i would like to have a feature in em client that allows me to set a scheduled export job for my emails to eml format.
where i currently do it manually from the File → Export feature … it would be very helpful to have it auto-start an export job either once a day, every few days, or based on some other schedule option.
i don’t use Archiving, because I want all my emails for all time to remain on the server side. my reasoning for using export is that i periodically backup the emls for all my inboxes and sents and then I 7z the exports to store someplace safe locally on my home network.
it’s my safety for just-in-case disaster strikes – or if i ever do something stupid accidentally
it’s my safety for just-in-case disaster strikes – or if i ever do something stupid accidentally
I would suggest to just setup the eM Client automatic periodic backup via "Menu / Settings / General / Backup’ which creates dated Backup.zip files to whatever folder or directory you want. You can then copy those to any other safe storage device. The built-in backup also not only restores your email, but also all the settings.
I set eM Client in the periodic automatic backup to keep the last 3 backups, and then automatically copy those .zip backups everyday to my external drives and cloud drives. You can then easily restore those via “Menu / File / Restore” if you need to anytime.
i was under the impression that the backup feature is backing up settings and accounts but not actual emails. according to what you’re saying, the backup feature can also backup email ? i have the free version of the software, only options available are frequency and # of backups to keep. don’t see anything related to choosing specific account folders to backup. so i’m not sure that my backups are preserving email as well.
my latest backup is 1.3GB in size, whereas the size of the export of my emails is 2.7GB.
i setup em client for standard IMAP so it does not download and then delete from the server like with a POP setup. i used to - for a very long time - have my gmail configured to use both IMAP and POP, where the client software i used was set to download everything from the server and then delete the server side copies. but over the course of time, i decided to put back all my email on google servers and just go with IMAP … when i’m away from the client software, i could still browse and view all my email from anywhere.
i used POP under the premise that any breaches or any other catastrophic internet issues would not expose any of my emails or worry about loss – because all email resided on a personal computer at the end of the day.
ultimately, if i can have all my emails backed up periodically using the backup feature you suggested, then i’m ok with that except where i can only restore back into em client and not any other application. with exporting eml’s and other formats, i have the flexibility to jump over to something like Outlook or Thunderbird if for some reason I wanted to in the future.
i would still think it’s a nice to have in em client settings - a feature that can automatically do these exports in the output formats i choose, and then zipping the exported folders. as it works now, i manually export, and then take those export folders and zip them into a single file. otherwise (unzipped), my synchronizer job that backs up my computer to my NAS would take hours to compare the differences in eml files between the source and the target (i have over 42000 individual emails).
i was under the impression that the backup feature is backing up settings and accounts but not actual emails. according to what you’re saying, the backup feature can also backup email ?
Yes for IMAP, Exchange or iCloud accounts the actual emails are not backed up by default. Only the settings and accounts as you say. It just makes it easy though to put it all back if things go wrong.
However if you want to keep the separate IMAP, Exchange or iCloud emails without exporting them to .eml files, you can setup a eg: Rule for the Inbox via “Menu Rules” to automatically copy incoming email from that specific account Inbox or whatever account inbox to the eM Client equivalent “Local Folders” at the bottom left.
So you could create a folder say called eg: Gmail account and then create an Inbox folder under that. Then set up IMAP rule in eM Client to copy incoming Inbox emails to that specific folder.
Then if you restored an eM Client automatic periodic backup you can still read and restore your IMAP mail “from Local Folders” even if your mailbox on the cloud went up in smoke by dragging or copying the Local Folder inbox email back up to your specific account once re-added.
i see, so essentially, any local folders i create in em client will be included in the built-in backup jobs ?
the emails which would be copied/mirrored to those folders remains within the file system and structure of em client … and not converted to any type of standard email file format such as eml, etc … is that right ?
i’d be fine with that … and since em client zips the backup that saves me a step.
could also do manual exports every once in a while as an additional backup of my email.
may sound overboard to many … i tend to keep at least 2 duplicates of data i care about, and when i have more than one method of backing up at my disposal that brings even more ease to mind …
for instance - i use time machine periodically, but also use another 3rd party tool to backup the files i care about on my mac. and then all of that is placed on my NAS, which makes 2 independent backups on 2 independent external drives. i think this routine covers me for the most part.
this is my first use of em client and so far i’m liking it better than apple mail and outlook. i like the abundance of options and ease of use.
i see, so essentially, any local folders i create in em client will be included in the built-in backup jobs ?
Yes correct. Anything in local folders is backed up with all the Accounts above them.
the emails which would be copied/mirrored to those folders remains within the file system and structure of em client … and not converted to any type of standard email file format such as eml, etc … is that right ?
Yes emails in Local folders “are as far as I know” are “not converted to .eml files” and are in the same email format as all the account emails.
