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Thunderbird for email back up.

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  • Last reply by M1
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M1
M1

Hello,

I have never used Thunderbird previously. May I ask a newb question?

I can longer export my emails from my main online email account in the form of a file for back up. That would be an Outlook/Hotmail account. That is not the only scam Microsoft have pulled in the last few years with Outlook as well, which I am more than happy to go into if asked. I do not want to, nor can I install their Desktop Outlook app which I understand still allows export.

So my question is, if I install Thunderbird, does in sync with another email account, then download and store them on PC for back up? It would be many thousands of emails as well. The file exported from Outlook until Microsoft inflicted their latest used to be around 12Gb.

Also, if I do anything via thunderbird, is that replicated in my Outlook email account? I am concerned that emails may disappear from the email account if say Thunderbird is removed from the PC.

Any advice or pointers to already existing thread would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Mike.

Hello, I have never used Thunderbird previously. May I ask a newb question? I can longer export my emails from my main online email account in the form of a file for back up. That would be an Outlook/Hotmail account. That is not the only scam Microsoft have pulled in the last few years with Outlook as well, which I am more than happy to go into if asked. I do not want to, nor can I install their Desktop Outlook app which I understand still allows export. So my question is, if I install Thunderbird, does in sync with another email account, then download and store them on PC for back up? It would be many thousands of emails as well. The file exported from Outlook until Microsoft inflicted their latest used to be around 12Gb. Also, if I do anything via thunderbird, is that replicated in my Outlook email account? I am concerned that emails may disappear from the email account if say Thunderbird is removed from the PC. Any advice or pointers to already existing thread would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Mike.

All Replies (3)

david
david
  • Top 10 Contributor

I am not the Microsoft guru here, but if Outlook is installed on the same PC, my understanding is that Thunderbird can import the account. My suggestion is that you download from thunderbird.net and see what happens. Yes, it is possible, once the account is set up, to copy the messages as a backup, but the steps to do that should be in a later thread, once you have the account set up.

Rick
Rick
  • Top 10 Contributor

When you set up an IMAP account in Thunderbird, it syncs with the server. Whatever you do in server/IMAP folders on one app/device, including deleting messages, happens on the server and other app/devices too.

Deleting an installation of Thunderbird does not affect messages on the server or on other apps/devices.

Making back-up copies of messages is something else. You can copy or move messages out of synchronized folders so that nothing that happens on the server or on other apps/devices will affect them.

If those messages are copies, I suppose that they can be considered a back-up copy. I would still make back-up copies periodically on an external drive.

M1
M1 Question owner

Thanks David. I don't actually have Outlook installed. I simply use it online.


Thanks Rick for the clarification with the sync.


Mike.

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