Email Folders

[JamesF44]

I use a Mac computer. I have setup my email folders attached to my BT Account to save emails. But sometimes reading and sending is very slow.  I have a significant number of emails in each mail folder.  Is this OK?  Should I save emails folders in 'On My Mac?  I have set things up this way as I once had a problem and lost all my emails because they were not in the BT account according to guy at Apple. Was he right?

[licquorice]

I have no idea of the naming (un)convention of Apple devices, but simply put, if you wish to prevent BT from losing your emails store them on your MAC as offline folders which don't sync to the mail server rather than IMAP folders.

[JamesF44]

Thanks for the quick reply. The problem is she lost al her email because of a problem wit the computer. The Apple guy said it is best to have the mail folders under the BT email so if it happened again all the mail could be recovered by signing on the BT account once set up again. It is slower I believe because it is contacting communicating with the BT IMAP server. True??

[licquorice]

Ah, ok.

If the mails were lost from the MAC rather than the BT server, then yes, storing them under the BT mail will mean they are stored on the BT servers and can be recovered. You have to decide which is the most likely scenario, BT losing them or problem with the computer.

Personally, I don't trust the BT servers and store emails on my PC which are then backed up with my regular backup regime.

Either way, a backup regime is a must really to avoid data loss of all description.

[gg30340 · Accepted solution]

You should also have a backup that is not on your computer or on the BT servers.

Keep the emails on the BT servers, back them up on the computer, and back them up on a Flash Drive/ Portable Hard Drive.  If its not backed up in three places it is not fully backed up.

Doing this would cover you should the BT servers delete your emails, which has frequently happened. It would also cover you should your computer have a serious problem or is stolen and you would have a backup if the flash drive failed or a combination of any of the two ways failing at the same time. It is very unlikely that all three of the backup methods would fail at the same time. 

[JamesF44]

thank you so much.. Your recommendations are excellent. I do a back up on my computer but another backup is even better. I believe having back Folders in the BT internet section of the Apple email app in my Mail client on mac slows things down. Again my thanks. BRgds j