Gies Alumni Email - How to Export all Email
The Easy Way
If you currently use Outlook for Windows or Windows Mail on your desktop computer, and you have more than one email account attached, you can simply drag and drop messages from the @bus.illinois.edu account to a folder in the other account. The Outlook client is available for download from Office.com until we retire the service.
If that isn't available, proceed to exporting your email to an archive via the instructions specific to your email client.
Prepare your email for export (only necessary for Outlook)
Outlook for Windows
If you check your @bus.illinois.edu email account in Outlook for Windows, you must change the amount of synced messages from "1 year" (default) to "All."
File - Account Settings - Account Settings (yes, twice!)
"New..."
Double-click the @bus.illinois.edu account address or select it and click "Change"
Change the Cached slider from "1 year" to "All"
Close the window and restart Outlook for the change to take effect.
You'll have to wait several hours for Outlook to bring in multiple years' worth of email. You can see a progress bar along the bottom edge of the window.
Leave Outlook open the whole time! You may keep using it while you wait.
Once the progress bar area says "All folders are up to date," you have downloaded all of your email and can move on to the Archiving steps.
Export your email to an archive
Outlook for Windows
In Outlook, select the @bus.illinois.edu email address on the left-hand side. Not just the Inbox, the whole email address
File - Open & Export - Import/Export
Choose “Export to a file” - Next
Choose “Outlook Data File (.pst)” - Next
Leave "Include subfolders" checked - Next
Select "Browse" to choose a save location on your computer (NOT Box). I recommend "Documents" or "Desktop"
Name the file something like Gies-alumni-archive.pst and then click Finish.
When prompted to set a password, leave it blank and click OK
You will see a progress bar while it exports. Depending on how much mail is exporting, this may take several hours.
You will not be able to use Outlook until it finishes. It is normal for it to say “Not Responding” - just leave it alone and it will be fine.
Mozilla Thunderbird
You may export your account, address books, and settings to a .zip file, as long as it is under 2GB, using the native exporter.
In Thunderbird, tap the "Alt" key to reveal the menu
Tools - Export
Select the "Export" button
NOTE: if you have multiple years' worth of mail that exceeds 2GB, the export will fail. If it does, return to the Export window and select the "Open profile folder" link. Copy the entire folder to another location on the computer. That profile folder can be imported via the native Import feature in Thunderbird.
See Mozilla's instructions for both methods here.
Windows Mail
Exporting mail is not supported in the Windows Mail desktop client.
If you have both your Gies Alumni account and another account added to Windows Mail, you can manually drag and drop messages from one to the other.
Apple Mail
Steps to import and export mailboxes in Apple Mail can be found here on Apple's Support website.
Import your email into another client
Outlook for Windows
File - Account Settings - Account Settings
"Data Files" tab
"Add..."
Navigate to where you saved the Gies-alumni-archive.pst, select it, and click "OK" then Close.
It will load as "Outlook Data File" on the left-hand list. Inside will be the Inbox, Sent, Deleted, and all subfolders. You can search them, drag and drop the messages to any other subfolders including those in another email account, and keep it open as long as you want for reference.
Mozilla Thunderbird
If you already have Thunderbird and Outlook installed on the same Windows PC, you can use the native import tool to add all Outlook accounts, address books, and messages. It will not import your calendar.
In Thunderbird, tap the "Alt" key to reveal the menu
Tools - Import
Choose "Import from Outlook" - Continue
Uncheck any pieces you don't want to import - Continue
Confirm
Restart Thunderbird when the import is complete
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If you exported the Gies Alumni email account to a Thunderbird file, use the native importer to either "Import from another Thunderbird installation" (less than 2GB profile) or "Import from a file" (larger than 2GB profile).
Windows Mail
Importing email is not supported in the Windows Mail desktop client.
If you have both your Gies Alumni account and another account added to Windows Mail, you can manually drag and drop messages from one to the other.
Apple Mail
Steps to import and export mailboxes in Apple Mail can be found here on Apple's Support website.
Final Notes
Pro tip: you can set an Out of Office message between now and the retirement date to help your contacts find you at a new email address.
If you would like assistance, please contact the IT Partners @ Gies Help Desk at 217-244-0812 or helpdesk@business.illinois.edu