N/A: IMAP backup tool recommendation please

[FORANE]

Looking for an IMAP backup tool.
Goal is to backup GMAIL before deleting old emails in GMAIL account to clear storage space. Currently have some 30,000 emails totaling around 13gb data.

 

[GeorgeC]

Thunderbird. YMMV, but I find that when I "move" things from gmail, they don't actually get deleted on the gmail side. After the backup part is complete, I end up going in through the web ui and doing date queries and ensuring that the old stuff actually gets deleted.

 

[midlifeflyer]

Google has a "download your data" page. When a business project is completed, I use it to archive the emails along with the other project documents. Then I delete the emails.

 

[FORANE]

Thunderbird. YMMV, but I find that when I "move" things from gmail, they don't actually get deleted on the gmail side. After the backup part is complete, I end up going in through the web ui and doing date queries and ensuring that the old stuff actually gets deleted.

I am reading Thunderbird has a 4 gb storage limit. Is that correct? If so, it would be problematic.

 

[GeorgeC]

I am reading Thunderbird has a 4 gb storage limit. Is that correct? If so, it would be problematic.

Dunno, maybe per mailbox? Hasn't been an issue. I've got about 20 years worth, a lot more than 4 gigs in total.

 

[FORANE]

Google has a "download your data" page. When a business project is completed, I use it to archive the emails along with the other project documents. Then I delete the emails.

ok, thanks, doing this now.

 

[FORANE]

Dunno, maybe per mailbox? Hasn't been an issue. I've got about 20 years worth, a lot more than 4 gigs in total.

ok, downloaded and setup Thunderbird.

It appears to be downloading all my old gmail emails into thunderbird as a separate copy. That looks good. Problem is when I delete a gmail email Thunderbird automatically deletes the thunderbird copies.

Thunderbird appears to be a separate program. It cannot be run as a tab in firefox, correct?

 

[dcat127]

ok, downloaded and setup Thunderbird.

It appears to be downloading all my old gmail emails into thunderbird as a separate copy. That looks good. Problem is when I delete a gmail email Thunderbird automatically deletes the thunderbird copies.

Thunderbird appears to be a separate program. It cannot be run as a tab in firefox, correct?

If you setup thunderbird as an IMAP account then the emails will actually be stored on your email server. If you delete something from the server, it will also disappear from thunderbird. If on the other hand you setup as pop3 then a separate copy will be stored on thunderbird.

 

[GeorgeC]

It appears to be downloading all my old gmail emails into thunderbird as a separate copy.

Not quite; you're interacting with the remote (gmail, via IMAP) emails, just through Thunderbird's interface.

Problem is when I delete a gmail email Thunderbird automatically deletes the thunderbird copies.

See above. That's because you are manipulating the remote emails.

What you want to do is create a local folder and drag the remote emails into it.

Thunderbird appears to be a separate program. It cannot be run as a tab in firefox, correct?

Correct.

 

[Bob Noel]

I... If on the other hand you setup as pop3 then a separate copy will be stored on thunderbird.

I much prefer to have my emails on my own physical drive. Yup, that means I can't necessarily access all my emails from everywhere, but I can live with that.