Mac OS X Mail: How to import email from a non-Macintosh computer

Use this document when:

• You want to move email messages from a non-Macintosh computer to Mac OS X.
• You need to move more than a few messages.
• You use the Mail application, included with Mac OS X.
• Copies of the email messages you want to move have not been left on the mail server, either via IMAP or POP. For example: You have set up your email as a POP account, you keep email messages in your Inbox and/or in custom folders in your email application, and you have set your preferences not to leave copies of messages on the server.

If you are moving only a few messages, you may prefer to forward them from your non-Mac OS mail client and retrieve them with Mac OS X Mail for simplicity. Doing this may change some message attributes, such as "Date" and "From", as well as message text formatting.

Important: By following the instructions in this document, your original email messages can be automatically removed from the original location. You should back up your non-Apple email application's message database before proceeding. If you do not know how to back up or locate your application's email message database, consult the support resources included with the application or at the software manufacturer's website.

Will mail message attributes be lost?

Moving messages via IMAP should preserve original message attributes such as "Date," "To," "From," and "Subject," in most cases.

Moving email messages to Mac OS X

Click here if you are not transferring America Online (AOL) mail.
Click here if you are transferring America Online (AOL) mail.

Moving (non-AOL) email messages using IMAP

1. Open the email application program on your non-Macintosh computer. If you have not already connected this computer to the Internet, do that now.
2. If you do not already have an IMAP mail configuration in the source application, add one now. See tips1 and 2 at the end of this section.
3. Locate the Inbox for the IMAP account in your email application. If you were not already using IMAP, note that this is different from your previous Inbox.
4. If desired and applicable, add custom subfolders to your IMAP Inbox. See tip 3.
5. Locate and select messages, or folders of messages, that you want to move to Mac OS X Mail.
6. Drag the selected messages to the IMAP Inbox or custom IMAP subfolder. The selected messages will be uploaded to your ISP's IMAP server. See tips 4 to 8.
7. Connect your Macintosh computer to the Internet. If you cannot connect both computers at the same time, you may need to disconnect your non-Macintosh computer from the Internet.
8. At the Macintosh computer, choose Applications from the Go menu.
9. Open Mail.
10. If you do not already have an IMAP account, create one. See "Mac OS X: How to Set up Mail".
11. Select the IMAP account that appears beneath Personal Mailboxes. If you do not see your Personal Mailboxes, choose Show Mailboxes from the View menu. Mail communicates with your ISP and displays messages contained on the IMAP server. Your IMAP Inbox, and any custom subfolders, appear. See tip 9.
12. Select the messages from the IMAP Inbox or subfolders, then drag them to the desired folder or mailbox in Mail. See tips 5 and 10.

Tips

Note: These tips are numbered because other parts of this document refer to them, not because they are sequential steps to follow.

1. This new configuration will be similar to your existing (POP) mail account configuration, except that the incoming mail server may be different. If you use .Mac Email, for example, the incoming mail server is "mail.mac.com".
2. Check with your ISP for step-by-step directions about setting up an IMAP account on your non-Macintosh computer. If your ISP does not offer IMAP, use an Apple .Mac IMAP email account instead (http://www.mac.com/). You must use your Macintosh computer to set up an .Mac account. .Mac email is not restricted to IMAP, so you can use POP in the future if desired.
3. A "custom subfolder" is one that you create, name, and place within your default list of mail folders. For example, you might have created a custom subfolder titled "Messages from Rupert" that you placed within your normal mail Inbox
4. At this point, your email messages may be removed from their original location. If you wish to retain local copies, you may hold an Option or Control key while dragging to copy instead of move them. This feature varies per email application. Check the support resources for your source application for more information.
5. The amount of time required to transfer content to or from an IMAP server may vary greatly depending on the speed of your Internet connection and the size of the email messages you are moving, including any attachments.
6. Your IMAP server may limit your stored mail to a smaller amount than you are attempting to transfer. If this happens, move fewer messages at a time.
7. The message transfer process should not be interrupted. You are moving messages, not just copying them, so there is a potential for data loss if the connection is lost or the transfer is interrupted. Your non-Mac OS mail application should keep you informed of message transfer progress.
8. If you move a custom subfolder that contains messages, it may remain in their original location after the transfer, instead of being automatically deleted. You might want to delete the folder from its original location.
9. If desired, create one or more new Mailboxes (or custom subfolders) specifically for your transferred email messages. For example, choose New Mailbox from the Mailbox menu. Type a name, such as "Moved From Old PC," and click OK. If you do not see the new Mailbox, click the disclosure triangle that appears to the left of INBOX, beneath Personal Mailboxes.
10. When messages are moved to a non-IMAP folder or Mailbox, they are automatically removed from the IMAP server. The message would then only exist in Mac OS X Mail, unless you kept a backup or local copy on the PC.

Moving America Online email messages

Mac OS X Mail is not used to retrieve or send AOL mail. A Mac OS X version of AOL software is available. Download and install it to use AOL with Mac OS X.

You can also get AOL mail through your Mac OS X Web browser without installing AOL.

Tip: If you use the option to store AOL mail messages on your local hard disk instead of with AOL (a "Filing Cabinet"), your current messages will not automatically transfer from one computer to another. For more information or assistance with moving existing mail messages, please contact America Online.