Netscape 4.8 Mail From Server To Hard Drive

Hello Everyone:
I am new to the BBS and, although a pretty proficient user for technical stuff on a hard drive, somewhat of a novice with technical stuff relative to browsers and email. Here's my dilemma:

For years I have used netscape 4.78 to both access the web and get email. It was only around 2000 that I learned about "synchronization" and, of course, immediately tried to set 4.78 up to do it. I never could get 4.78 to transfer my emails to my hard drive, so, right now, about 7 years of emails are on a server somewhere in Netscape-land.

I have now changed hard drives (the old drive is still on the machine and accessible) and operating systems (XP Home to XP Professional). I figured out how to get to the 4.78 emails (I can only read what is already there).
I have read everything on the Netscape website but couldn't find an answer; I emailed their tech support - never got an answer from them.

HELP!!
Does anyone know how to move my emails from the server to my hard drive?
Peace

 

Welcome to the Form MinYin!

MinYin,

It has been so long since I've used Netscape Communicator, that I am very rusty on its operation. Are you still using Version 4.78, and have you recreated the Mail Account which you use to leave the messages on the server?

I did find this information after a Google search:

http://itinfo.mit.edu/answer.php?id=5089

Let us know if this helps...

When leaving messages on the Server, it's always a good idea to CC your default account, that way you will have a second copy of your messages, and never run into this problem again.

You really need to start using an up-to-date browser. I'm surprised you can even read this Forum...

 

Ramona:
Thanks for the Welcome and links.
==============
FYI:
I began using Netscape as a POP server way back when because it was recommended by my ISP. In late 2005-early 2006, I tried to upgrade to Nestcape 7 but for some reason, that didn't happen. I was never able to send mail via Netscape - only receive - and was still able to receive and send via 4.8, so that's what I did.
When I received this new machine, Windows Internet Explorer was already installed and, although I have issues with it, am using it until I can resolve the netscape issue.
That's how I found the BBS...
===========
My only question is how does the "file button" on the netscape toolbar get me to my hard drive.
Again, thanks for your help
Peace

 

Hi MinYin,

Welcome to the BBS. Like Ramona, I'd forgotten everything I ever knew about the Communicator suite, having switched to Phoenix (now Firefox) as my browser, and Thunderbird for email, in 2003 because Netscape Communicator 4.79 didn't get along well with the ISP I was using at the time.

Being of an adventurous nature, I just downloaded and installed Communicator 4.78, which you mentioned using. With the Messenger (email) window open, from the Edit menu open Preferences. In the Mail & Newsgroups section click on Mail Servers. In the Incoming Mail Servers window your ISP's mail server should already be highlighted; click the Edit button and select the POP tab. Uncheck "Leave messages on server" and OK your way out.

Hopefully, when you click the "Get Msg" icon your messages will be downloaded. If, as you say, you have seven years of messages on the server, it will take quite some time, even with a broadband connection.

HTH, and good luck.

 

I, also, have not had NS4.x on years. I have just some question about unchecking the "leave on server ". That should not affect the downloading of messages. My NS7.2 server settings include leave on server for 14 days (my choice), because I, clearly, remember having the box unchecked at one location (at work), and then being unable to download the message at home. Unchecking the box will make messages unavailable.My NS7.2 server settings include: "automatically download new messages ". Is there anything like that in NS4.x?

 

Netscape 4.8 Mail From Server

Hello HTH
Hello Jim
HTH: I follow the logic for doing this if I am getting new messages but can you please explain how that will transfer existing messages in my inbox to my hard drive.
Thanks
Peace

 

If the messages have been downloaded, wherever they were downloaded, it is a matter of renaming the Inbox file only to something else (I used Oldinbox), then right click copy the renamed Inbox, on the old drive, and finally right click|Paste the file in your Mail|Account folder. When you open 4.78 mail, you will see an Oldinbox folder, beside the Inbox folder which has only recent mail.
I am not sure what you are going to gt, or if you are going to get it.
You will have to figure out a way to connect the old drive to the new computer. Also, before doing anything, see what is the size of the old Inbox. If, indeed it has 2000 messages, it could be in the GB range.
The problem is to get the mail from the server to the Inbox. Is the mail anywhere to be seen? May be the ISP website. If you don't see much there, it is gone.

 

MinYin,

http://www.ufaq.org/commonly/userprefs.html

Disable Automatic Mail Download
(Communicator 4.5b1 and up only) Communicator 4.5 and up by default download new incoming mail messages (POP3) or message headers (IMAP). To disable this and revert to the behavior of Communicator 4.0x and earlier, which merely notifies users that there is new mail waiting on the server, add the following lines as needed. If using a POP3 server, use the first line; if using an IMAP server, use the bottom line.

user_pref( "mail.pop3_gets_new_mail ", false);

user_pref( "mail.imap.new_mail_get_headers ", false);

Still experimenting to see if I can get the messages off the server...

 

MinYin,

I finally managed to get Communicator's IMAP messages off the server, and here's how:

Open Communicator 4.8 Mail (Messenger)
Click on: File | New Folder

Fill in the Name field
In the Create as subfolder of field:
Click on the down arrow
From the dropdown menu, select: Local Mail

Next:

From the server (if you can find the folder with your email) copy the messages in small increments, and I would suggest no more than 100 at a time. Otherwise your program may choke/freeze, which may cause a loss of data.

Highlight approximately 100 messages, right click and drag the 100 messages to the new folder you created in Local Mail.

When you close Communicator, open Windows Explorer
Go to your Netscape |Users | Username | Mail folder

The Mail folder will contain the newly created folder with the 100 messages you copied to the new folder.

After I checked to see that the messages I copied to the new folder were there, then I copied the file without the snm extension to my Thunderbird Archive folder. All messages were intact...

This is going to take some time since you have accumulated such a huge number of messages. Don't copy these messages to your Inbox, as it will cause some major problems. Make some new folders, and try to organize the messages in an archive.

 

Hi MinYin,

FYI, the "HTH" at the bottom of my earlier post wasn't a signature but, simply, computerese for "Hope This Helps ".

I'm sorry to have taken so long to get back to you, but I was away for several days, with no access to the internet. Nevertheless, I've given considerable thought to your situation, and realize now that the instructions I gave you in my last post were not really applicable. As my kids would say, "My bad! "

You stated that you were using POP mail but it sounds as though you're using IMAP mail. If POP, your messages should have been downloaded to your hard drive, even if copies were left on the server. Ramona has just given you instructions for getting IMAP messages off the server, and I hope that takes care of your situation. If not, the answer to downloading POP mail is similar, but I'll wait to see what you have to say.

 

Jim,

I was thinking that Min Yin was referring to Netscape ISP POP mail. You think? We will have to wait and see...

 

Ramona ...

From: Wikipedia:

"Netscape ISP is a very basic Internet service; a simple dial-up connection with very few extra features. "​

A further search turned up a CNET story indicating that Netscape's ISP service has been offered by AOL only since January 2004. MinYin's use of Communicator predates the availability of Netscape as an ISP, so she had to have been using another service provider.

If she was, in fact, using POP email, her old mail has to be on her computer, unless she deleted her messages as she read and replied to them. If her messages were also left on the server, as she implies, and she needs to download them again, it would be safer, and easier, to use a different email program to do so.

Personally, I'd suggest that she use Thunderbird to do it. When she accesses her email account, all old messages should be downloaded to her inbox. If she sets Tbird up so that messages are not left on the server, they will be deleted as they are downloaded.

 

Hello Everyone!!
Have just read all the conversations and instructions.
1) I think I have POP mail - my ISP is Bellsouth whose information indicates I can set up POP mail but makes no reference to IMAP. But if POP results in automatic download, then perhaps I don't.
2) Ramona is right about AOL. Netscape was its own company when I first began using it. I have my own opinion of AOL...
3) The hard drive from my old computer is installed as D:/ drive on my new system. (Once I get the email straightened out, I intend to transfer the non-microsoft programs I need the most to the new C:/ drive) I managed [somehow, don't ask 'cause I really don't how ] to get my Netscape 4.78 icon onto my new C:/ drive which connects me to the web. Once there I use the tools tab on the Netscape menu bar to get to messenger which then opens the netscape inbox.
---
I am going to try Ramona's suggestion, including using Thunderbird [a new program for me] and will let all of you know the results.
Peace

 

Netscape 4.8 Mail From Server

JIM!!
MY BAD!!

I APOLOGIZE - TIMES 10

I just re-read the threads and realized that you were replying to Ramona and you suggested Thunderbird, not Ramona.

Peace

 

Hi MinYin,

Not to worry. Doesn't much matter who makes the suggestions, as long as they're good ones (which the ones in my first post in this thread weren't ).

Most, if not all, ISPs offer IMAP mail as well as POP mail but, for single computer users, POP is the better choice. From Wikipedia's discussion of IMAP:

IMAP is often used in large networks; for example, a college campus mail system. IMAP allows users to access new messages instantly on their computers, since the mail is stored on the network. With POP3, users either download the e-mail to their computer or access it via the web.​

Or, as it's frequently referred to, AOHell.

Along with Thunderbird (usually abbreviated TB on the BBS), you might want to give Firefox (usually abbreviated FF or Fx) a try as your browser. It's very configurable, and both it and TB are free-standing programs based on the Mozilla source code.

(Originally, the Mozilla suite was intended to be based on the code base for Netscape's Communicator suite, which was released as open source by Netscape in March 1998. The Communicator code base was subsequently scrapped as being unusable, and the Mozilla suite's code base was rewritten from scratch. For further info, see here.)​

There's plenty of help here on the BBS if you decide to take the plunge.

 

I wonder how many people who knock AOL, ever had AOL. AOL was the first reliable ISP I got some eight years ago, and I kept AOL, even after I switched to cable. AOL as a service is no worse than many other services, although they offer more content.
Now, AOL bought Netscape, hoping to break loose of Microsoft. The results were pathetic, at best, but users, almost unanimously, rejected the Gecko engine. I tested AOL Gecko, and after they used the same engine as NS6.2.3, it worked pretty well, but the decision was made, and the rest is history. I gave up on AOL about two years ago, as a senseless waste of money, since Cox gave me all the options which I wanted.
A lot of people hate AOL because of what they did to Netscape. As far as I am concerned it was a business decision, and the name Netscape has little attraction to me. And, yes, AOL has a lot of incompetents. But, who does not?

 

Min Yin,

See the Migrate Netscape 4.8 Profile to Thunderbird Solutions Page for a general guideline on how to move your Netscape Profile data to Thunderbird.