the file and give the location in which to save the file
Click “Save” to actually download the file
When done with the download, click “Close”

The extracted folders from the webmail client are in MBOX format. This format is used by several email clients for storing messages. The file can also be read by a word processor (e.g. Word) and will be seen as one long file with multiple messages in it. Email client software that can read this format includes Netscape, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, and Eudora. After unzipping the file, you may have to put the file into the directory where the product stores it’s local messages in to have the folder recognized. Please note that this file is NOT directly usable by Outlook or Outlook Express and can not be read with Internet Explorer. Open source software is available that can convert the MBOX format to a format readable by Outlook or Outlook Express if you wish to use that software. Attachments should be saved outside of this process as attachments don’t always transfer properly. For more complete information on reading this type of archive search the Internet for MBOX files (a sample site), or see your email client’s documentation.

Copy via Webmail Client to Text Files

Archiving messages via a webmail client must be done a message at a time. There is no way to save multiple messages as text at one time.

Login to webmail
Read the message(s) you wish to save locally.
Click on the "Save as" link within the IMP window.
Click on the "Save" button.
Indicate a directory and name for the message.

Delete the Copied Messages

After you have copied the messages you wish to save to your local system, please delete the messages off the IMAP server and empty, compress, or purge the mailbox trash. For instructions about using webmail to purge your mailbox see the webmail FAQ.

Saving Your Addressbook via Webmail

To save your address book, click on "Address Book" link within the webmail window:

Click the "Import/Export" icon.
Click the "Export" button.
Click the "Save" button.
Indicate the directory and name you wish to the save the address book to.
To return to the email inbox, click the "Mail" icon.