|
02 Nov 06 - 07:09 PM (#1875065) Subject: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: Big Al Whittle My inbox and sent items box is full I want to save all my e-mails as word documents on a data disc and start again.. What steps do I have to follow - if this is possible. Write slowly, as I am a bear (mudcatter) of very little brain and unusual words and turns of phrase confuse me. |
|
02 Nov 06 - 07:15 PM (#1875066) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: GUEST,lox in short copy and paste in long Use your mouse to select the text of your email by holding the left button down and dragging the arrow over the text you are copying. You will see that the text you have chosen is highlighted with a dark background. Unclick (lift your finger off) the left button, and then choose "edit" from your tool bar at the top of the page. Choose "copy" and left click on it. Minimize your e.mail page and open a frsh MSword page. Right click on the new page and a mini menu should appear. Choose "paste" and left click on it. The text of your e.mail should appear on the page. |
|
02 Nov 06 - 07:32 PM (#1875069) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: Helen weelittledrummer, what e-mail programme are you using? It used to be when I was using MsOutlook (I think) at one of the zillions of places I have worked, that I could highlight (in the full list of emails in my inbox or other folders) all the emails I wanted to copy and then right mouse click, choose "save as" and then choose file format as "text file" and save it as a text file to be opened in MsWord. I could then open the file, all the emails would be there - in whatever order I had had the email listed sorted originally, e.g. date, and then I could save the file within MsWord as a Word document. I don't know if other mail programmes can do this. It means not having to open every single email and copy it. This trick was really useful for me when I was being mercilessly bullied by the boss, who preferred email communication, because I could keep a record of our communications in case I had to defend my actions if challenged. Helen |
|
02 Nov 06 - 10:10 PM (#1875118) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: number 6 Are you using MS Outlook? Do you ever copy your e-mails to you hard drive? Actually this routine is quite easy. If so you should never encounter the issue you are having. If you do copy them to the hard drive you can easily back them up onto a cd. biLL |
|
02 Nov 06 - 10:15 PM (#1875120) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: Big Al Whittle no they are all uncopied just in the inbox, and sent items. when I select all the items - the copy thing doesn't light up, neither does the save as - only when I do them individually, and that I think would take a LONG time. |
|
02 Nov 06 - 10:17 PM (#1875121) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: number 6 did ya click on just one e-mail and then select 'all'? |
|
02 Nov 06 - 10:22 PM (#1875123) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: Big Al Whittle yes |
|
02 Nov 06 - 10:24 PM (#1875124) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: number 6 just sent you a pm. |
|
03 Nov 06 - 03:07 AM (#1875193) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: Big Al Whittle okay all sorted now thanks to No 6, but thanks to helen and Lox also! |
|
03 Nov 06 - 06:52 AM (#1875260) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: Big Mick So are you going to share the information as to how you did this? There are others who would like to know. Mick |
|
03 Nov 06 - 08:22 AM (#1875298) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: Helen Including me, because when I tried the same trick in other email programmes it didn't work. Helen |
|
03 Nov 06 - 09:30 AM (#1875348) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: JohnInKansas The current "trend," viciously implemented by Hotmail as an example, is to discourage the use of an email program and encourage (by means including extortion) everyone to just use their browser for email. Some browsers include "email-ish" capabilities for handling problems of this sort, but others don't do much about it. When you view your email in a browser, it's difficult to access folders on your own computer in order to move stuff off the email server and onto your own computer. Whether you can do it depends on both the browser and on the email server (i.e. on the isp). Some ISPs require you to install a program on your own machine, and a program that the ISP foists on you may have features to allow local saving of messages. Some do not do anything to facilitate this. If you use an "email program" such as Outlook or Outlook Express, you may see a separate section in the folders in the email program. Outlook Express calls it "Local Folders." A separate "Hotmail" folder is where all your email goes initially if you're using Hotmail or MSN as your email provider. Messages in the "Hotmail" folder may or may not be actually "on your machine." The "index" is stored locally so that you can see what messages were there the last time you received them; but the messages go to "Temporary" files when first downloaded, so that often it's necessary to connect and re-receive them in order to read them again later. In OE at least, you can move messages to a Local Folder, and in theory at least, they are then actually written to your own drive. Once they are there, you can exit OE and copy the email folder to someplace else on your machine and the folder will contain all of the mail. You then can safely(?) go back to OE and delete the messages you don't need to keep "up front." The email folder you want to copy should be at C:\Documents and Settings\your username\email. Once it's copied elsewhere, OE calls it a "backup store." If you want a message from the backup copy, you use File|Import in OE to bring them back into OE. Note that you can only import folders from the store, not individual messages, so it's recommended that you do some sorting and use File|Compact All before you save the backup. Also note that any message that's in the Local Folders in OE, that also is in a folder that you import from backup, will get a new record number when imported and will appear twice in OE. This can get "confusing." In OE, you can also use File|Save As to save individual messages as either html pages or as "email files." Saved as "email" from OE, the files will have the extension ".eml" and can be opened individually in OE. A big bunch of files saved as individual .eml files will use a lot more drive space than if saved all to gether in a backup store by copying the email folder, but can be accessed/opened individually. Occasionally we've received email with an attachment (an email) having a ".email" extension. I don't know what program produces this "form," but usually if you save the attachment as a separate file and change the extension to .eml OE will open it. (Outlook may also, although I haven't tried it.) There are few generally useful instructions that don't require knowing who your email ISP is, whether you've installed "their" programs, and what program (browser or email program) you use to read your email. I can't give much detail on what can be done except for Outlook Express since that's the only way I generally access my own mail. John |
|
03 Nov 06 - 12:46 PM (#1875474) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: Big Al Whittle Okay will do. Remember I'm no genius. This may not be the CORRECT way. Click on a message. Edit and choose select all. Then go to File. Choose the Export messages option It will say do you want to export this stuff to Microsoft Outlook Say yes. It will take quite a while to do this if you have nearly 2000 messages in your inbox like me. If you want to save your Sent messages repeat the process. Then press the green start button at the bottom of the page. In there will be Microsoft Outlook. there will be Inbox with apparently nothing in there, but press that button and there will be your inbox messages. Copy,put them into a document. Resave it as a word document. It doesn't save attachments. I'm sorry if I've told you wrong stuff. all the best al |
|
03 Nov 06 - 05:30 PM (#1875658) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: Richard Bridge Is there a reason not to save your outlook .pst file to a dual layer dvd? |
|
03 Nov 06 - 06:00 PM (#1875677) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: Big Al Whittle no Richard that's the kind of insight I was looking for. Explain to the folks how you do this last great move which would save the attachments. Well explain to me, and keep it VERY simple. To my best knowledge I have never been into a shop and asked for dual layered dvd. is there anything specific(speeed, plus or minus RW etc) about what kind of dvd disc we need - anything we have to ask for - will they know about these at PC world? I will get some tomorrow! Thankyou Richard, for the final part of the conundrum. |
|
04 Nov 06 - 02:07 AM (#1875856) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: Big Al Whittle Just realised - iwould need a dvd burner - presumably on my computer. I have one on my laptop, but not my home computer. could I transfer the outlook files on one of those stick things, and then burn it to dvd. sorry this if this is like thinking aloud by a caveman - but that is what it feels like! |
|
04 Nov 06 - 07:16 AM (#1875971) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: The Fooles Troupe All the above conniptions is why I still prefer to use Eudora and Win98 - but am thinking of moving to Linux soon - Is there some equivalent mail prog which does things the same way - i.e. via pop, stores the data locally and stores 2 files for each 'mail folder': 1 index, and one content - these 2 files can be saved and deleted as required - the only drawback being that if you copy them back, they will overwrite the exisiting ones on the HD (so you need to do some renaming). |
|
04 Nov 06 - 10:10 PM (#1876441) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: Richard Bridge The maximum size of a *.pst file is about 1.2 gig. Once they get to about a gig they get slow and unreliable in use. This means the litle usb sticks are not always big enough. Assuming you want to back up your *.pst file from laptop (without DVD writer) onto DVD, you will need a usb stck that is big enough, and your desktop will need a DVD writer. I use a dual layer because I have relocated my *psts into a folder which is part of "My Documents", as I have my download music, my download programs etc. So al I have to do for each backup is to copy "My Documents". A Dual Layer DVD writer will cost you about £30, and you can fit it into your desktop yourself, in place of one of your existing optical drives. One will write up to about 8 gig onto a dual layer DVD. A single layer DVD will probably not be big enough. Followin gworks for Outlook.. Outlook Express is different. Off the "New" tab, create a new pst. Do a "find" for files named *.pst. One will be huge. That's the one you want to copy! It will probably be called outlook.pst. One will be dated as only just created. Remember that. Rename it with a name to remind you of the backup date. Make a copy in a folder created for the purpose. Copy that folder to the usb stick. Move the usb stick to the desktop. Start the program (usually Nero) that came with the DVD drive. Follow the instructions to burn to disk a copy of that special folder (from the usb stick), and put the disc on the shelf. Delete the folder. Delete the *.pst file that you renamed. Rename the new pst file "outlook.pst". |
|
05 Nov 06 - 04:06 AM (#1876533) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: Big Al Whittle Thankyou Richard. that is really kind of you. i will keep a record of your ideas as I am not sure at the moment I want to lock horns with my computer system for what sounds a bit of struggle. However - doubtless in a year or three, I will be thinking of course I should have been doing that all along. Thanks again al |
|
05 Nov 06 - 11:23 AM (#1876719) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: McGrath of Harlow It always used to go wrong every time I tried archiving my emails- so I gave it up and use gmail instead. I suppose that wouldn't suit anybody who needed a hard copy tucked away somewhere, just in case. |
|
06 Nov 06 - 11:55 AM (#1877491) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: JohnInKansas Most of the email services have policies that allow them to close your account under a variety of rules, and of course occasionally a service simply disappears. In most such cases, unless you've physically and intentionally created backup files on your own computer, all your old emails will be lost. As a particularly bad example, Hotmail automatically terminates your account if you fail to log in for 30 days. (Don't go on tour or take a long vacation.) Once terminated, your old email is permanently gone. There is apparently a "grace period" of 30 days(?) during which you can renew the account to keep your same email address, but the deleted messages cannot be restored. With a free Hotmail account, attempting to send the same message to ten or more recipients within the same 24 hours usually will result in "suspension" of your account on the assumption that you might be sending "spam." Repeated "suspensions" may result in closing your account (without explanation) which will result in loss of all prior email messages - and your address book. ("Extra pay" Hotmail accounts come in different flavors, and a less subject(?) to arbitrary termination - maybe.) I would expect that most email services have similar policies. As long as your email is on their server, they can make it inaccessible to you. This would likely apply to gmail, and it is strongly recommended that everyone should check with their own email service to know and understand how reliable and secure storage of messages on the servers owned by your email provider actually is if you're not making regular backups on your own machine. John |
|
06 Nov 06 - 12:15 PM (#1877505) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: JohnInKansas Many email providers assume that you will read your email using just your web browser. If this is the way you get your mail, the only consistently usable method of saving an email onto your own machine is to open one email at a time and use the browser "File|Save As" command to save an "html page" of the email. You can then open the saved page from your own machine (offline if you wish) using the same web browser used to save it. This is the method given in a FAQ by Hotmail, but the method should be usable in any reasonably current web browser. If you are saving messages this way, you must provide an individual filename for each message at the time of saving it. Many html files will have both a "message file" and a same-named "embedded files folder" and changing the name of either after they're saved, even if you're careful to make them identical, usually will result in the message being largely unreadable. If you must change the filename after saving, you should open the message in your browser and re-do the "File|Save As" supplying the new name. You can then delete the old file/folder. Messages with attachments, saved in this way, may be inconsistent about whether the attachment is automatically saved, so you may have to save attachments separately. Attachments that display (embedded) in the original message usually seem to stick, but emails sent as a "carrier" for an attachment often lose the attachement. Since each email is saved as a separate file, the only way to look at what's in your backup is one-message-at-a-time. Note once more, that only the filename you use at the time of saving is "visible" to identify a saved email without opening it. The only practical way that I've found to "restore" a file from this backup to your online server (so as to forward it to someone else?) is to open each file individually and use the browser's Mail|Send Page and email it to yourself. This naturally makes it look like the message is from you, and loses the sender identity and date of the original message. If someone knows of a way to move entire email folders or an entire email database to a local machine using only a web browser I'd certainly like to hear of it; but please identify WHAT BROWSER you're talking about. Don't forget that the email service also is the only place your address book exists, unless you figure out a way to save it too. John |
|
06 Nov 06 - 12:56 PM (#1877527) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: Snuffy BT Yahoo's webmail has an "Archive Messages" option - Download your BT Yahoo! Mail messages for offline use. I've never used it, so I don't know how it saves the messages (individually or a single archive file). I would imagine other ISPs would have a similar facility. |
|
06 Nov 06 - 01:05 PM (#1877534) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: JohnInKansas Snuffy - I haven't found anything like that at either MSN or Hotmail, but others may have something like it. If you happen to be using Outlook for your email, the basic method of backing up your email is simply to copy your .pst file and paste it in another location. You should be able to use Windows Explorer to find your .pst folder. In Folders view click on your primary (C:\) drive, then click Search view and select "All Files and Folders." Yu may have to click "Advanced" options and put a check mark in to include Hidden and System files. Search for "*.pst." When the results appear, right-click on your .pst folder, click Copy (or Ctl-C), go back to folders view and choose (or create) someplace to put it. A slightly more complex (and slightly preferable) procedure is described in the general instructions article (same as the last link at the bottom of this post). This procedure allows you to rename the "backup .pst" before you copy it to your backup location. If you really want to simplify it, an addin tool called "Personal Folders Backup" is provided. The articles I found reference Outlook thru 2002, so later versions may have something slightly different(?). Article ID 238782 explains how to use the tool, which is incredibly simple once you've got the addon installed. This article gives a link to a place where you can download the addin. (Article ID 810932 explains what to do if you have difficulty getting the tool to work. The Outlook versions cited appear to be older ones, but it might help with any questions(?).) This tool will add a "Backup" button to your Outlook menu. If you use this tool, you can select which folders to backup. If your whole thing is too large for a CD or DVD, you could select different sets of folders and back up each set in a separate place for later burn to individual CD/DVD archives. If you have too many emails in your inbox for convenient archiving (too large an inbox file) you can create subfolders in Outlook to split the emails into separate lumps that you can handle, and then separately back up sets of the smaller individual folders. Copying your .pst file to someplace else will preserve all your email messages, including attachements. How the attachments appear in the backup may be variable. Outlook users might want to take a look at Article ID 289972 for some assistance with attachments. General Outlook instructions are at Article ID 287456 and may be helpful if other mysteries appear. This article should be consulted by anyone using Outlook, as it has a lot of helpful information. Since the .pst file contains virtually everything associated with your email, it should include a backup of the contacts (address book) for the user whose .pst file is saved. John |
|
06 Nov 06 - 01:55 PM (#1877570) Subject: RE: BS: archiving e-mails as word docs on disc From: JohnInKansas The only essential difference between Outlook and Outlook Express, with respect to making backups, is that: 1. the "messages" folders have extension .dbx; and 2. you must separately backup your address book which has file extension .wab. Use search to find "*.dbx" and copy the entire folder1 containing your .dbx message files to another location. Do the same for *.wab. Use File|Import in OE to bring "archive store" emails back into OE. Note that the .wab file cannot generally be imported into other email programs, so you should separately, in OE, click "File|Export|Address Book" and select "Text File Comma Separated Values" to save your address book in a form that can be imported into nearly all other programs. Do this if you use, or expect to use, any other programs. (The .csv file can actually be "read," with patience, in a text editor if everything else fails you.) 1 Microsoft advises that you can copy individual .dbx subfolders from the location where you find your email messages, but many people report significant problems with re-importing stuff back to OE if this is done. Keeping the entire folder containing all the .dbx folders is recommended. If you do decide to split off an individual .dbx file, you should create an empty folder with the exact name of the .dbx file (omitting the ".dbx" when you type it in the File|New|Folder box) in OE before you attempt to import it. This usually works, but no guarantees are made. When you use (in OE) File|Import|messages, you have the option of importing individual folders back into OE, but you can't select individual messages. If the backup contains messages that are still present in OE, they will be duplicated – they will NOT overwrite the existing message, so arranging things in smaller folders before saving the email folder backup is recommended. OE also provides the ability at "File|Save As to save individual messages, and you can choose to save either as "mail" (.eml) or as "html." As long as you expect to have OE available to reopen the individual messages, I'd stronly recommend using the .eml format rather than .htm, due to the "fragility" of html files/folders in storage as mentioned a couple of posts back. To use the File|Save As method, you must do the messages one at a time – and you must provide a file name at the time of saving, since the filename will be the only thing identifying the message. A "mail file" (.eml) will overwrite an existing file with the same name. If you want to return an individual .eml message to your OE folders, you can just open the .eml file, right click on it, and use the "Move to Folder" button to store it back in your OE folders. So far as I've found, restoring .eml files must be done one at a time. Attachments generally are preserved in the .eml file, so you don't have to save them separately. Other email programs may use a different format for files "saved as email." When an email is "attached" to an email the attachment may have a "strange" file extension, with "mail" appearing fairly commonly from some of my correspondents. Usually if you save the attachment and change the file extension to .eml, OE will open it. Some email programs appear also to make strange "changes" to the file extensions for other kinds of attachments, and often the same "change the file extension" will let you hit on the "real" filename that one or another of your programs will enter – but it takes a little luck sometimes. John |