Backing up Hotmail with Apple's Mail.app

m021478 · 06:34 PM

How do I go about backing up my Hotmail account offline using Apple's Mail.app? I know I can just add the account and it will immediately begin downloading everything, but my concern is that doing this will cause Mail.app to remove all of the emails from Hotmail's servers because it uses POP3 (AND THIS IS SOMETHING I MUST AVOID ACCIDENTALLY DOING!).

I know I can uncheck the checkbox that says "remove the copy off the server after it's been downloaded", but from what I can tell as soon as I enter in my Name, Email, and Password, Mail.app immediately begins downloading (and thereby removing) the emails from the server and it doesn't even really give you a chance to uncheck that checkbox...

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated... Thanks!

GamaFu · Oct 10, 2009, 07:46 PM

I'd try disconnect from internet before setting up the account. Make sure "remove the copy off the server after it's been downloaded" is unchecked and then you can backup your mails now. I really hope all Mail clients can have that option unchecked by default. Windows Live Mail doesn't remove mails from server by default, but Thunderbird and Mail both do it, so if not careful, your mails are all gone from the server.

brand · Oct 10, 2009, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m021478

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Drop Hotmail and find an email provider that provides IMAP support. Google's Gmail comes to mind.

SnowLeopard2008 · Oct 10, 2009, 08:39 PM

Umm.. no it asks you if you want to take your accounts online. Say no. Check that box. Then go Mailbox > Take all accounts online.

Nikola K. · Dec 5, 2012, 03:38 PM

If anybody's still wondering..
Hotmail has it's POP folder, where all your messages move after dey have been downloaded to an offline mail software.

If that's the case, here's what I've done:
- select all your messages from the POP folder
- mark them as unread
- move them all to inbox

...and that's it, your emails are being downloaded to your Mail app. One thing to have in mind is that it's important that you follow the steps, FIRST mark as unread, THEN move to inbox.

Now, since there might be some duplicates, there is a workaround with MailScripts (read about it here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread...art=0&tstart=0 (download ling included))

If you want your mails to be downloaded to a certain folder in Mail app, you can accomplish that by adding a certain rule to your Mail app.

Oct 10, 2009, 06:29 PM	#1
m021478 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Nov 2007	Backing up Hotmail with Apple's Mail.app How do I go about backing up my Hotmail account offline using Apple's Mail.app? I know I can just add the account and it will immediately begin downloading everything, but my concern is that doing this will cause Mail.app to remove all of the emails from Hotmail's servers because it uses POP3 (AND THIS IS SOMETHING I MUST AVOID ACCIDENTALLY DOING!). I know I can uncheck the checkbox that says "remove the copy off the server after it's been downloaded", but from what I can tell as soon as I enter in my Name, Email, and Password, Mail.app immediately begins downloading (and thereby removing) the emails from the server and it doesn't even really give you a chance to uncheck that checkbox... Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated... Thanks! __________________ Please don't tell me to "search the forums" before posting. I can assure you that I already have! Last edited by m021478; Oct 10, 2009 at 06:34 PM.
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Oct 10, 2009, 07:46 PM	#2
GamaFu macrumors regular Join Date: Apr 2007	I'd try disconnect from internet before setting up the account. Make sure "remove the copy off the server after it's been downloaded" is unchecked and then you can backup your mails now. I really hope all Mail clients can have that option unchecked by default. Windows Live Mail doesn't remove mails from server by default, but Thunderbird and Mail both do it, so if not careful, your mails are all gone from the server. __________________ iPhone 32GB 3G S⃣ White 24" Early 2009 iMac, 2.93 GHz, Ati Mobility Radeon HD 4850, 4 GB RAM, 640 GB HD
	0

Oct 10, 2009, 08:39 PM	#4
SnowLeopard2008 macrumors 603 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: California	Umm.. no it asks you if you want to take your accounts online. Say no. Check that box. Then go Mailbox > Take all accounts online. __________________ YouTube \| Twitter MacBook Air \| iPhone 5 \| iPad mini \| iPad signed by Steve Wozniak
	0

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Dec 5, 2012, 03:38 PM	#5
Nikola K. macrumors newbie Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Belgrade, Serbia	If anybody's still wondering.. Hotmail has it's POP folder, where all your messages move after dey have been downloaded to an offline mail software. If that's the case, here's what I've done: - select all your messages from the POP folder - mark them as unread - move them all to inbox ...and that's it, your emails are being downloaded to your Mail app. One thing to have in mind is that it's important that you follow the steps, FIRST mark as unread, THEN move to inbox. Now, since there might be some duplicates, there is a workaround with MailScripts (read about it here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread...art=0&tstart=0 (download ling included)) If you want your mails to be downloaded to a certain folder in Mail app, you can accomplish that by adding a certain rule to your Mail app.
	0


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