Switching to another host: cannot see old email.

[Saint]

I uploaded the roundcube files to my new host and then exported the RC SQL database from my old host and imported it to my new host. I then changed the DNS records to point to my new host. I created a user with the same email address with my new host.

I can't see any of my old emails. I looked in the SQL database and all of my old messages are there -- yet i don't see the new messages in the messages table (the three most recent that I can see in roundcube on my new host). I looked in the users table and there is only one user and all of the messages belong to me. So why can't I see my old emails?

Please help.

Thanks,
Ian Walter

[zyzzyvas]

I sure hope the old account isn't deleted yet...

RC is just an IMAP client. Your mail actually resides on the server in flat files and RC merely reads it and works with it. Hence, moving the SQL database does NOT move your mail. You need to back up your mail folder(s) and place them on the new server in the right spot. This might also require converting mail file formats if the two servers use different storage schemes (eg. mbox vs maildir).

Not as simple as you thought.

[Saint]

Thanks a lot for the tip. Both of the hosting services use courier (maildir) but with my new host I can't see where they store the inbox file, etc. I asked technical support and they said it was technically impossible to import my old messages, *sigh* I hate hosting companies.

Guess I'll just have to get on their ass about it.

Thanks again,
Ian Walter

[muppet]

You could just pull all your old mails out using thunderbird and then reupload them to your new account, assuming both of them support IMAP connections!

A royal pain, especially if you have a large amount of mail.

[zyzzyvas]

Yes, if all else fails, you can use thunderbird to "bridge" across two accounts and copy mail between them. But if you have a lot of mail (eg. I have 60000 messages in my IMAP store), then it's FAR more efficient -- and less risky -- to backup the whole email folder and FTP it to the new server.