# How to store PMs? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 25, 2008, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-store-pms/469496 "2008-10-25T11:04:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-store-pms/469496/1 "2008-10-25T11:04:35Z")
My inbox is close (40/50) to getting filled. Being an anal-retentive, I’d like to file away all my PMs. (Not quite so anal-retentive as to have the same desire with my BMs.) Can you suggest where I can put them? NB: this is not the Pit, so please refrain from taking that as a straight line. If you can suggest where, tho, please remember that I am technologically impaired, and require very simple instructions. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-store-pms/469496/2 "2008-10-25T12:03:33Z")
As far as I know there is no way to keep/store PMs so that you can continue to get PMs beyond the limit. I run a VB board as well and the max number is the max number you can have at all…in order to save them in another folder and continue getting new ones, the number of PMs a person is allowed to have must be raised. Fifty isn’t so bad. I was a member on a board once where it was 20…so compare that to this. ETA: And that 20 INCLUDED the “sent messages” folder…so one was constantly having to empty that out (or you can also uncheck the “save a copy to my sent messages” box when sending a PM–most people don’t think of this, however, when sending a PM so that box gets quite full fast (usually)) ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-store-pms/469496/3 "2008-10-25T12:12:54Z")
You could choose one of the download options and save them to your computer. ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-store-pms/469496/4 "2008-10-25T12:25:48Z")
What **IDT** said. I never delete PM’s, I just let my box fill up then export them to a text document. If you go to your PM inbox you’ll see it on the bottom right hand side of the page: > [@](#): > > Download all Private Messages as: > XML | CSV | Text I save my saved ones in a plain ol’ text file. It isn’t fancy, but I can always go back to take a look. Here’s what a random one looks like on the header: > [@](#): > > Straight Dope Message Board; [Straight Dope Message Board - Your direct line to thousands of the smartest, hippest people on the planet, plus a few total dipsticks.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb) > Private Message Dump for User bbs2k; 01-12-2008 08:21 AM –\> > > ################################################################################ > Folder : Sent Items > ################################################################################ > > ## ================================================================================ From : bbs2k To : tdn Date : 2007-10-14 17:31 Title : Re: Dinner tonight lover? > > No, I told you already, it’s over between us! > > And stop calling me at work. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-store-pms/469496/5 "2008-10-25T12:28:52Z")
that’s what I do. click on the box to the right of the time & date info of the PM you want to save. then click on the option button at the bottom of the page that says “move to folder”. that gives you the option to download in several different formats; simplest is as text. once you’ve chosen the format you want, click the “go” button and it will download to your computer. at that point, I usually re-name the file to the date and sender/recipient of the PM, since the file name my iMac gives it is the date I download the file, not the date of the PM. once you’re sure the message is stored on your computer, go back to the PM page in your browser, and click on the “move to folder” button again. this time, select “delete”, then “go” and the message is deleted. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-store-pms/469496/6 "2008-10-25T12:29:59Z")
> [@bbs2k](#): > > What **IDT** said. > > I never delete PM’s, I just let my box fill up then export them to a text document. If you go to your PM inbox you’ll see it on the bottom right hand side of the page: > > I save my saved ones in a plain ol’ text file. It isn’t fancy, but I can always go back to take a look. Here’s what a random one looks like on the header: :snerk: ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-store-pms/469496/7 "2008-10-25T12:30:53Z")
hmm - looks like there might be some differences in the display, based on **bbs2k** ’s description. may depend on your browser. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2008, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-store-pms/469496/8 "2008-10-25T17:11:50Z")
Yay! It works! I had the same question and was able to follow **Norther Piper** ’s instructions. I also saw the same information that\*\* bbs2k\*\* noted, but couldn’t figure out how to do anything with it. Thanks guys/gals! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2008, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-store-pms/469496/9 "2008-10-26T14:14:50Z")
glad to be of assistance. 🆒