Retire Mailbox?

[ArtOfWarfare]

I have an old email address that I no longer use (and I no longer have access to the mail server, for that matter). I'd like to somehow archive all of the messages that are already downloaded for that account so that I can refer back to them if I ever need to, but otherwise delete the mailbox (IE, so it won't pop up messages about how it's unable to access the server, or tell me about how it's offline, or suggest that I try sending mail via that server.)

Does anyone know how to do that? I tried the Export Mailbox option in Mail, but that seemed to just generate a little directory with some metadata... the messages themselves weren't saved, it seemed.

 

[Weaselboy]

Here is what I would do. Open the folder in Mail then command-a to select all then command-p to bring up the print dialogue. Then in the bottom left select the option to save to PDF. That will export all the messages into one PDF file that you can save wherever you want and read from any system.

 

[jimthing]

If they are in Mail.app already, just grab the folders and drag them into your current IMAP email account. Then they're accessible as normal folder(s) under your current email account and you can move the messages or folders about as you want.

I have many old email account folders of messages in my current email account under an "Email archive" folder; all accessible whenever I want on any device, as they're on my main email account's IMAP server (iCloud, in my case).

This is another reason I hate webmail, as it only allows you to use the same folders as the email account you're using icloud emails –> icloud folders | gmail emails –> gmail folders | outlook.com emails –> outlook.com folders — pain the backside to keep track of. Whereas an email client allows you to easily drag messages across servers.
Eg. I have three emails accounts, but only one folder structure all on my iCloud email account. Saves the bother of multiple folder structures per email account provider.
Another friend has TWO folder structures (1 for PERSONAL, 1 for BUSINESS) with 10 email accounts he files into the relevant personal or business main email account:

- 7x business email addresses –> all filed in his main business email account folders.
(biz@outlook.com / biz@gmail.com / biz@yahoo.com / etc. –> all filed under his biz@outlook.com account.)
- 3x personal email addresses –> all filed in his main personal email account folders.
(my@icloud.com / my@outlook.com / my@gmail.com –> all filed under his my@icloud.com account.)

If one of his self-employed business email addresses was finished with so he was to shut it down, he still has any important emails saved in the main one he owns and runs (biz@outlook.com, in the example above).