How to move your email safely securely for free, to a new provider.
This article explains how to move your your email to a new host (provider). We begin by describing the situation and then discuss the four steps to migration. Lastly, we conclude by summarizing the results. As a company Tekmar Solutions, Inc has performed this same process for hundreds of business and personal users and thousands of mailboxes over the past ten years. There have been hiccups, though no catastrophes, by following these steps.
This article is primarily aimed at older computer users that may have grown tired of advertising and spam that accompanies free, and sadly many paid services. Tekmar recommends Microsoft Office 365 for most business and individual email users. With a low cost and a user design built for simple, it’s worth pennies a day. The product depth, privacy and more support options than any email available, make O365 the industry leader.
Yet the focus here is service neutral, most free services work well. Just follow these four steps to sort out moving to a new email provider:
- Starting point
- Planning
- Implementation
- Cut-Over/cut-off.
Starting point
The starting point is assessment of where you are now. This assessment includes size and number of mailboxes in use. The number of folders
and associated archives and the types of messages needs to be noted too. The volume of email, calendar and non email messages, like tasks, contacts and address book entries need to be considered too. Once we know the scope of the
project it’s time to begin step two, planning.
Planning
Planning is the first actual production step in any process. While it does not remove all obstacles careful preparation greatly reduces unnecessary
complexities. Plan your moving to a new email provider with the assessment in hand. Match the current size and scope with the realities of the new provider making sure they can handle your needs. Planning includes picking the new
provider based on the assessment create in step one.
Phase two planning is to create a temporary cheat sheet with credentials and server information for the existing provider. Doing the same
for the new provider in the implementation phase is an important planning consideration. The third phase of planning is to consider the realities of your address book that contains the people who will still be in possession of your current address after the migration is underway. Write three email drafts as templates to be sent to your friends and family. Don’t send it yet! Here is a little idea of what say:
- Message one – Hello [name], This message is to
let you know that after using X@email-provider.com for some time I’m moving my
address to X@another-email.com. Starting on date I’ll be sending and receiving all messages at this address. If you reply to this message it is using my new address. Please manually update
your address book. Message two – Hello [name], Hope you are well and received my previous message about changing email address. Note this
address is using that! Please update your address book. I am forwarding messages for a the next 30 days and don’t want to miss anything from you.
3. Message three – Hello [name], This is final
migration message. If you haven’t already updated your address book do so now. I am stopping forwarding message soon an don’t want to miss anything. Thank you!
Forwarding is going to allow a smooth transition. As the next to last planning phase it’s essential. If you are unclear on how to forward messages to another address, consult your provider’s help docs, most systems have this capability. If all else fails emailhelp@tekuser.com can help. The last planning phase is to set a start and end date for the project. Once that is done you have finished the prep work
and can start implementing your plan.
Implementation
Implementation starts by setting up the new provider. It’s easy as providers have step by step set up guides for you to follow. Once it is set up, test it by sending a message to your existing mailbox and reply to it from there. The next implementation phase is de-cluttering. The exporting port step is easy if you are using Outlook (or other email client software), POP3, IMAP or Exchange. Your email is already literally exported from the server every time it syncs already. It is stored in the email client software. We recommend backing everything up before connecting the new mail server.
Cut-over
Once that connection is made you’ll be able to copy the respective messages to the appropriate folders on the new server. Then it’s time to disconnect that old server. Remember you have the cheat sheet if you need to reconnect. That usually doesn’t happen. Once old server is disconnected, put the forwarding rule in place and send out template one. In keeping with the
deadline set in planning send template two, and then three. Clean up any messages that are left with the old mailbox. Do not for get to cancel the account with the old provider when the end date is reach!
Download our template starters here
In summary we have covered the four steps for sorting your email to a new provider in an easy fashion. Following four steps – assessment, planning, implementation and Cut-Over/cut-off. Using three custom templates you let your friends and associates know what was happening, so you didn’t loose anything important while shedding spam and frustrating advertising and tracking.