how do you migrate email from isp to a global email provider?

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kiwifidget

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#222759 27-Aug-2017 22:52

The parental units currently use a web browser to access their ISP hosted email.

They would like to move to a non-ISP dependent email.

I've set them up with a free outlook.com address.

What would be the best way to transfer their emails over?

I imagine the worst way is one by one forwarding all their emails to the new address?

I could download all their emails using the outlook program, but I dont think that would be able to upload?

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#1853520 27-Aug-2017 23:00

Copying messages between folders within an email client would work, if you choose to do it this way I would highly recommend Thunderbird over Outlook.

What is the estimated number of messages and size (megabytes)?

mdf

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#1853575 28-Aug-2017 06:56

Does the ISP email support POP3 or IMAP? Ideally you want to use the new email account to pull the old messages. This has the added bonus of periodically checking for any new emails to the old address.

timmmay

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#1853580 28-Aug-2017 07:28

Drag and Drop using Thunderbird or other IMAP client.

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#1853600 28-Aug-2017 08:21

mdf: Does the ISP email support POP3 or IMAP? Ideally you want to use the new email account to pull the old messages. This has the added bonus of periodically checking for any new emails to the old address.

Follow the official instructions to implement mdf's suggestion.

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kiwifidget

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#1853607 28-Aug-2017 08:34

Thanks for the ideas. I dont know why I didnt think of setting up both accounts within a mail client and then moving the emails.

I dont think the ISP supports IMAP, but that wont matter long term I think. Once all their regular senders have caught on they will cancel the ISP email.

They wont be using a client themselves, just want to access emails via a browser.

The volumes aren't huge, but just big enough to be tedious!

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kiwifidget

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#1853627 28-Aug-2017 09:06

Houston, come in Houston!!!!

I set up the 2 accounts in Thunderbird, the ISP does support IMAP so I used that.

BUT, the custom folders are not appearing?

Is there a trick to this?

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kiwifidget

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#1853764 28-Aug-2017 09:46

IcI:

mdf: Does the ISP email support POP3 or IMAP? Ideally you want to use the new email account to pull the old messages. This has the added bonus of periodically checking for any new emails to the old address.

Follow the official instructions to implement mdf's suggestion.

This method let me set up the ISP email as a connected account, but it has returned no emails.

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billgates

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#1853770 28-Aug-2017 09:55

Not sure why the recommendation for Thunderbird over Outlook client for a outlook.com email address which uses EAS for syncing emails which is miles ahead of IMAP..

1. Setup both your current ISP email and outlook.com email account in Outlook client (Outlook 2010 or higher, ideally Outlook 2013 or Outlook 2016).

2. Drag the content of inbox folder of ISP email into inbox folder of outlook.com and replicate this for all other ISP folders

Do whatever you want to do man.

kiwifidget

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#1853780 28-Aug-2017 10:10

@billgates : the olds have not got Microsoft Office.

But I have worked out how to get the ISP email folders to show up in Thunderbird, so we are forging ahead with that.

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freitasm

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#1853978 28-Aug-2017 12:54

This is actually not "migrating" in the sense that at some point their old email will be decommissioned, is it?

If you want them to stop using the old email they have to actively use the new one, set a forward from the old one to the new one (or set Outlook.com to collect the emails), reply from the new address and never use the old address again.

Also if they have web accounts linked to the old address they have to start changing these.

It's not an easy process.

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kiwifidget

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#1854341 28-Aug-2017 20:22

@freitasm this is exactly what is happening.

Their ISP wants to discontinue its email service.

They know they have to change email addresses for bill deliveries and notifications etc.

Fortunately this will be dozens not hundreds.

Their main concern was securing their old emails, which we have done.

I just have to workout now why Thunderbird keeps downloading emails over and over from Outlook.com.

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#1854357 28-Aug-2017 21:00

kiwifidget:
I just have to workout now why Thunderbird keeps downloading emails over and over from Outlook.com.

If you are referring to the status bar alternating between 'copying message...' and 'downloading message...' during the transfer process that is normal. I'm assuming you are doing this on an unlimited data connection anyway.

On completion I would verify messages are not corrupt by accessing via Outlook.com webmail. Depending on how important the messages are to you can also export a mbox archive of folders from within Thunderbird as a local backup.

kiwifidget

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#1854418 28-Aug-2017 22:28

@yitz I did the initial transfer on my connection, the olds have a data cap.

I set up TB on their PC to transfer over new emails, but they keep getting the "downloading" status at the bottom and it seems to be the emails I already transferred.

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yitz

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#1854484 29-Aug-2017 00:18

From a web browser can you access www.outlook.com and are you able to view the transferred messages from there?

Sorry it is not clear to me which step you are at. From what I understand you have now set up Thunderbird on a second machine at their site as a way for them to access their email rather than using Outlook.com webmail through a browser.. and you are experiencing some trouble synchronising messages?

kiwifidget

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#1854617 29-Aug-2017 10:43

Everything looks OK via the browser.

I did the initial transfer here, then setup TB with both email accounts on their PC so they can transfer new incoming messages.

When accessing the Outlook account in TB it kept saying "downloading".

I'll give it a day or two and see if it settles down.

Maybe the download from Outlook server to their local TB was taking longer than I expected.

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