Back up Thunderbird emails to CD and read the files ??

  • Thread starter Thread starter FTR
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F

FTR

Bill, thanks for writing my question (:-))

I have hundreds of Thunderbird email files I have to save . I need a
free program that I can save to a CD and be able to see after they have
been Burned . Without exporting back to Thunderbird. Is their such a
program ?
I can save them now BUT I can not read them .

Thanks,
Frank
 
FTR said:
Bill, thanks for writing my question (:-))

I have hundreds of Thunderbird email files I have to save . I need a
free program that I can save to a CD and be able to see after they have
been Burned . Without exporting back to Thunderbird. Is their such a
program ?
I can save them now BUT I can not read them .

Thanks,
Frank
Click to expand...

Ask in a TB group on news.mozilla.com?
 
Bill, thanks for writing my question (:-))

I have hundreds of Thunderbird email files I have to save . I need a
free program that I can save to a CD and be able to see after they have
been Burned . Without exporting back to Thunderbird. Is their such a
program ?
I can save them now BUT I can not read them .
Click to expand...

You can, of course, read them using any text editor capable of
handling large files, but ..........

1. T-bird and Moz email user "folders" are stored as single, possibly
large, contiguous files.
2. These files include all headers and binary attachments (if you
don't delete all attachments routinely in the email app).

So ... the specification requirements of a Moz/T-bird "folder reader"
which would allow the user to read messages in a convenient manner
include the ability to recognize the start and end of three different
kinds of items ... Message bodies, attachments and headers.

The simplest and most crude reader would discard both headers and
attachments, displaying a list of "From -Subject -Date" items from
which the user selects a single item causing the associated message
to be displayed. The next level of complexity would be a option
to display the associated message header as well.

Is that the sort of thing you have in mind?

I would also find such a reader - sorter somewhat useful. If none
are found to exist, and there seems to be a sufficient need by
many others, I might get interested in writing such a reader. However,
what I have in mind wouldn't do any more than what I described ...
including a message header viewing option. There would be no
editing functions since that's inconsistent with viewing backups.

Art
http://home.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
I have hundreds of Thunderbird email files I have to save . I need a
free program that I can save to a CD and be able to see after they have
been Burned . Without exporting back to Thunderbird. Is their such a
program ?
I can save them now BUT I can not read them .
Click to expand...

Try MsgView <http://www.elbiah.de/tools/old/index.htm>.
MsgView can read mbox format files, so would be easy to copy the
file(s) (without the .msf extension) from Thunderbird's profile and
rename with a .mbx extension.
 
FTR said:
Bill, thanks for writing my question (:-))

I have hundreds of Thunderbird email files I have to save . I need a
free program that I can save to a CD and be able to see after they have
been Burned . Without exporting back to Thunderbird. Is their such a
program ?
I can save them now BUT I can not read them .

Thanks,
Frank
Click to expand...

Maybe ... MozBackup 1.4 Final gives you the option to backup
Thunderbird emails I think. It saves into a zip file (using a .pcv
extension)
 
Al said:
Maybe ... MozBackup 1.4 Final gives you the option to backup
Thunderbird emails I think. It saves into a zip file (using a .pcv
extension)
Click to expand...

I know MozBackup and use it for backing up my TB emails. But the program
does not allow to view the emails.

Frank
 
Art said:
You can, of course, read them using any text editor capable of
handling large files, but ..........
Click to expand...

I tried with my old WordPerfect, it took a sigh, and swallowed it.
1. T-bird and Moz email user "folders" are stored as single, possibly
large, contiguous files.
2. These files include all headers and binary attachments (if you
don't delete all attachments routinely in the email app).

So ... the specification requirements of a Moz/T-bird "folder reader"
which would allow the user to read messages in a convenient manner
include the ability to recognize the start and end of three different
kinds of items ... Message bodies, attachments and headers.
Exactly

The simplest and most crude reader would discard both headers and
attachments, displaying a list of "From -Subject -Date" items from
which the user selects a single item causing the associated message
to be displayed. The next level of complexity would be a option
to display the associated message header as well.

Is that the sort of thing you have in mind?
Click to expand...

Exactly. The raw files include a lot of crap.
I would also find such a reader - sorter somewhat useful. If none
are found to exist, and there seems to be a sufficient need by
many others, I might get interested in writing such a reader. However,
what I have in mind wouldn't do any more than what I described ...
including a message header viewing option. There would be no
editing functions since that's inconsistent with viewing backups.
Click to expand...
Before you start I'll ask the question in the TB email newsgroup.

Bit I am very touched by the idea that you think about writing such a
news reader. Thanks. Let's see how the list reacts. Maybe there are
already some tools in the wild.

- Frank
 
I tried with my old WordPerfect, it took a sigh, and swallowed it.
Click to expand...

Use any of the text editors recommended here for handling large files.
I use EditPad Lite.
Exactly. The raw files include a lot of crap.

Before you start I'll ask the question in the TB email newsgroup.

Bit I am very touched by the idea that you think about writing such a
news reader. Thanks. Let's see how the list reacts. Maybe there are
already some tools in the wild.
Click to expand...

I don't take the time to follow TB forums, so please post back here
in this thread if you find either a existing TB/Moz email reader
utility or some heavy interest in creating one. I don't have in mind
anything fancy ... in fact I only write 16 bit DOS programs. My
program would have a "DOS look" rather than a Windows GUI look. Yet,
that shouldn't matter since I'd make it very easy to use in Windows.

Art
http://home.epix.net/~artnpeg
 
Bill, thanks for writing my question (:-))

I have hundreds of Thunderbird email files I have to save . I need a
free program that I can save to a CD and be able to see after they have
been Burned . Without exporting back to Thunderbird. Is their such a
program ?
I can save them now BUT I can not read them .
Click to expand...

If you use a flash drive instead of a cd to backup to, you could use
Portable Thunderbird-

http://portableapps.com/
 
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