# Exporting all mailboxes from old to new computer



## TuckerdogAVL (Aug 15, 2009)

There are 554 threads under "mailboxes." There are 1000 under "mail export." There is a simple click under "import" for a mac. All I am trying to find out is HOW....how....how....do I simply take all the mailboxes and settings from an old mac and get them on the new mac. 2 hrs and counting. 
Thanks.


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## TuckerdogAVL (Aug 15, 2009)

There are 554 threads under "mailboxes." There are 1000 under "mail export." There is a simple click under "import" for a mac. All I am trying to find out is HOW....how....how....do I simply take all the mailboxes and settings from an old mac and get them on the new mac. 2 hrs and counting. 
Thanks.

PS not trying to go from pc to mac, or eudora to mac or old 2.1.4.5. or whatever...to mac....simply want to take ALL the mailboxes from my Mail x.x to my new Mac Mail x.x. 
What do I need to copy. Where is it hidden. What are the files. Why is it not simple. Why is there no "export mail settings" Why why why why why


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## DeltaMac (Aug 15, 2009)

Copy the Mail folder (from your user/Library on your old Mac) to an external hard drive/USB flash/CD-R - whatever is your choice.
Make that drive/disk available to the new Mac. Open your Mac Mail, then the File menu/Import Mailboxes, and browse to the backup location of your mailboxes, and let the import work...


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## Satcomer (Aug 15, 2009)

Connect a Firewire cable between the two and on the old Mac reboot it Firewire Target Disk Mode (reboot and hold the T button down until a Firewire symbol appears on it) and then on the new Mac go to /Applications/Utilities/ and launch Migration Assistant. It should migrate over some mail,applications, music & pictures from your old Mac to you new Mac.


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## Satcomer (Aug 15, 2009)

Migration Assistant will do this for you (plus a whole lot more like pictures, music & applications if you choose so).


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## TuckerdogAVL (Aug 15, 2009)

actually, it doesn't unless you know 1)what you are looking for 2) what you want to specifically migrate ie what is the title of the folder? what is the file? where do you want it to go?

Yes, if you know what you want and where it has to go and what the name is than the assistant will help. but, if you know all this you can just drag and drop. How does the assistant help if you don't know what it is called or what you should copy?

Also the assistant is great if you want to move EVERYTHING, but what if you just want to move, say, one thing?


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## TuckerdogAVL (Aug 15, 2009)

the assistant is sort of like an assistant in real life, if you the answer is either all or nothing, or you know everything that has to be done, and you know all the steps and you know how to do it, then you might as well do it yourself...and save the salary, I mean, using the assistant.


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## TuckerdogAVL (Aug 19, 2009)

Satcomer said:


> Migration Assistant will do this for you (plus a whole lot more like pictures, music & applications if you choose so).



Spoke with a tech guy at Apple and he said, "if you are migrating from within the same operating system you're okay, but going from 10.4.X to 10.5.X would be sketchy at best. okay if it was 10.5.1 to 10.5.8 for example."

So, it took about 10 minutes to recreate all the accounts in the new mailbox as I have all the incoming/outgoing memorized (since crashes and disappearing accounts happen occasionally...and after awhile, it just becomes rote). 

Also, import using the import for the folders....then simply move the folders out of the "import" subcategory into the Mailbox main category. You might have to copy (Cntrl-A-) and drag the mail into the folders after you move them but that doesn't take too long. Then simply delete the folders one by one from the import, then the import. 

Finally, and I haven't done this yet, copy the com.messagerules.plist and then put that into the mail folder on the new computer. Hopefully, those old rules work but as the Applecare Tech said, "You won't know until you try it, but it won't screw anything up if you do it."


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## susischu (Sep 10, 2009)

how can one do this?


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