backup/restore mailboxes in Mail.app

[louis_sx]

The thought has never occurred to me - I really should back up my email. My ISP keeps the last three months of messages on the server, but older stuff - if I install OS X, I'll lose it. Is there a handy-dandy utility that will do this? Where are the files kept? I'm learning AppleScript out of boredom and could probably throw together a script to back it up, but I'd need to know what the files were. TIA

[alex_ant]

If you are using Mail.app, all your mail is in <your home folder>/Library/Mail. If you are using something else, it's basically just a matter of finding the folder in which that mail program stores the mail and copying that folder to a backup device.

[michaelrjohnson]

~\Library\Mail\Mailboxes

They're usually rather large files, but they are easy to copy/replace. Over the past year, I have had to do this 5 times. I've never lost any old mail.

Hope it works for you!

[louis_sx]

Thanks guys. :)

[osiris315]

Or you could find an ISP that provides IMAP accounts.

I know a few in the UK who provide them for small businesses (so they dont have to fork out for MS Exchange servers). Just an idea.

[scabro]

Hi guys,

Here's the link to the page on the Apple's site which explains how to back up your Mail preferences and messages : http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2980