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Mailbox over size limit - but how do I find out which one??

vwiles
Newbie
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Registered: ‎24-06-2010

Mailbox over size limit - but how do I find out which one??

The subject says it all really. Getting messages from the nice people at PN saying my mailbox usage is over the 1Gb limit, despite my efforst at archiving mail onto my laptop.
Why does PN not give us a simple tool to view the usage of each mailbox so it's an easy job to sort out the offending mailbox instead of guessing!
Or is there a way to view it on Members Centre that I just haven't found?
Please help!
Many thanks.
16 REPLIES 16
jelv
Seasoned Hero
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Re: Mailbox over size limit - but how do I find out which one??

All you can do is go in to each mailbox using webmail, select Manage Folders from the gear icon at the bottom left, select each folder in turn and use Click to get folder size. As you select each folder you can see the message count which might indicate which ones you need to check the size.
Are you using IMAP or POP3? If you are using IMAP and have lots of folders that is a real PITA!
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
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decomplexity
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Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Mailbox over size limit - but how do I find out which one??

Not ideal perhaps, but if you raise a ticket PN will let you have the space usage of your fattest (say top 6) mailboxes.
The number of messages in a mailbox is more or less irrelevant when computing space used: it is the messages with inline or attached hi-res photos or videos that soak up space.
For once, nice Mr Microsoft has helped: the new .docx (etc) Office file formats typically use quite a lot less space than their predecessors, but .pdfs for printing (as opposed to the compressed ones for screen display only) can still be fat.
Zen from May 17. PN Business account from 2004 - 2017
Townman
Superuser
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Re: Mailbox over size limit - but how do I find out which one??

When this happens to me, I ask PN (via the notification ticket) to give me a break down of the size of each mail box.
I have on and off for ages suggested that a maibox size break down should be included in the notification email.  That would save everyone time and effort.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

cassuki
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Registered: ‎14-09-2007

Re: Mailbox over size limit - but how do I find out which one??

This has just happened to me too and I am at a total loss to understand how customers are supposed to stay within the limit without any way of seeing how much space they have currently used.  There is no warning that you are approaching the limit, no warning that you have reached the limit just an email telling you that you have been over the 1Gb limit for more than 30 days. You are only given 7 days to get back under the 1Gb with no information about how much space you have actually used. I don't know whether I've used 1.1Gb or 10Gb, which mailboxes and folders are a particular problem or now that I have started deleting messages, how much I've actually recovered and how many more messages I need to delete.
This is all the more annoying because when I asked what the email limit was some time ago, I was told there was no limit and I wasn't aware that the 1Gb policy had been applied. The email that is sent doesn't even make it clear whether it is one mailbox or the whole account the limit applies to.  They have now told me it applies to the
whole account and have asked the email team to give me a breakdown but I am now on day 4 of my 7 days and I still don't know how much I've used. Given I work full time and have other commitments outside of work that I can't get out of, I'm rapidly running out of time to meet the deadline. 
If this policy is going to be enforced with so little time to reduce the amount of storage used before you lose all your email, they need to provide a tool to show the usage as a matter of urgency. How can they reasonably expect customers to stay within the limit if there is no way of seeing how much has been used?
Townman
Superuser
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Mailbox over size limit - but how do I find out which one??

Hi,
There is flexibility!  You will get a second warning before anything happens.
The email could indeed be worded better, though it refers to "mailbox" it is actually the total size of all mailboxes.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

cassuki
Rising Star
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Registered: ‎14-09-2007

Re: Mailbox over size limit - but how do I find out which one??

The email says it will be deleted without further notice so there is no indication that there will be any further warnings!
PeterLoftus
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Registered: ‎27-05-2011

Re: Mailbox over size limit - but how do I find out which one??

@cassuki. I can see your problem but I feel PN failure is that they don't appear to give any advice on email handling and storage so customers across the board are building up problems for themselves unawares.
The advice should include that PN do not providing an archiving service and any important emails should be downloaded and stored elsewhere. It is always preferable IMHO to use an email client which offers the option of automatically downloading emails and deleting from the PN server.
Most customers I would suggest are happy to muddle their way through the setup process on desktop, tablet and mobile and give up once they see emails coming down the pipe! Not realising they are storing (literally) up problems for the future.
Come on Plusnet you need to look after your customers better  Smiley
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do be do be do - Sinatra
Townman
Superuser
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Registered: ‎22-08-2007

Re: Mailbox over size limit - but how do I find out which one??

Peter,
I think that it is not up to PlusNet to explain how to use the multitude of email tools available as so many people these days have very different requirements.  For those with only one device on which the want to use email and never access email via web mail, the option is simple - POP3 client configuration and all email is local to one computer.
At the other end are the users who ONLY use webmail - nothing is ever removed from the PN email server unless they delete it.
In between is a huge array of needs, email platforms and clients.  I have multiple email boxes and access each on a multitude of clients - PC (Outlook 2010) / iPhone / iPad / Webmail - to expect PlusNet to explain how to use all of that and in the many other environment is a big ask.  Personally I rather they just put the effort in to provide the right usage information, with the suggestion that people delete old redundant email or look at facilities with user's email clients to store emails locally.
Kevin

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

PeterLoftus
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Re: Mailbox over size limit - but how do I find out which one??

Kevin
But how many years of standard email is 1Gb? Or are they using for business or a club?
So the customer is faced with going through several years email all because there wasn't a warning paragraph on the guidance notes.  Smiley
Did I dream it but hadn't PN started providing packages without email?
To do is to be - Neitzsche
To be is to do - Kant
do be do be do - Sinatra
Oldjim
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Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Mailbox over size limit - but how do I find out which one??

In my case 1 year and I don't usually send or receive photos
PeterLoftus
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Re: Mailbox over size limit - but how do I find out which one??

@oldjim I assume you don't leave your email on the PN server  Smiley
To do is to be - Neitzsche
To be is to do - Kant
do be do be do - Sinatra
Oldjim
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Re: Mailbox over size limit - but how do I find out which one??

Of course not - I wouldn't trust them with it
It is downloaded and backed up daily onto a separate machine
PeterLoftus
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Re: Mailbox over size limit - but how do I find out which one??

Me neither I have my email downloaded and then deleted from PN server after a month so its available to see from webmail etc. This functionality is available from MS Outlook  Cool
To do is to be - Neitzsche
To be is to do - Kant
do be do be do - Sinatra
spraxyt
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Re: Mailbox over size limit - but how do I find out which one??

Webmail provides a means to determine mailbox size on a folder-by-folder basis so a bit long-winded but it can be done. To do this
log in
click the gear wheel bottom left and select Manage Folder
click a folder and against Size in the right-hand pane click where it says "Click to get folder size". Make a note of the value,
repeat for other folders.
Thunderbird, which I use as my email client on my PC, gives me this information directly. I installed the Extra Folder Columns add-on which shows me the storage used by each folder. Within a folder I've chosen to display the size column so can see which emails take up significant space. Usually this is due to image attachments and one can detach and download just the attachments to reduce the space taken on the server (whilst leaving the body text on the server).
For reference the information published on the email storage limit is at item 7 in the Email FAQ.
[quote=http://www.plus.net/support/email/common_questions.shtml#storageLimit]
7. What's the email storage limit?
There isn't one. Although if you have more than 1GB of email on our servers for more than 30 days, we may remove it without further notice. We do this to make sure our email network runs optimally all the time for all of our customers.
David
David