Email piling up faster than you can hit delete? That inbox can seriously weigh you down, especially when it’s got important stuff mixed in with everything else.  But there is no need to stress – there’s a way to get it under control. We’re talking about archiving those IMAP emails. 

Our inboxes these days are cluttered and way too full. They are full of stuff you might need someday, mixed in with forgotten junk you definitely don’t. You desperately want to clean it up, but the large volume of emails makes it overwhelming. You know important documents, messages, and conversations are buried in there, but digging through it all? That’s a task for another day, only because it is so daunting and tiring.

That’s why archiving of your emails from IMAP accounts should not be put off any longer. Not only does archiving help you find what you need when you need it, but it also gives you peace of mind, especially in those edge cases where you just can’t seem to get into your account.

There are many common things that can go wrong with an email account. Maybe you for got your password, maybe there’s a weird bug on your provider’s end… or worse, someone unsavory gets into your account.  If all your crucial information is living only in that inbox, those scenarios can be quite frightening to anyone.

An archive of IMAP emails is how you make sure those emails are safe, sound, and accessible even if something unexpected happens.

And if you think those scenarios are unlikely, what about storage? Email servers aren’t exactly known for their unlimited storage space. Archiving lets you clear out some room, so you’re not always getting those annoying ‘mailbox full’ warnings.

An underappreciated benefit of IMAP email archives is this: when you have those, you can access your old emails even when you don’t have internet. Need to reference something important while you’re on a plane or out with bad reception? Simply open those archives!

The good news is, archiving IMAP data is not all that complicated, provided you have the right tools at your disposable.

Today, we are discussing a quick and efficient way to archive IMAP emails with the help of one of those effective tools. It is called “Mail Backup X” and is provided by InventPure.

So, let’s see what exactly you need to do to archive your IMAP emails step by step. First download it from the website, go through the installation, and activate either the paid version or the trial version. Now, continue reading below to see how the tool works.

Step 1: Creating a Backup Profile

• Setting up a backup profile might seem a bit complex, but it can be straightforward. It’s basically your master plan for archiving those IMAP emails. Here’s how to kick things off with Mail Backup X:
• New Profile: Once you launch Mail Backup X, check out the “Tasks” section in the middle. Look around there, and you’ll spot an option to click on that says something like “Setup a New Backup Profile.”
• If You’ve Done This Before: In case you’ve already created profiles in the past, head over to another section called “My Backup Profiles.” You’ll find it on the left side. At the top, there should be a button to add a new one, just give that a click.

Step 2: Tracking Down Your Emails

Next up, you need to guide the tool to where your important IMAP emails are stored.

• The Email Server Aspect: The application offers various options for different email platforms. Since we’re archiving IMAP, first select “Email Server” to proceed to the next step.
• Well-Known or Lesser-Known Emails: If you’re using Gmail, Outlook, or any popular email service, there is a direct button for it. This makes things simpler! But even if your email provider isn’t as popular as Gmail and the others, that’s fine. There’s an icon called “IMAP Server,” which is suitable for almost any IMAP-based email. Click on it.

Step 3: Granting Program Access

Mail Backup X needs your permission to access IMAP emails for archiving. Those credentials are your email address and password. It’s similar to logging into your email online.

• Entering the Details: You’ll need to input your email address and password so that it can communicate with your email provider and retrieve all the data.
• Additional Settings (Possibly): At times, your email service might require some extra configuration to establish a connection. If you are having trouble connecting to your email, click on “Manual Configuration” and then provide all the necessary information. If you don’t have those details, you can contact your email provider support team.

Step 4: Picking what you need (Leave out the junk)

Now that Mail Backup X is all logged into your email, it’s going to show you the entire mailbox folder hierarchy. You can expand or collapse any folder to see sub-folders if they exist. Feel free to remove some of the folders.

• Focus on What Matters:  Take a moment to scan those folders. Is there old junk mail in there? Folder with promotional emails you never needed in the first place? Folders with outdated stuff? Those are good candidates for leaving out of your IMAP archives.

Step 5: Making Your Backup Plan Just Right

Now that you’ve selected your important emails, let’s go into the details of how this IMAP archive process will actually work. Simply click “Continue” after customizing the folders, and you’ll be presented with a variety of settings to customize.

• Give Your Backup a Descriptive Name: Don’t overlook this step, even if it may seem a bit mundane. A well-chosen name will make it easier for you to locate your IMAP email archives later on. Something like “Work Emails – 2023” will suffice, or you can be more specific if you prefer.
• Where Should It Go? Your emails need to be stored somewhere, right? You have the option to choose your computer, an external hard drive for added security, or even a cloud storage service if you use one.
• Privacy Mode (Optional): Do you have highly confidential information that you absolutely must keep private? Tick the box for “encryption.” This will make the archives encrypted (private) and can only be opened on the very computer that created them (yours) without the key. To share it with others, they will need Mail Backup X to open the files and the encryption key.
• How Frequently Should It Occur? You can set your backup to run automatically on new data, or periodically such as every day or every week. Alternatively, if you prefer more control, there’s a “manual” option that allows you to decide when the backup takes place.
• Snapshot on USB (If Desired): Have an external drive connected? Enable “USB Auto-Snapshot,” and Mail Backup X will automatically save your latest copy of IMAP email archives to it. Note that you can enable USB drive option and also disable automatic option.

You have come to the end now. Click Save to start archiving IMAP emails.

With backups and archives, you get several benefits. You’ll declutter your inbox, protect your important information, and maybe even free up some extra storage space along the way. Keep in mind that you can try out Mail Backup X with a free trial (15 days) to make sure it’s the right fit for you. Taking the time to get organized digitally, and archiving IMAP emails is a big part of that, can save you major headaches down the line and give you a wonderful sense of control over your information.