AOL mailbox - 110,000 messages!!!

[goombawaho]

I've got a customer that has 110,000 messages in his AOL mailbox. He was complaining that he can't see all the messages in his OLD MAIL folder when using AOL Desktop. Well, AOL said, "that's correct because the desktop program will only show up to about 5000 messages per folder". They can be seen online via webmail, but he wants to search the messages from AOL desktop which works better than searching when logged into webmail.

http://www.tek-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?pid=605

What am I going to do with this guy? I don't know what to do.
0. So, obviously the guy has created his own nightmare.
1. Getting rid of AOL is probably not an option. The guy is stubborn about keeping it.
2. Downloading to Outlook (removing from server) is an option but then the messages wouldn't be available via webmail when he's out of office.
3. AOL said to move emails to folders with no more than 4500 per folder but you have to re-index or rebuild the AOL desktop after each move. A very time-consuming process.
4. I don't think you could move the emails to another email provider.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[ChrisHirst]

I don't think you could move the emails to another email provider.

With Gmail you can (Settings -> Accounts and Import) or you could use 'getmail' or 'fetchmail' if the server you are on supports it.



Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
Webmaster Forum

 

[goombawaho]

I forgot to mention that they have their own domain name/email but the guy doesn't want to use it!!! I guess that doesn't help the problem with AOL regardless.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[ChrisHirst]

I forgot to mention that they have their own domain name/email but the guy doesn't want to use it!!!

Oh dear deity! Tell me about it! We have two of them!

One with AOL, the other with a BTInternet/Yahoo mailbox that has been 'hacked' three times in the last six months, yet I still get the; "Well, lots of people know that one" reason for not phasing it out.

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
Webmaster Forum

 

[goombawaho]

Yes, I'm near the point of firing the customer for many different reasons, mostly not taking any of my advice.

Could I download the messages from AOL into Outlook (NOT leaving messages on server) via POP, then put them into folders and then set the connection to IMAP and get the folder structure to populate from Outlook to AOL?

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[goombawaho]

Like this???
Link

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[ChrisHirst]

No reason why not, always bearing in mind that implementations of IMAP servers only allow for additional folders to be created by an IMAP client as a sub folder of the 'INBOX' rather than a 'top-level folder.



Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
Webmaster Forum

 

[goombawaho]

I was planning on:
1. Setting AOL to unified folder view (old & new mail all in one folder) Link
2. Downloading via POP to Outlook 2010 inbox
3. Organizing all the messages by folder in Outlook
4. Add another AOL account in Outlook that is IMAP
5. Syncing back to AOL

Awaiting any critique of this idea or another different brilliant idea.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.