local backup of Gmail without using POP?

[mmwwah]

I access my Gmail account through the Mail App, using IMAP, and I'm happy with that. But I'm also leery of relying entirely on the cloud, so I'd like to have a backup of my Gmail account on my hard drive.

I don't want to switch to POP; I like having my email accessible from other devices. What's the easiest way to make a backup?

Thanks!

 

[schweb]

When you use IMAP, Mail makes a local cache copy of all your email.

If you have Lion, you can also archive selected messages:

Select one or more messages to archive.
If you select a conversation, all messages in the conversation are archived.

Choose Message > Archive or click the Archive icon in the Mail toolbar.
An Archive mailbox is created for each account whose messages you archive. For example, if you archive a message sent to your MobileMe account and a message sent to your Gmail account, an Archive mailbox is created for each account.

Archived messages remain in the Archive mailbox until you delete or move them. Depending on the account type, the Archive mailbox is stored on the mail server.

 

[mmwwah]

Thanks, schweb. I didn't realize that Mail keeps a local copy of everything, but when I tested it (cutting the machine off from the net and going to hunt up a message from 2002), there everything is.

Do you know if the local copy is unaffected should (heaven forfend) something happen to the Gmail account? For example, if Gmail freezes and/or demolishes my account for using a nickname, will the local copy of my email still be available?

Thanks again.

 

[mmwwah]

Thanks, schweb. I didn't realize that Mail keeps a local copy of everything, but when I tested it (cutting the machine off from the net and going to hunt up a message from 2002), there everything is.

Do you know if the local copy is unaffected should (heaven forfend) something happen to the Gmail account? For example, if Gmail freezes and/or demolishes my account for using a nickname, will the local copy of my email still be available?

Thanks again.

 

[chscag]

Welcome to our forums.

Take note that you replied to a thread that is 7 plus years old.

 

[MacInWin]

Charlie, the post just before yours was from 2011. Is something going on with the site to make it lose posts?

 

[ferrarr]

Charlie, the post just before yours was from 2011. Is something going on with the site to make it lose posts?

The post Charlie replied to was there earlier, I saw it.

 

[MacInWin]

I figured it was, but it's not there now. Hence, my question about the board. Up to now, one could not delete your own posts, only the admins could do that.

 

[ferrarr]

I figured it was, but it's not there now. Hence, my question about the board. Up to now, one could not delete your own posts, only the admins could do that.

Hmmmm? Things that make you go hmm? Maybe another Admin deleted it. The user had replied to at least two different zombie posts, including this one.

 

[chscag]

Thanks Jake and Bob.

I warned the person who responded to this thread and another one that the posts were very old. Additionally, he added a note about some app that could be used of which I again warned him about advertising. One of the other moderators may have deleted both his posts.