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How can I rename a mailbox?

mhi1
Grafter
Posts: 30
Thanks: 6
Registered: ‎24-02-2021

How can I rename a mailbox?

I have a mailbox <example>@<user>.plus.com, with dozens of sub-folders and many messages stored in it. I would like to keep the stored messages (for the moment, anyway) but set up a redirect for <example> to her gmail address for new messages, so that new messages don't keep filling up the limited PlusNet mailbox space. I don't want to lose old messages or have more than a few minutes while new messages can't be received at all. I can't see how to do this!

  1. The obvious way would be to rename the mailbox <example>, and immediately afterwards create a new redirect from <example>@<user>.plus.com to <example>@gmail.com. Can I do this? Where do I find the rename mailbox command?
  2. A second approach might be to back up or archive the entire contents of mailbox <example> in a form which preserves the folder structure, downloaded or uploaded to appropriate storage, then delete the mailbox and set up the redirect of the same name. This might not be so good, because messages could arrive between the backup and the delete, and they would be lost. Can I do such a backup? How?
  3. The ideal approach would be for creating a new redirect to be allowed, but to hide or rename the mailbox of the same name, so that messages could still be retrieved from mailbox <user>+<example> or <user>+<example-old>, but new messages would be diverted by the redirect. Can I do this? (I don't want to experiment on real messages!)

For what it may be worth, the motivation for this move is the poor performance of PlusNet IMAP mail connection, which makes the redirect desirable but also makes backing up and deleting messages from the mailbox unreliable. That belongs, though, in a different thread.

3 REPLIES 3
Gandalf
Community Gaffer
Community Gaffer
Posts: 26,563
Thanks: 10,265
Fixes: 1,599
Registered: ‎21-04-2017

Re: How can I rename a mailbox?

Hi @mhi1

Unfortunately due to the way our email system is designed, you can't make a redirect with the same name as a mailbox you currently have, but the first suggestion you've made should work if the mailbox is the default one as you'll be able to easy rename it by going to the Mailboxes tab then clicking on the rename button.

If the mailbox isn't default, then the second suggestion you've given is better because you'd have to delete the mailbox. I can't give much help on how to create a backup but in essence you'd set your emails up on a mail client then go from there. If you're unsure how to setup a client, there are steps Here.

Let us know if you need any further help.

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
mhi1
Grafter
Posts: 30
Thanks: 6
Registered: ‎24-02-2021

Re: How can I rename a mailbox?

The mailbox in question is not the default. Thank you for the confirmation, @Gandalf , that I haven't missed anything. Please feed my request that it should be possible to rename a non-default mailbox into the PlusNet systems!

I'm struggling to get a successful backup, and will follow that up in a separate thread.

Gandalf
Community Gaffer
Community Gaffer
Posts: 26,563
Thanks: 10,265
Fixes: 1,599
Registered: ‎21-04-2017

Re: How can I rename a mailbox?

No problem, happy to pass the feedback on but I can't guarantee a change as it's how our email system's designed.

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet