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...archive/backup my email?
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Problem

It is always a good idea to keep backups of important data. Your email is no different. These steps may also be useful should you ever need to migrate PMMail from one computer to another.

Solution

All file paths are given assuming a default installation on drive C:

To backup all necessary information, you would navigate to the installation directory where you will see 2 folders: PMMail 2000 and Tools

C:\Program Files\Blueprint Software Works

Inside the PMMail 2000 folder you will find folders with an extension of *.ACT, these folders hold information for your accounts. These folders are named by the account description (i.e., in PMMail you name an account Sales, the *.act folder should be SALES0.ACT) Inside of each *.ACT folder are folders with the extension *.FLD, these contain the information stored in folders viewed in PMMail (i.e., INBOX, OUTBOX, etc.). The actual messages are stored in a *.MSG format with in these folders.

The Tools folder contains information such as the Address Book, Address Groups, etc. in *.db files. If you have created address groups they will be contained in the Groups folder and need to be backed up as well. The Address Book can also be exported from within PMMail to a Comma Separated Value (*.CSV) file as well. It should be noted that this exports all books into one file and when importing, it will put all files into only one book. The other files in this folder are for the spell checker.

To perform a full backup, so that a reinstallation would run in the same manner you would do the following:

Copy each *.ACT folder and subfolders to the backup media. Copy the entire Tools folder, and subfolders to the backup media.

Install the new version of PMMail.

Now copy all of the information on the backup media back to the appropriate location of the new installation:

Assumming a default installation on the C: drive

*.ACT folders into C:\Program Files\Blueprint Software Works\PMMail 2000

\Tools foder into C:\Program Files\Blueprint Software Works

Start PMMail 2000 and use the Tools-> Re-Index -> ALL menu option to ensure the files are found correctly.

Before attempting to use the files from the backup media, you will need to ensure that the backup did not alter the Attributes of the files. In Windows, right click on the folders and select Properties. If the 'Read Only' Attribute is checked, you will need to UN-check it, as PMMail needs full access to these folders and files.

Example Reference for Default Directory Structure

Blueprint Software Works(The "root" of the installation)

TOOLS (Address books, MIME associations, dictionaries, DLLs, and other databases)

PMMAIL 2000(All PMMail executables, INI's etc)

1ACCOUNT.ACT (Your first account. The actual name will reflect the description of the account)

1FOLDER.FLD (Your first folder in your first account. The actual name will reflect the description of the account)

2FOLDER.FLD (Your second folder in your first account. The actual name will reflect the description of the account)

1CHILD.FLD (This is your first nested folder in your second folder of your first account)

NFOLDER.FLD (Your Nth folder in your first account. The actual name will reflect the description of the account)

2ACCOUNT.ACT (Your second account. The actual name will reflect the description of the account)

1FOLDER.FLD (Your first folder in your second account. The actual name will reflect the description of the account)

2FOLDER.FLD (Your second folder in your second account. The actual name will reflect the description of the account)

1CHILD.FLD (This is your first nested folder in your second folder of your second account)

NFOLDER.FLD (Your Nth folder in your second account. The actual name will reflect the description of the account)

Take care in doing this. Make sure to backup and VERIFY the backup files are valid before making any major changes. We are not responsible for user error or misinformation on this webpage, and cannot help you if you have not made a backup of the correct PMMail directory structure and data files.

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