Gmail backup tricks

One of the best features of GMail is its huge storage space. It’s almost near the 3GB mark and it’s still growing, giving us reassurance that Google was sincere when they said, “that you’ll never have to delete another message.”

Using Google Groups To Backup Gmail

Here’s how you do it.

1) Create a new Google Group. Name it with something like “yourGMailaddress+archive” or “archivefor+yourGmailaddor” something similar.

2) Give it a description that will give you a hint that this is your backup archive for your Gmail.

3) Set Access level to “Restricted” since this would only be your GMail backup and archive.

4)Skip the “Invite members” step.

5) Go to “Group settings”

6) In the “Advanced” tab, click on the “Use Google Groups to manage remote archive” option. Enter your GMail address instead of a non-Google Grooup mailing list.

7) Click “Save Changes”. Remember to copy-paste the e-mail address in step number #

8) Log on to your GMail account.

9) Go to “Settings.” From here you have two options

a) Set up your GMail to forward all your incoming messages to your archive Google Group.

b) Create a “Filter” to specify which messages to forward to your Google Group archive.

Via googletutor.com

Back up Gmail on Linux with Getmail

Keep a copy of your Gmail messages stored locally on your Linux machine with freeware application getmail. Googler Matt Cutts explains the process: after you install getmail, enable POP email on your Gmail account, and configure getmail to store your messages as mbox or Maildir, then run getmail. Because of a Gmail limitation, getmail will only download 99 messages at a time, so keep re-running getmail and you'll soon have a copy of your entire Gmail archive on your Linux box.

Via lifehacker.com