Back Up Your Email Box Before It is Too Late

When so many of us rely so much on our email				to understand. A message moved to the Trash
to operate our				Folder has not
businesses or our personal lives, it is important to				been deleted from the origination folder. In fact,
take				the message
preventative measures to avoid the ultimate				is just where it originated until you do the
disaster of				command Compress
unrecoverable email.I come to this subject as a				Folders or Empty Trash Folder.The Empty Trash
matter of multiple events on my				Folder command will only compress the messages
machine where one day I would open my mail to
discover that				for the item that is in the Trash Folder. In order
all has been lost. The pit that wells in your				to do the
stomach upon				same for your entire email system, you must
realization of this occurrence can be				use the command
overwhelming. To recover				Compress Folders.The simple action of sending
in the event of future losses, each of us should				email to the trash without
learn the				compressing the folders or simply emptying the
basics of maintaining and backing up our				trash can also
email.One of the important things to do in				lead to great destabilization of your email client.
preventative maintenance,				So please
is to clean your folders and to empty your trash.				take great care to maintain your email client
Most people				software as it
do not realize that when the number of				should be.If there is one thing that I have learned
messages in a specific				with computers, one
folder exceeds a certain threshold that they				should always prepare for the worst case
begin running on				scenario. Always! In
borrowed time.Exactly where that threshold is				order to be fully prepared for the worst case
varies from email client to				scenario with
email client, so what may be true for mine may				your email, you should do regular backups of
be different				your mail folders.Here I will explain how to do that
for yours. When this article was originally written,				outside of the email
I was using				client's process for this purpose. I am also
the Netscape 4.x Email Client for security				explaining how
reasons more than				to do so only for Outlook Express and Netscape
anything. The Netscape Email Client is less				Mail. I have
susceptible to				never ran an Eudora client at the times I was
JavaScript attacks than any other email client I				exploring this
have used.				scenario.FOR OUTLOOK EXPRESS USERS:In your
These days, I have grown with Netscape to the				windows Explorer, you will find a folder, most
Netscape 7.x				likely
platform. This is important to note as Netscape				with this precise name. The only difference you
8.x does not				might see is
offer email anymore.What I do know is that I				in the Application Key as noted between the
have repeatedly pushed my client to				{}.C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Identities\
its limits to see where the threshold might be.
The Netscape				osoft\Outlook ExpressWhen you navigate to this
4.x Email Client will generally break at around				folder, this is the default location
4,500 email				where your Outlook Express Email is stored.
messages in one folder, though it will become				Simply highlight
shaky at around				the last folder, "Outlook Express" and copy it to
2,000 messages. I have yet to determine the				another
upper threshold				location. In most cases, this folder will be way
on Netscape 7.x, and I have had folders with				too large
more than 20,000				to copy to a Floppy Drive. Most likely, you will
messages in them.These upper ends will also				need to
depend on your computer hardware.				copy it to a Zip drive or another location on your
If you have a 200mhz machine with only 56kb				hard drive.You can also save the individual *.dbx
Ram memory,				files, which outline
you should expect a shake-out sooner than a				the contents of each of your mail boxes, the
machine that has				Inbox, the
a bigger processor with more memory.For users				Outbox, etc.If you are really bored, you can send
of other clients such as Outlook Express, Eudora				the *.dbx file to Wordpad
and				to view the actual format of a mailbox from a
others, I cannot tell you the top end of how well				text standpoint.
the software				You can use this only in a worst case scenario to
will perform.If there are more than 2,000				attempt to
messages you wish to hang on to,				rebuild a broken mail box. Always make backups
you should begin filing your messages in separate				of the file
folders				before trying to repair it by hand --- Always!!!FOR
below the Inbox. This will help you to find your				NETSCAPE MAIL USERS:The location of the mail
messages				storage is: C:\Program
quicker and it will provide more stability to your				Files\Netscape\Users\username\MailOf course,
email				replace "username" with your username.Within the
client.There are three folders that you must pay				Netscape Mail system, you will discover three file
regular attention				types: .sbd, .snm, and (blank).The *.sbd is a
to. They are the Inbox, Sent Mail Folder and				folder that contains all of your sub-folders.
Trash Folder.Most people fail to remember that				The *.snm is the indexing file of your email. The
their client is pre-configured				(blank), ie.
to save a copy of all outgoing email. As a result,				"Inbox" without an extension, is your actual mail
this folder				messages
can grow to unbelievable sizes before anyone				recorded in plain text. You can also send these
thinks to clean it				files to your
out.It is important to mention the Trash Folder in				Wordpad application to view the contents. Do not
more detail				save this
since most people do not realize how it				file when you close it unless you are trying to
works.Most email clients follow a general principle				rebuild your
in their				box, and if so, always make sure you have a
operation. Each email box is generally represented				backup before
by two				doing so.If you delete the .snm, the .snm file
files. The first is a text rendering of all messages				will rebuild itself
in the				the next time you open your Netscape Mail
box. The second is an indexing file that lists the				application.Taking these precautions and knowing
title of				this information, you will
the email and other identifying characteristics				never have to chance losing all of your important
relative to				emails again.
each individual message.When you look at the				The time you take today to backup your email
contents of your email box, you are				box can save you
actually seeing the contents of the indexing file.				the worst nightmare ever. Trust me, I have
When you				been there.Copyright Bill Platt - All Rights
pull up the text of an actual message, the				ReservedBill Platt is the owner of you are tired of
software is finding				the struggle of the link building process,
the message in the message file according to the				it might be time to consider our "Links And
software				Traffic" services.When you are ready to employ
assigned Email ID as listed in the indexing file.Now,				more Natural Linking Strategies in
when you move a message from one folder to				increasing your link popularity, "Links And Traffic"
another,				can help.When you are ready for your links to
including into the Trash Folder, the only thing that				actually generate
actually				click-through traffic, we are here. This is not a
moves is the listing in the indexing file! This is				link rental
important				system or a reciprocal linking scam.

Mail Vault

Back Up Your Email Box Before It is Too Late

More in Articles