I’ve been using PMMail/2 on OS/2 and later PMMail 2000 on Windows since 1996 or so. But it seems that it is no longer being supported or developed, so I need to look for a replacement. I’d like to avoid Outlook and Outlook Express if at all possible. The big problem I have is my email archive - 177,000 items since 1997 - all stored as individual files in plain text format - full header then message, exactly as pulled from the pop3 server. I’ve already found that there’s no .qwk reader for Windows XP that supports long filenames and so can’t access my earlier mail and cannot lose more: there’s critical information stored within.
So what do the collective recommend?
I have no objection to paying, but I’d prefer a trial version first.
For a classy, e-mail only app, try PocoMail, which is loaded with features, offers multiple import/export filters for various mailbox formats, and costs $40 for the registered version. Also, Thunderbird is the standalone e-mail client from the Mozilla suite, with supposedly excellent spam filtering, and a more attractive price tag ($0).
At work, IT has decreed use of Eudora Pro. It works well enough, but because I’ve used Outlook for so long, I get frustrated trying to do things like filtering and address book management in a different system.
It is a local Mail (POP3/SMTP/IMAP) Server/Gateway.
Download and unzip it somewhere.
Then start Hamster.exe
I had to change the SMTP port. If there is no red error message in the log panel, you can skip this step. Open Configuration -> Local Servers… -> SMTP. Change the port from 25 to something four-digit, 2525 did it for me. Press F9 (to start SMTP server)
In your old mail program create an account using localhost as SMTP (outgoing) server, username admin, empty password. If you changed the port above, set it to the same value here. You could enter localhost as a POP server as well but if you do, do not configure it to fetch mail automatically.
In your new mail program create an account using localhost as POP server,
username admin, empty password; SMTP doesn’t matter, no port changes
In your old program forward all messages to admin@localhost using the new account.
Fetch them from the new account in the new program.
That’s it. The server has countless additional options but you will not need them now. If you plan to use it for longer periods of time, read the documentation and make sure everything is configured appropriately.
Hamster? Interesting indeed. This would, of course, lose all date info from my messages. I’ve looked at The Bat and given that the messages are plain .msg files I can import each folder manually but I’ve got dozens of the things, some with many thousands of messages and some with 10,000+ messages.
[QUOTE=London_Calling]
Why can’t you just leave the achive where it is, back it up on a CD, access it when you need it and move forward with a new e-mail client ?
[QUOTE]
Because I’ve already lost access to one set of archives.
If your email is stored simply in text files that all you need is a safe place to keep them, plus a back up. You’re never going to lose access to text.
But if you’re wanting to import 177 thousand emails into your new email app, then you’re not really wanting an email program at all, but a database. That’s a lot of email to heap on a new program with, especially if you want to be able to do a meaningful, filtered import retaining all the indexed header info. This is not what email apps do, that’s a database’s job. Archive your old stuff in one and move on…
My personal recommendations are Pegasus or Thunderbird.