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Migrating from Google Gmail.com to Microsoft Outlook.com

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40hz:
^Agree with Carol. If you're using GMail, use an email client that supports IMAP (Outlook,T-Bird et al) and go from there. Since your mail is synced to the server you always have a local copy of everything. And your mailbox (including your folder structure and sent email) is identical no matter where or how you access it. Makes life easy if you ever change email providers. Everything local will automatically start syncing up to the new email server when you log on. Most people with huge mailboxes just log in and leave it up overnight. Next morning, they're all set.  

AFAIK GMail is the only free email service that also provides free IMAP. Pretty much everyone else is charging for IMAP even if they'll still give you a POP account for free.

tomos:
My problem is:
For years I've been using Gmail + POP3 to Thunderbird -
the mail is organised in Thunderbird - and is *not* organised in Gmail :(

So, in order to change anything, I'll have to organise all that stuff in gmail....
Guess I could just start a new Tbird profile for 2013 onwards, and delete the rest from a new organised gmail+Thunderbird IMAP.
Dump a copy of everything onto Outlook.com as a backup first :-\

40hz:
My problem is:
For years I've been using Gmail + POP3 to Thunderbird -
the mail is organised in Thunderbird - and is *not* organised in Gmail :(

So, in order to change anything, I'll have to organise all that stuff in gmail....

-tomos (December 13, 2013, 12:25 PM)
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I could be wrong so back things up first, but...

I think if you switch the settings in GMail to use IMAP, and then change the server settings in TBird to use the GMail IMAP servers, your folder hierarchy and existing message store should be preserved and replicate back up to GMail.

Alternatively, you could create a "new" account using the IMAP settings in TBird, and then just move the folders in the old TBird POP account into it. (Again you'll want to have a backup made first.)

IIRC, when I switched my GMail accounts from POP to use IMAP I didn't need to rearrange or do anything. Because prior to the change, all my custom folders were local anyway.

The only thing that might trip you up are the storage limits if you're one of those people who keep everything (especially huge PDFs and other enclosures) in your email app and use it as a filing cabinet

IainB:
While picking on the Email providers do keep in mind that SMTP is about as secure as a Snail Mail Post Card. Because that avenue of exposure has always existed...it's just being exploited by the best of the worst at this point.
-Stoic Joker (December 13, 2013, 06:19 AM)
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That just gave me a new meaning for that acronym... Snail Mail To Post ;D
-wraith808 (December 13, 2013, 08:11 AM)
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Har-de-har-har. Very droll.    :up:

IainB:
I could be wrong so back things up first, but...
I think if you switch the settings in GMail to use IMAP, and then change the server settings in TBird to use the GMail IMAP servers, your folder hierarchy and existing message store should be preserved and replicate back up to GMail.
-40hz (December 13, 2013, 12:34 PM)
--- End quote ---
Yes, that is how it seems to work - from my experience at any rate. Quite nifty really.

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