A User's Guide to Ximian Evolution
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# Chapter 4. Organizing and Managing your Email

Even if you only get a few email messages a day, you probably want to sort and organize them. When you get a hundred a day and you want to refer to a message you received six weeks ago, you need to sort and organize them. Fortunately, Ximian Evolution has the tools to help you do it.

# Importing Your Old Email and Settings

Evolution allows you to import old email and data so that you don't need to worry about losing your old information.

## Importing Email

Ximian Evolution can import the following types of files:

VCard (.vcf, gcrd):

  The addressbook format used by the GNOME, KDE, and many other contact management applications. You should be able to export to VCard format from any address book application.

iCalendar (.ics):

  A format for storing calendar files. iCalendar is used by PalmOS based handhelds, Ximian Evolution, and Microsoft Outlook.

Microsoft Outlook Express 4 (.mbx):

  Email file format used by Microsoft Outlook Express 4. For other versions of Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, see the workaround described in the note below.

MBox (mbox):

  The email box format used by Mozilla, Netscape, Ximian Evolution, Eudora, and many other email clients.

To import your old email:

1. Click File->Import.

2. Click Next after reading the Welcome screen.

3. Select Import a single file.

4. Find the file that you wish to import into Evolution.

5. Click Import

## Importing Preferences

Evolution can import all your old mail, contacts, and other information from other applications, making your transition to Evolution easy.

To import your old information:

1. Click File->Import.

2. Click Next after reading the Welcome screen.

3. Select Import data and settings from older programs.

4. The left-most column shows the application which your information will be imported from. You then select checkboxes on each component to import different properties of each application.

5. Click Next

6. Click Import

> Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express Users: Microsoft Outlook, and versions of Outlook Express after version 4, use proprietary formats that Ximian Evolution cannot read or import. For contacts, you may have to email them to yourself and import them that way. For email, there is a simpler workaround:

> 1. While using Windows, import the files into Mozilla Mail (or another mailer, such as Netscape or Eudora, that uses the standard mbox format).

> 2. Copy the files to the system or partition you use for Ximian Evolution.

> 3. Use the Ximian Evolution import tool to import the files. There's more information about why this works, and how, at the Ximian support website.

> Netscape Users: Before importing mail from Netscape, make sure you select File->Compact All Folders. If you don't, Ximian Evolution will import and undelete the messages in your Trash folders.

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