# Switching Email programs (from Netscape to something different)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-email-programs-from-netscape-to-something-different/251340>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 20, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-email-programs-from-netscape-to-something-different/251340 "2004-06-20T20:09:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-email-programs-from-netscape-to-something-different/251340/1 "2004-06-20T20:09:29Z")

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I have a friend that is currently using Netscape 7.1 for his email. He wants to switch to a different browser and email package, but doesn’t want to have to re-enter all of his contacts into a new mail program. Any way to download his current contacts so that they can be uploaded? Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-email-programs-from-netscape-to-something-different/251340/2 "2004-06-20T20:43:08Z")

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> [@ShibbOleth](#):
>
> I have a friend that is currently using Netscape 7.1 for his email. He wants to switch to a different browser and email package, but doesn’t want to have to re-enter all of his contacts into a new mail program. Any way to download his current contacts so that they can be uploaded? Thanks!

It really depends on what software he is going to. Depending on the program he switches to it might automatically import it.

– Ronin

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**Author:** ![Chimpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@Chimpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimpy)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-email-programs-from-netscape-to-something-different/251340/3 "2004-06-20T21:00:33Z")

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i know [Thunderbird](http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird) and [Firefox](http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox) have an import contacts and import favourites option.

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**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-email-programs-from-netscape-to-something-different/251340/4 "2004-06-20T21:01:09Z")

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I haven’t used Netscape for email since Netscape 3, but assuming Netscape hasn’t changed how they handle email (i.e., you’ve got individual files with names like “Inbox”, “Sent Mail”, “Drafts”, “Trash”, etc., in your Netscape folder — if you’re on a PC, those files will have extensions but I don’t know what), you can open them in other standards-compliant email programs such as Eudora (and after all, what else would anyone in their right mind ever switch to? ;)).

I don’t really know about the address book. I’m a chronic non-user of email address books. If I wanna email someone, I almost always just find a prior email from the individual and do a reply and change the subject line.