Backing up to Zip file

exactus · 18th August 2012, 08:10 PM

I don't understand how to restore files back onto the FM web interface, or am I totally misunderstanding this feature?

1. Go to a selected folder on the web interface, and tick all the individual emails you want to archive.

2. Go to action tool bar and select > More Actions > Download Zip

3. Browse to locate required folder on your hard drive save the filename.zip.

So far so good.

In six months time, say, how do I unzip and put all the files back into a selected folder on FM's web interface?

or, is this not supposed to be how it works, and I am only zipping a copy that I can only read from my hard drive,
but cannot restore back onto my web mail?

I use POP (please don't say I should be using IMAP!!)

will appreciate all suggestions...

.

janusz · 18th August 2012, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exactus

I am only zipping a copy that I can only read from my hard drive,but cannot restore back onto my web mail?

Correct....

FredOnline · 18th August 2012, 08:36 PM

I don't think that Fastmail can upload the zipped file - they can do a restore of what's on their server but that's not the same thing.

You can use third-party software like MailStore Home to archive locally then upload to Fastmail.

BritTim · 19th August 2012, 01:24 AM

If you want to restore many messages from the zip file, using an external tool such as IMAPSize is the practical solution. If you just want to restore a few messages, it is my recollection that this is possible (perhaps those with better memories can correct any errors in my description below).

Extract the messages you want to restore from the zip file.
Create an email to yourself that includes the messages as separate attachments.
In the Fastmail web interface, move the input email to the folder where you want the original messages and open the input email.
There is an option called something like "extract messages to current folder". This takes the attachments and uses them to recreate the original messages.

There are various drawbacks, not least that size restrictions on input emails restrict the number of messages you can restore in one go. This technique worked reasonably well many years ago when the total allowed message box size was small compared to maximum individual message size. It is almost obsolete today, but I think it still works.

hobbes · 20th August 2012, 04:50 PM

Or, drag-and-drop the emails into Outlook Express (or whatever it is called nowadays) and upload via IMAP.

Voila!

janusz · 20th August 2012, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hobbes

upload via IMAP.

Quote:

Originally Posted by exactus

I use POP (please don't say I should be using IMAP!!)

oops....

exactus · 21st August 2012, 05:37 PM

Once again my thanks to forum members for their responses.

May i respectfully suggest that the help files be looked at regarding this topic? I think that it needs a sentence somewhere to say that the more actions feature zips all the messages up, but after that you are on your own. I'm happy with the functionality, but difficult to find how it works!

hobbes · 21st August 2012, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by janusz

oops....

Quote:

will appreciate all suggestions...

That was my suggestion ... and the solution, actually.

**Shelded** · 25th August 2012, 10:31 PM

I think the proper way to look at the "archive" feature is that it is an archive. That's different than a "backup" in that it's not really intended to be restored. It is to be consulted for a needed message. There are ways to overuse (restore) the archive but that's not what it is for.

See instead IMAPSIZE and MailStore Home or even Windows Live Mail for ongoing backup methods which have better restore capability.

Riddle: what does it mean to "restore" to a POP account anyway?

BritTim · 27th August 2012, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shelded

Riddle: what does it mean to "restore" to a POP account anyway?

Your confusion is based on the assumption that POP is being used in the way it was originally designed: incoming email messages being stored on a server only temporarily until an email client downloads them. However, many people today, while they use the POP protocol to download incoming messages to the client, also keep copies on the server indefinitely. You can even find some defensible reasons why you might prefer this to an IMAP approach (such as a client side accident not being so easily propagated to the server). Some webmail providers (e.g. Gmail) even assume that many of their users will work that way, and provide server side controls to specify what happens to messages after they are downloaded using POP. This is just one of many examples of the weird evolution IT related services sometimes undergo.

**Shelded** · 27th August 2012, 07:03 AM

I'm not quite so out of touch as you say; but I have never tried to stuff a message back up to a POP account. Once you're doing that it seems to me you're doing something more like IMAP or webmail of some other type.

BritTim · 27th August 2012, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shelded

I'm not quite so out of touch as you say; but I have never tried to stuff a message back up to a POP account. Once you're doing that it seems to me you're doing something more like IMAP or webmail of some other type.

My original answer was somewhat tongue in cheek but, once you accept the idea that messages downloaded using POP stay on the server indefinitely, it becomes totally reasonable that you might want to restore the server's "mailbox" after some kind of misadventure. Odd (if thinking in traditional POP terms) but logical (if working the way some do today). You find it hard to get your head around this because (like me) you would use IMAP in situations where you are retaining messages on the server, and want consistency between what you see on the server and on the client.

**Shelded** · 27th August 2012, 02:03 PM

I don't see anything odd in someone wanting to do this but only that it's not POP. If I tried this with my ISP POP account would it take the mail back?? As more and more use Gmail and Gmail uses a form of IMAP, I think that would work.

18th August 2012, 08:10 PM	#1
exactus Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 58	Backing up to Zip file I don't understand how to restore files back onto the FM web interface, or am I totally misunderstanding this feature? 1. Go to a selected folder on the web interface, and tick all the individual emails you want to archive. 2. Go to action tool bar and select > More Actions > Download Zip 3. Browse to locate required folder on your hard drive save the filename.zip. So far so good. In six months time, say, how do I unzip and put all the files back into a selected folder on FM's web interface? or, is this not supposed to be how it works, and I am only zipping a copy that I can only read from my hard drive, but cannot restore back onto my web mail? I use POP (please don't say I should be using IMAP!!) will appreciate all suggestions... .

19th August 2012, 01:24 AM	#4
BritTim Master of the @ Join Date: May 2003 Location: mostly in Thailand Posts: 1,128	If you want to restore many messages from the zip file, using an external tool such as IMAPSize is the practical solution. If you just want to restore a few messages, it is my recollection that this is possible (perhaps those with better memories can correct any errors in my description below). Extract the messages you want to restore from the zip file. Create an email to yourself that includes the messages as separate attachments. In the Fastmail web interface, move the input email to the folder where you want the original messages and open the input email. There is an option called something like "extract messages to current folder". This takes the attachments and uses them to recreate the original messages. There are various drawbacks, not least that size restrictions on input emails restrict the number of messages you can restore in one go. This technique worked reasonably well many years ago when the total allowed message box size was small compared to maximum individual message size. It is almost obsolete today, but I think it still works.

21st August 2012, 05:37 PM	#7
exactus Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 58	thanks to all Once again my thanks to forum members for their responses. May i respectfully suggest that the help files be looked at regarding this topic? I think that it needs a sentence somewhere to say that the more actions feature zips all the messages up, but after that you are on your own. I'm happy with the functionality, but difficult to find how it works!

18th August 2012, 08:36 PM	#3
FredOnline Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Manchester UK Posts: 701	I don't think that Fastmail can upload the zipped file - they can do a restore of what's on their server but that's not the same thing. You can use third-party software like MailStore Home to archive locally then upload to Fastmail.

20th August 2012, 04:50 PM	#5
hobbes Essential Contributor Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: UK Posts: 459	Or, drag-and-drop the emails into Outlook Express (or whatever it is called nowadays) and upload via IMAP. Voila!

25th August 2012, 10:31 PM	#9
Shelded Moderator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: USA Northwest Posts: 3,842	I think the proper way to look at the "archive" feature is that it is an archive. That's different than a "backup" in that it's not really intended to be restored. It is to be consulted for a needed message. There are ways to overuse (restore) the archive but that's not what it is for. See instead IMAPSIZE and MailStore Home or even Windows Live Mail for ongoing backup methods which have better restore capability. Riddle: what does it mean to "restore" to a POP account anyway?

27th August 2012, 07:03 AM	#11
Shelded Moderator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: USA Northwest Posts: 3,842	I'm not quite so out of touch as you say; but I have never tried to stuff a message back up to a POP account. Once you're doing that it seems to me you're doing something more like IMAP or webmail of some other type.

27th August 2012, 02:03 PM	#13
Shelded Moderator Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: USA Northwest Posts: 3,842	I don't see anything odd in someone wanting to do this but only that it's not POP. If I tried this with my ISP POP account would it take the mail back?? As more and more use Gmail and Gmail uses a form of IMAP, I think that would work.