archiving netscape and browser display

I have a friend who has thousands of emails in his netscape 7.0 inbox. And he says it takes a long time for his inbox to load. duh. He has never archived anything. I have checked out the article by Ramona on this subject re archiving to CD, but this guy, who is totally computer unfriendly, would lose the CD, so I would need to create a dummy account and save to his hard drive instead. No big, but I know he would be better off having it right there in the same place. I wondered in terms of opening up the inbox whether it's the whole account that takes time to download or whether each folder loads separately. In other words, if I move most of his inbox to an archive folder (which he hasn't done) would it still take a long time to download the account because of the size of the archive folder? Or does each folder load separately and so it wouldn't take a long time except if he tried to open the archive folder? Then the inbox would open quickly if it was now relatively empty? This will dictate what I do...so thanks for the help.

Niki

 

Welcome to the Forum, gaia1muse!

Niki,

Your friend is using an obsolete browser, full of security vulnerabilities, etc. Consider having your friend use Mozilla 1.7.12 which is a suite and the same formate as Netscape. Also consider Firefox and Thunderbird 1.0.7, Firefox being the browser, and Thunderbird being the Mail Client.

The slowdown is from the Inbox, and thousands of messages makes me cringe! If you could archive by creating subfolders in the Mail Account, not the Inbox, then that would cure that problem. If the friend insists on keeping the Mail in Netscape, then a daily backup of the Profiles folder is highly recommended.

Keep that Inbox lean and mean.

 

Thank you Ramona. I will check out the browser and mail client, but right I don't think I want to give him to much at once to change. However, just to clarify ...I think you are saying that I can keep his mail in the same mail account as long as I put it in a sub folder named "Archive" or something like that-- the Inbox will then load more quickly? However, in moving some 5000 emails i suspect...do I run the risk of screwing up in the move function? Should I move them a couple of hundred at a time or do you think it's safe to just try and move it all at once?

 

Niki,

Whatever you do, don't move them all at once. In fact, don't even use the "Move" option.

Create Subfolders and I mean multiple subfolders in his Mail Account. Use the "Copy" option when moving the messages out of the Inbox. Once everything is in place, then you can delete the Messages from the Inbox. In the event his PC would choke, crash, power failure, etc., you would lose everything, if using "Move ". Never put that many messages in one folder, simply because the program will choke if trying to move them, or read them in Wordpad, if the occasion would present itself.

I understand about having him upgrade, it was only a suggestion.

 

I gave you an answer at the other location where you posted. Whenever in doubt, take Ramona suggestion.
As for the question about more rapid, the Inbox will open regardless of the number of e-mails. It may take less than a second if lean and mean, or who knows when and if, if loaded with messages. And, compacting is essential for best results.