Transfer items to new computer

[Aussie]

I would like to know if there is a way to transfer Special mailboxes from within the Mac mail program to another computer. I have quite a number of items saved in this way and it would be time consuming to re send each one to get it back to web mail. I have 10.4 and therefore an older browser and the internal mail program is much faster than web mail.
I'm planning on getting another unit hopefully with Leopard already installed.

I know there is a folder containing the Special boxes in Library that could probably be dragged to a USB then placed on the desktop of another computer but how would it be transferred to the mail program? and i have a feeling the messages might change format in the transmission?

Same question applies to bookmarks... can they be transferred?

I need this to be as straightforward as possible please. not having this knowledge is really holding me back. Regards.

 

[Kaveman]

Going from Apples Mail to Apples Mail is very easy File > Import Mailboxes

Bookmarks also no problem, drag and drop the folder and Safari will read them.

 

[Aussie]

I was writing an answer to you, was just about finished and decided to have a look at something relevant to this and forgot i would lose what i was doing.

I use Firefox all the time and wondered about the bookmark folder you mentioned and how Safari could read it but this wouldn't apply to Firefox bookmarks so had a little explore and found bookmarks can be exported to Safari so i guess i will need to do that first?
Nothing will be easy for me as for you but i keep learning from you.

With the importing of the Mailboxes, how does the receiving computer know where they are coming from or is it instinctive within the mail system? I thought i might have to get a cable to link the computers. If i don't have to, it will certainly be easy.

Is it possible to do something wrong and lose the mailboxes?

 

[Kaveman]

Each Email knows where is from and who its to.

The Mailboxes are separate and Mail knows how to import them, they have nothing to do with the computer they are on. So you move them by Flash Drive or Ethernet.

We do this all the time, the difficult part is if you are moving from Windows to a Mac, not Mac to Mac, as long as you're going to a newer Mac;-)

 

[Kaveman]

Is it possible to do something wrong and lose the mailboxes?

we can try.

 

[Aussie]

I now have my "new" computer and am setting it up and of course my world never seems so easy... i doubt i have lost the mailboxes, they are probably still on my 10.4 machine but i followed your very easy instructions to import mailboxes, your instructions were echoed in the Help menu and in my Leopard book yet it hasn't worked.
I clicked Import mailboxes, was told i would be asked for a location and it seemed there would be a list of things to choose from but there wasn't. INBOX was there but the in mail was already coming in of its own accord.
No mail from my SENT box has come through or the mail currently held in Trash nor was i given the option of choosing those boxes.
Also i particularly want to import the Special mailboxes i have set up that contain a significant number of emails or photos but can't be accessed through "Import".
Its getting late and things can only get worse. Hope you have an answer.
On Leopard it would appear that there isn't an Internet Connection icon in the dock as with 10.3 and 4? So i need to click on the phone symbol at the top of page ? I'm probably the only person in the country on dial up
I look forward to your reply.
Many thanks.

 

[Aussie]

Still can't import mailboxes. Found something i thought would help but it didn't. I enabled the "apply to enclosed items" on the computer that i'm trying to import from but it hasn't changed anything. Have absolutely no idea. It can't find those mailboxes.

 

[Kaveman]

Are they not in Library > Mail > Mailboxes???

Sorry, I don't have a Mac that old to look at.

 

[Aussie]

Hi.. yes they are all in the Library of my 10.4 computer but the 10.5 i'm trying to import them into only offers choices of location within itself whereas i assumed it would ask for location elsewhere, it imported an empty folder called "Import" upon which i kept reading the Help and it said to go into Get more Info and unlock the thing about the apply to enclosed items and i thought that would be it but it wasn't and there was no other info on why it might not work.
Then there will be the Address book and bookmarks.
For now i've had a gutsful and i'm exhausted. It stubbornly refuses to connect to the smtp xtra server so i can't send mail.. but no problem on this one i'm at now.

It twice refused my log in to Mac- Help , finally accepted it with user name spelled with capital (first) letter and password. This machine will get me through with small case user name . password on this one might be on auto i guess.

I downloaded the 10.5.8 software update over about 36 hours (that was unexpected) then it has to(configure &) install it but i have tried 3 times. The first time (today) it ran all day while i was out but it didn't do the installation so i thought the phone line might have timed out, had no choice but to pull the plug, have tried twice more but it is disconnecting the phone line itself. Am now thinking that that might be the reason it can't connect to the server, it says its offline but the internet connection shows the time ticking. I'm using the same phone cord on this one so i guess that's ok.
When the installation didn't work i checked the phone line and it had resumed dial tone so was not still connected to computer.
I checked the physical connections and all was well so it is something in that computer.

I really don't know. I will get in touch with the seller . He might be able to do the installation on broadband but as to the mail-- both sending and importing---- i'm really lost. I've operated 3 other computers with far less knowledge than i have now and not encountered this difficulty. I've have moved mail before but in a more awkward manner and i didn't have as many mailboxes.

I'll say goodnight for now and when i wake up there might be an answer from you or God if i'm lucky ! Oh sorry perhaps you are God. Its felt like it!

 

[Kaveman]

I'd be very surprised if you can get that large update via dialup.

You're using Mail > File > Import Mailboxes ???

 

[Aussie]

Amazingly i did get the download and the software update confirms its there but it stops the installation within seconds of starting.
Yes i'm using the File>Import mailboxes.. so easy.... not..... it asks for location and i choose mail Mac OSX but also tried mbox with same results.
Is there any connection between any of this and not being able to send Mail.. such as faulty phone modem?

 

[Kaveman]

Amazingly i did get the download and the software update confirms its there but it stops the installation within seconds of starting.

so you didn't get it all...
Trying to install a corrupt update is not a good idea.

You do have them connected together and are selecting the Library > Mail folders from the old Mac?

 

[Aussie]

Ok. I can't tell if its corrupt otherwise i would know. When i look at the Software Update on the items and click the 10.5.8 item it shows the words "10.5.8 downloaded" at the bottom and when i open it on the list it says to enter passwood and start the installation. sorry description might not be correct. Its getting late and i need to drive a bus tomorrow.
About connecting computers together i asked in an earlier post how do the computers know where the things are and i got the impression from what you said that if it was Mac to Mac it wasn't an issue. So something could well be missing but i tried to say i didn't have any knowledge of transferring things.

how can i remove the incomplete 10.5.8 update? i know about disc utilities, i'm not looking at it tonight but i presume only the complete installation would be there?

and any clues why mail can't be sent? Have checked and checked the settings and could only uncheck SSL at their suggestion.

 

[Aussie]

Mail has been sorted thanks to a very helpful Telecom. The port number for outgoing server was wrong. It was what was automatically in the computer but it wasn't correct.
The few times i have rung Telecom about the computer it has been with anticipation that they will tell me they don't support Mac, but not this time.

Will see if i can learn about Ethernet to hook the 2 computers up to transfer data otherwise i guess its a USB.

 

[PatM]

I have files from "Windows for Mac" that require word & excel - the data transferred to my new MacBook can't be read. Do I have to purchase new software to read the files?

 

[Kaveman]

I use Pages and Numbers these will read and export those documents. If you want to you can purchase Word and Excel for Mac.

There are various "Free" options but I don't find them as good as Pages or Numbers.