IMAP Email Migration Tool

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Email migration allows transferring all emails and, perhaps, other data from one email service to another. To do it, you need some IMAP migration tool that supports a standard EML file format for messages. Handy Backup provides such email migration tool for any IMAP mail servers, to transfer messages freely.

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Version 8.5.3 , built on March 5, 2024. 116 MB
30-day full-featured trial period

Email Migration Tool

How to Make Email Migration with Handy Backup?

Please follow the instruction provided below for using Handy Backup as your email migration service. For this example, let us assume that you are using the Yahoo Mail account and migrate it to the Microsoft default email, using Handy Backup as Outlook migration tool.

Note: Do not make a mistake by referring to "Outlook migration" as email migration of Microsoft Outlook local content! In the context of this article, the "Outlook" is the Outlook.com mail service, not a local mailing and event-controlling utility.

Before Making Email Migration Tasks

Please do some things seemingly unrelated to Handy Backup before you start to use it as an email migration tool:

  • In your favorite browser, open the web interface for both your email servers (e.g., Yahoo!Mail and Outlook.com), and enter into your accounts on both servers.
  • In account settings on both services, check flags or click buttons that allow using an external (local) email client.
  • An SFTP, FTPS or FTP storage server , local or Internet-connected;
  • Also, please check that your local temporary folder (which will provide storage for migrating messages) has enough space to store your email account content.

Part One: Creating a Backup Task for Email Migration to Temporary Folder

Please follow the next instruction:

  1. Open Handy Backup and create a new task by using a button or a menu.
  2. Select backup task on the Step 1 and click "Next".
  3. Open the "Email" group on the Step 2 (left panel) and click onto a "E-mail" plug-in.
Choose the "Email" plug-in
  1. In the appearing dialog, click "Create a connection".
  2. You will see a connection dialog for the "E-mail" plug-in.
Select the messages and folders by checkboxes for making a migration.
  1. Enter all parameters to connect the mail server to migrate from. You can find the set of required parameters on the service help page, or via the Internet.
  2. Click OK and return to the plug-in window. Select the messages and folders by checkboxes for making a migration.
imap connection parameters
  1. Again, click OK, and then click "Next" to go to the Step 3.
  2. Here, select your temporary folder by using the "Computer" plug-in as your backup destination.
  3. Now click "Next" until you will reach a final Step 8. Here, give a name for your task.
  4. Start a task manually after clicking "Finish", or mark an option for immediate start on the Step 8.
  5. Wait until your task will complete.

Excellent! Now we have backup of imap email in your temporary folder! Now it is time for moving these messages to another location!

Part Two: Restoring Your Messages to another Place by Using an IMAP Migration Tool

Again, please follow the new instruction:

  1. Create a task as described above, but select a restoration task on the Step 1.

Note: Here you must use the advanced wizard mode. Check the appropriate box on Step 1.

  1. On the Step 2, select a file backup.hbi from your backup folder in local temporary directory.
  2. Proceed to the Step 3. Here, click the "Change location" button.
restore message from Yahoo
  1. In the appearing dialog, you must select the "E-mail" plug-in and a particular connection.
  2. If a connection for your destination server does not exist, create it as described above.
  3. Select this connection as the restoration place for email migration.
restoration place for email migration
  1. Click OK and return to the Step 3. Now, click "Next" until the final step.
  2. On the last step, give a name for your task and run it. Your emails will migrate where you say!

Advantages of Using Handy Backup as Email Migration Software

Uniformity for Server Connection and Data Keeping

With the same "E-mail" plug-in for all email migration actions, you can move your messages between almost any services ever existing. Storing your data in a typical, readable "EML" format also allows you sorting, browsing and even manually restoring messages, as well as migrating to some local clients.

Big Selection of Backup Security Options

Big Selection of Security Options

Besides the advantages of using secured IMAP protocols for most services to make a reliable email migration, you can add to overall data security by choosing a well-defended storage type (an SFTP/FTPS server, Amazon S3 or Dropbox, an external USB drive etc.), and to encrypt your e-mails.

Additional Settings and Tools

Finally, Handy Backup provides a big list of additional options, from scheduling your email migration by an exact time and a repeating period to running as a Windows service (with user notifications sent by email) to use separate tools (such as Gmail migration tool) for quick and easy setup of some tasks!

Note: For Gmail migration, you can also use the dedicated "Gmail" plug-in with pre-defined settings for easy task setup.


Small Windows Logo Download for Free

Version 8.5.3 , built on March 5, 2024. 116 MB
30-day full-featured trial period

Try Handy Backup as your email migration tool by downloading a 30-day trial version with all plug-ins and settings available!

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