How to backup your Email and Bookmarks/Favorites
Posted : 11 Dec 2002
Backed up your email or bookmarks recently? Didn't think so !
Do you even know where
the files are hidden ? All will be explained ... read on and get some useful
tips on email
management. Pls note that I will be
covering OS 9 only at this stage. OS X will be for another email further
down the track, although I will cover a few issues with email and OS X.
Take a deep breath and wade in. Email first and then browsers.
EMAIL
Outlook Express/Entourage Users
1) Old versions of Outlook Express first (4 & 4.5)
Things can vary a little bit depending on what version of Outlook Express
and your Mac OS version. First place to look is inside your Outlook Express
folder.
Normally within Applications or Applications (Mac OS 9). But may be anywhere
if you are running earlier than OS 9.1, look for a folder called Internet
also. If all else fails use Sherlock to search for Outlook. You are looking
for an
Identities folder for newer versions or OE Users folder for older versions.
All your email is in here. Copy the whole folder.
2) New Versions of Outlook (5.02 and above)
Either in a folder called Identities in the Outlook Express folder or inside
Documents/Microsoft User data/Identities
3) Entourage
Have a peek in Documents/Microsoft User data/Office 2001 Identities
Microsoft had a total brain fade with their mail storage method. It stores
all email and attachments inside 1 big file, which can make for difficult
backup due its size. Often this MS file wont even fit on a 700MB CD !
Eudora
Eudora is easy. It will be in only 1 of 2 places.
System Folder/Eudora Folder or Documents/Eudora Folder.
Eudora splits apart your email folders, mailboxes and attachments as separate
folders which makes it a lot easier to backup all or parts as required.
Advanced Eudora usage : You can actually store your Eudora email folder
anywhere. Make an alias of the Eudora settings file and use this to open
Eudora.
Email Hints and Tips
Swapping between programs? Both Eudora and Outlook Express/Entourage
have good importing options. Not so hot on the exporting though. Useful
for
importing into OS X.
Got multiple email programs installed? I have seen several people with
over 10 different versions installed all over their hard disk ! They
paid me well
to keep their names anonymous though to avoid embarrassment. Send an
email and check to see what file got modified a few seconds ago. This
will be
the folder that your email program is using.
Both Eudora and Microsoft have been fast and furious with updates recently.
Normally you should be running the latest versions. Neither package
is perfect and how good it would be to pick and choose the features
you
wanted from
each.
As there is no free MS email client for OS X you have to either own
MS Office X with Entourage or use Eudora or Apple's own Mail program.
Eudora is very flexible with it's mail as you can let multiple people
share 1 email folder or keep them completely separate. Unfortunately
Eudora manages
it's personalities worse than Outlook/Entourage does with its accounts.
Sigh.
You can setup filters to automatically divert email from designated
senders directly into preferred locations. If you spend a bit of time
you can
setup diversions for almost anything. If you are really clever you
can use it
to screen a lot of your junk email also.
MS have shafted Mac users compared to PC users as you can build complex
html and graphic email pages within the PC versions but all this
----
WEB BROWSERS
Netscape/Mozilla
Your bookmarks are almost always in System Folder/Preferences/Netscape
Users/Bookmarks.html
If you have multiple profiles then then you may have to search an
extra layer into this folder. Look for folders with the same name
as the
user profile.
Did you know that you can open your bookmarks file as a web page?
Simply double click on it. Worked out how to put bookmarks into
folders yet?
Do your bookmarks
list scroll down 5 screens whenever you open them. Press Command
B to manage your bookmarks. Stick them all in folders to keep them
tidy.
If
you spend
a lot of time browsing it is worth spending some time every now
and then keeping
things in some semblance of order.
Internet Explorer
Delve into System Folder/Preferences/Explorer/Favorites.html
Keep your favorites organised into categories with folders and dividers
as required.
Now you have found the files and spent some time getting them
organised - back them up.
Browser Hints and Tips
Using Explorer 4.5 or older. Time to upgrade. Same for Netscape
4 or older. The new versions are sooooooo much better and more
compatible
with current
web technology. Netscape 7 and Mozilla 1.2 have a couple of
really impressive features. Have a look at Edit/Preferences/Advanced/Scripts & Plug Ins.
Click off the box for "Open a link in a new window".
Ever had a web page open up an unrequested pop up ad or window?
Ever been diverted into a
porn site and had 20 windows pop up everywhere? No longer, if you
turn this option off. I hope Explorer puts this feature in too.
Cookies are a fact of
life these days but with careful selection of preferences you can
increase your on line security. I always set my navigation icons
to text only. The stupid
icons most programs use never mean anything anyway. Geneva 9 or
10 point is my preferred font to use, sometimes larger depending
on the web page settings.
Set your preferred home page too. Have a look around inside
preferences, it isn't hard to do this.