Lots of new computers were bought for Christmas. You’d probably like to take your eMail settings, address books, and messages with you to the new Windows computer.
Here’s a great argument for the Open Source eMail Program called Thunderbird. Thunderbird is the sister program to the very popular Firefox web browser.
Most folks on windows still use Outlook Express for eMail. Perhaps they’ve moved to a Web/Cloud eMail service like GMail, YahooMail, or HotMail, so they don’t use an actually program, they just visit their email website.
Thunderbird eMail Client
Thunderbird is a great email program or client that shares many of the features of Firefox. It uses Firefox’s display innards to show rich HTML messages, it has all kinds of add-ons you can use. Tools to synchronize, tools to add a daytimer with appointments and to-dos.
Here’s how to capture and save your email… and then move it to the new computer.
For WebMail Users
If you use WebMail, meaning GMail, YahooMail, or HotMail (amongst others). You’ll want to download Thunderbird and install it here at http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/
Thunderbird has a feature called a “Migration Assistant“, which will walk you through connecting to your eMail service. It works best with the bigger services, but almost every cable company, DSL provider, and email service will have instructions for Thunderbird. A Google search with your provider’s name and Thunderbird will usually get you step by step instructions.
Mostly, you’ll need the names of your incoming and outgoing mail servers, which usually start with “pop” and “smtp”, next the port numbers. You only need this information once for setup, so just print it out for reference.
The result is, Thunderbird will download all of your eMail into itself. An eMail client provides a powerful tool for eMail. And you can still use your WebMail anytime, but all of your emails will be saved safely in Thunderbird.
For Outlook Express Users
First, download Thunderbird onto your old computer. When you install Thunderbird, it will ask you if you’d like to import addresses, messages and settings from Outlook Express. You answer Yes. Thunderbird will import all of your eMail, settings and contacts. You’ve just moved from Microsoft’s closed program to Open Source Thunderbird which keeps your eMail easy to use. Once in Thunderbird, follow the next section’s directions to move your eMail data.
For Thunderbird Users
You’ll need a free tool to backup Thunderbird on your old computer and restore Thunderbird on your new computer. You’ll probably need a way to move the backup file too, a USB stick, a USB hard drive, a burned CD or DVD, whatever is easiest for you.
MozBackup Thunderbird Migration & Backup Tool
The free tool is called MozBackup, as in Mozilla Backup, available here at
http://mozbackup.jasnapaka.com/
Starting MozBackup, you will make a backup of all items you wish to keep, ranging from messages, settings, addresses, rules and more. It even backs up the “Lightning” daytimer add-on. It will optionally password protect your backup file (which isn’t needed for a simple migration like this). Best of all, there’s no proprietary magic happening here, MozBackup’s .pcv backup file is a simple compressed .zip file, you can investigate with 7Zip, if you’d like. My personal backup with 4-5 years of eMails and attachments was a little over 1GB large.
7Zip, A Compression Tool
Take this file to your new computer, use a USB Stick, USB drive, shared drive, CDs/DVDs, whatever you’re most comfortable with.
Install Thunderbird and MozBackup on your new computer. This time, when you run MozBackup, you want to “restore” a backup. Tell MozBackup where your .pcv file is, and all your data will be imported. Best of all, you can be sure it all imported correctly, before you delete your old data on the old computer.
MozBackup can also move your Firefox settings and bookmarks too. Also great for moving in to a new computer. You can even schedule regular backups if you’d like.
Thunderbird and MozBackup are Open Source or FreeWare, so there are no profits made, so you’ll never see them advertised. Please support Open Source software like these tools… you can donate a few bucks to the programmers, you can share the tool with others and maybe they’ll donate a few bucks, or send off a nice “thank you” to the author/team.
