Best way to 'backup' Gmail to desktop?

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kenkeniff

628 posts

Ultimate Geek

#140874 23-Feb-2014 12:16

I'm looking for a way to backup/archive/sync my main Gmail account (~4GB) and possibly a couple of other POP3/IMAP accounts to my Windows Desktop.

My requirements are;
1. Provide offline access to my emails/attachments
2. Store email/attachments in a logical file structure accessible by other desktop applications (text search indexers, photo managers etc)

Looking at Mozilla Thunderbird email client as I think it stores emails in the way I want (as opposed to MS Outlook's single .pst files) but last time I used it I think it struggled with large mailboxes.

Otherwise will look into a local mail server.

Thoughts?

bmoff

158 posts

Master Geek

Trusted

#992733 23-Feb-2014 12:24

http://www.mailstore.com/en/mailstore-home-email-archiving.aspx

or there is business version.

kenkeniff

628 posts

Ultimate Geek

#992736 23-Feb-2014 12:36

bmoff: http://www.mailstore.com/en/mailstore-home-email-archiving.aspx

or there is business version.

Looks interesting, do you use it?

Not sure how it arranges files in disk; if for example Picasa would be able to index all photo attachments archived by that program?

bmoff

158 posts

Master Geek

Trusted

#992745 23-Feb-2014 12:49

I do use it, but my requirements are fairly simple, I just use it to back up my Windows Live Mail accounts. Not sure how it will handle the Picasa attachments. It does have some quite advanced features.

You'll have to have a play with it I guess.

SCUBADOO

192 posts

Master Geek

#992747 23-Feb-2014 12:51

FWIW I'm using Mozilla Thunderbird 24x Portable.

http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/thunderbird_portable

10 Email addresses, POP3 and IMAP mixure, many subfolders.

8GB 15 year collection 90% transferred from Windows Mail > LiveMail > Thunderbird

The BIG advantage for me is that everything is in a single self nominated folder easily copied or transferred.

itxtme

2102 posts

Uber Geek

#992750 23-Feb-2014 12:59

Consider PostBox, written on top of Thunderbird

kenkeniff

628 posts

Ultimate Geek

#993454 24-Feb-2014 17:05

Can anyone verify any other software that actually does store emails messages and attachments in logical directory structures?