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I'm moving a web site from one server to another, and am realizing that I need to move the name servers for the domain as well (they are set to the current host, not to the registrar).

So, knowing that email services will stop as soon as I switch the DNS, I'm scrambling to figure out how to archive and make available email data for folks that have mostly been using webmail for the past few years, and may not even have a computer on which to install a client to download the mail to.

What does one do in this situation?

Thanks for any help offered!

Evan

evanmcd
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1 Answers1

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First off, emails will stop coming in to the old provider as soon as the new MX is updated in DNS, but that doesn't mean that you'll be unable to access the old email provider's webmail. As long as you don't tell the old provider that they are no longer handling email for that particular domain, things should continue to work until the old provider decides to clean their user accounts.

If need be you can use your HOSTS file to point directly to the old email provider's webmail address.

For transferring email between different accounts, imapsync is a good bet. http://freshmeat.net/projects/imapsync/

While finding the above URL I was shown a Google ad for http://www.yippiemove.com/ - I haven't used it myself but it looks like it might do the trick.

Martin M
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  • Changing the MX record shouldn't have any bearing on the current email accounts, as Martin stated. You may want to speak to the current email provider and see what options\methods are available for downloading or getting a copy of each users' mailbox. – joeqwerty May 03 '10 at 23:06
  • Thanks Martin, I hadn't thought of continuing to access the old webmail account. I've got it setup with another domain now so all is good. – evanmcd May 05 '10 at 15:01