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Resolved Question

Email backup Software

Sep 2, 2012 2:44PM PDT

Which email backup solution are you guys using?

I want to backup all my Yahoo and office emails.

I googled and found Dropmyemail email backup solution. Is anyone using it? Any feedback on the service?

Discussion is locked

rzorshrp76 has chosen the best answer to their question. View answer

Best Answer

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Re: backup
Sep 2, 2012 4:55PM PDT

As far as I can see (they don't tell much on their site) they make a backup of some cloud-based mail servers (hotmail, gmail) into their own (Amazon-based) cloud. So they don't make a backup of the mail on your hard disk. Since you don't tell where your office mail is located, it's unsure if this would be something for you.

Kees

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It does backup office email
Sep 3, 2012 1:42PM PDT

I saw that they do support any form of email. See this FAQ to backup office mail.

I can use POP or IMAP and back up my email.

Your true that they do not allow you to backup the email to the hard disk. But when they keep a cloud backup, you do I need a hard disk backup also.

I shall test it out on the free account and see if its worth the pro.

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Re: backup
Sep 4, 2012 4:53AM PDT

If your business email is on a pop3- or imap-server indeed they do (I hadn't seen that), although the link you provided doesn't show how they handle username and password to access the account on the server. But let's assume they do.

But that, of course, for the usual pop3-account only backups the e-mails still present in the inbox on the server. Not the sent items, not anything that was deleted form the server. So with the usual delete-from-the-server settings, there backup hardly does anything.
Be sure to check carefully if all goes well, if you plan to use their services.

Kees

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FAQs suggest they keep backups
Sep 4, 2012 2:28PM PDT

Hi Kees,

After reading your comment, I was reading their FAQS and mailed them as well.

They mentioned that they even backup the sent item, drafts and other folders. They also mention that once the files are deleted from the server, it is still maintained by them since they have something like an incremental backup. I shall try it out and let you guys know.

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Re: backup
Sep 4, 2012 5:26PM PDT

They backup what's on the server. They can't backup what's only on your PC (it could be turned off and they don't have access). And sent mails aren't saved on the server, so not present there. Same for all folders you created yourself in your email client.
Just go into the webmail-interface offered by your mail provider if you don't believe me.

And let me mention a possible disadvantage of incremental backup of your inbox. After 2 years it will contain any mail ever sent to you, including all spam mails you threw away. Restoring your inbox in case something happens will restore that full 2 years of mail. It's a lot of work to sift through it and again delete everything that you already deleted. And I'm afraid your mail archive will grow and grow until you reach the maximum amount of space that was free; than you necessarily start paying unless they have facilities and you have the time to delete all 'old' mails from their archive. You might have to do that manually (a lot of unnecessary work) and it might even be impossible.

But, of course, since it starts being free, it's worth a try. It might be what you need, and then it's a useful tool. But as you see, I'm somewhat skeptical.
Personally, I just copy the Windows folder Thunderbird stores its mail in to another disk. That's a good enough backup for me.

Kees

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Answer
Never needed such a thing.
Sep 2, 2012 3:42PM PDT

Why? Because my email is in a file so why would I need software to copy that file to my backups?

Maybe I'm thinking too old school. That is, why copy a file when you can find an app to do it for you?
Bob

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It is required for me
Sep 2, 2012 4:26PM PDT

The idea is to backup the file. Even if your email is a file, where are you backing it up?

I can backup my email via a file on my computer. But then, I will have to create a backup of my local backup so that I have my file in the case my laptop crashes.

So a web based service is what I am looking at.

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My email or rather backup
Sep 3, 2012 3:22AM PDT

Is to no less than 3 devices and locations. After all that, a few things I can't lose are put to DVD and memory keys once in a while.

-> One web based service I use is dropbox but again I don't need an app for this.
Bob

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What about restore?
Nov 8, 2012 2:07PM PST

I guess the idea is also making it easy to restore and migrate. That would be difficult if you have the emails on your DVD. It will be a huge painful and long process.

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Which is why I switched to imap for email.
Nov 8, 2012 2:20PM PST

And there is backup for that as well. For many, it's too much work so they accept they can lose it all.

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Restore is must
Nov 26, 2012 2:00PM PST

you are absolutely right this is a long process and its takes time for the completion but i think this is most secure process too.