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Geofries · Jul 28, 2008, 09:12 PM

I have really important emails that I need though I am about to do a fresh OS install. Is there a way to archive all my mail to have them load up once I reinstall?

mduell · Jul 28, 2008, 09:54 PM

Time Machine

REVBCO · Jul 29, 2008, 01:22 AM

Or the backup program if you have mobileme.

MacNNUK · Jul 29, 2008, 02:30 AM

Mailbox >> Archive Mailbox !!

I also use myemaildb, very good

and email backup, ok

zombie punk · Jul 29, 2008, 04:52 AM

nevermind

Geofries · Jul 29, 2008, 10:34 PM

Guys, I used the archive feature in mail. Left me with a .mbox file. When I try to import it, it says "No valid mbox files were found". Any suggestions? Please tell me I did not lose all that mail.

besson3c · Jul 29, 2008, 11:16 PM

You first need to clarify whether you are talking about a POP or IMAP account, and whether you are talking about local or server-side mailboxes (in the case of IMAP).

zro · Jul 30, 2008, 12:47 AM

Originally Posted by besson3c

You first need to clarify whether you are talking about a POP or IMAP account, and whether you are talking about local or server-side mailboxes (in the case of IMAP).

No, first you need to read what he's telling us. He already has archived the mailbox locally and now needs to import it. Believe it or not besson, it is possible to save a remote mailbox locally. No need (or sense) to rely solely on the provider.

Choose the folder that contains the .mbox folder, not the .mbox folder itself. If you archived it from an IMAP mailbox, change the extension from .imapmbox to .mbox before trying to import it.

Also, drag-n-drop works fine for saving a mailbox outside of Mail.

besson3c · Jul 30, 2008, 12:53 AM

Originally Posted by zro

No, first you need to read what he's telling us. He already has archived the mailbox locally and now needs to import it. Believe it or not besson, it is possible to save a remote mailbox locally. No need (or sense) to rely solely on the provider.

I know, but if he has an IMAP account and the capacity, it might very well be easier to ensure that all of the mail he wants to preserve is being stored on the server so that he can wipe and reinstall without having to worry about negotiating importing his mailbox via the various mailbox file formats.

Geofries · Jul 30, 2008, 07:29 AM

Well guys this was a POP account from yahoo. And I've done exactly what you are saying. There is a file on my desktop "Work.mbox". Yet when I select desktop during importing I keep getting "No valild mbox files".

besson3c · Jul 30, 2008, 10:28 AM

Why not setup a GMail account and transfer your mail there via IMAP, at least for this surgical procedure?

This is one occasion where POP really sucks.

Geofries · Jul 30, 2008, 10:48 AM

I'm not sure how I would do that, but the thing is, what's done is done. I've already reformatted my HD. Whatever was there is gone. I'm simply trying to recover what is inside this "archive" file, if at all possible, though now it's seeming unlikely. IMAP/POP, I'm not at all familiar with the differences.

I just know I was using MAIL to access my @swbell.net (provided through ATT YAHOO) account. I had a smart folder set up to filter all email from a particular individual to this folder. I archived the folder, hence the "work.mbox" file, and now I cannot get mail to open the file.

zro · Jul 30, 2008, 10:51 AM

Is it a file or a folder? In 10.4 Apple switched their mbox format to a folder, presumably for Spotlight indexing.

Are you actually navigating to the Desktop or does the open dialog just pop-up to it and you click Choose? It gave me that error until I actually clicked on the Desktop folder in either the sidebar or navigation area.

If it is a folder, there is also this, which may help: emlx to mbox Converter 1.0.3 software download - Mac OS X - VersionTracker

Geofries · Jul 30, 2008, 10:59 AM

It's a folder titled "work.mbox". I'm worried it has something to do with me archiving under Leopard, and now trying to restore under tiger, because I certainly remember this being a file under Leopard. Inside this "folder" is noe file listed as "table_of_contents". I looked at the link, but I do not think it will help me though I do appreciate it.

AKcrab · Jul 30, 2008, 02:24 PM

Originally Posted by Geofries

It's a folder titled "work.mbox". I'm worried it has something to do with me archiving under Leopard, and now trying to restore under tiger,

I think you're hosed. Downgrading is problematic.

Geofries · Jul 30, 2008, 03:37 PM

That saddens me. What do you think would happen if I tried to restore under Leopard? I'm going to give that a go on my wife's MBP when I get home.

Geofries · Jul 30, 2008, 06:05 PM

Update: On wife's MBP I can restore entire mailbox. This a good sign. At least I know the information was properly saved. Now, how can I get this to work under Tiger? It's extremely important.

Geofries · Jul 30, 2008, 06:35 PM

And I finally got it to work. Tiger was not reading the .mbox file as a .mbox file. It was displaying it as a folder containing one item listed as "table_of_contents". I had to go back to my wife's MBP, go into the "work.mbox" file, and INSIDE this file were two files: mbox and table_of_contents. I copied over the one that said "mbox". Once under Tiger, I renamed this file to mbox.mbox, and finally mail accepted it. Thanks a lot for all you guys' patience and help. I appreciate it!

besson3c · Jul 30, 2008, 10:20 PM

Originally Posted by Geofries

And I finally got it to work. Tiger was not reading the .mbox file as a .mbox file. It was displaying it as a folder containing one item listed as "table_of_contents". I had to go back to my wife's MBP, go into the "work.mbox" file, and INSIDE this file were two files: mbox and table_of_contents. I copied over the one that said "mbox". Once under Tiger, I renamed this file to mbox.mbox, and finally mail accepted it. Thanks a lot for all you guys' patience and help. I appreciate it!

Now that this fire has been put out, I would strongly suggest you looking into acquiring an IMAP account. With IMAP, all of your mail lives on the IMAP server (although you can have mail stored locally too). If your mail lived on the server, this migration would have been an absolute no-brainer.

Geofries · Jul 30, 2008, 11:30 PM

If you can shed any light on how to do so, I will. Thanks

DCJ001 · Aug 2, 2008, 12:40 AM

Originally Posted by Geofries

If you can shed any light on how to do so, I will. Thanks

You can go to http://www.gmail.com and create an account in which you can set up an e-mail account for free and you can choose the IMAP option in the set up, if you'd like. Gmail works great as a junk mail filter too.