Getting my Imac - how to move things across

[simon12]

Well, it looks like I'm finally set to get my new Imac next week - 20" 2.66.

Assuming it all happens, I want to get ahead of the game now and ask a few questions.

1. How do I move my email addresses and all my emails in all the different mailboxes from Outlook Express to Mac's own mail software?

2. How do I move the favourites from Internet Explorer across to Safari?

3. When I move all my documents across, where in the file structure does Mac try and put them (ie like the My Docs folder in Windows)? Is it wise to create some sort of temp file first, drop them in there and then move them to where you want them to be?

I intend to try and move everything using a crossover ethernet cable from my PC. Failing that - as my PC is dying - I have everything backed up on a DVD.

Any help is appreciated, plus anything else you think I should know.

Thanks in advance.

[rafe17]

First of all, welcome to club Mac!

As a Mac convert at the start of this year, I found it very easy to move my docs and settings from my Windows machine to the Mac.

I put everything onto an external hard disk and copied it across.

E-mail stuff - Ummm, depends on what service you use. Who is your mail with, Yahoo, Gmail???

Favourites are easy to do, just export them out of IE (File-Import and Export) and then import that file into Safari (File-Import Favourites).

With My Documents, I just copied all the folders and pasted them into the 'Documents' folder on the Mac. Simple!

It's the best move you will make! Hope you enjoy your new Mac!

HTH

[spudtator]

Hi Simon. I'm not exactly sure on this, but, you should be able to export your Outlook mailbox as a .pst file then import it into Mail on your new Mac.
I've never actually done this, but in theory it should be that easy.

Let us know how you get on and enjoy your new Mac.

spud

[Tenex]

Originally Posted by simon12

Well, it looks like I'm finally set to get my new Imac next week - 20" 2.66.

Assuming it all happens, I want to get ahead of the game now and ask a few questions.

1. How do I ...

Any help is appreciated, plus anything else you think I should know.

Thanks in advance.

Take your PC to the Apple store and they'll do it for you, its part of the service.

[simon12]

Thanks for the replies.

My email starts with a company called Netaddress, which is sort of like Hotmail, Gmail, etc. But I always have my mail forwarded to my local ISP's server and download it from there, so all my emails are on my PC's HD.

I'll investigate further - could someone tell me what the Mac mail software is called?

Tenex - I thought of taking it in but I really don't want to lug a PC and an Imac to the apple store, plus my PC is constantly dying and may not live thru the trip!

I can't wait to say g'bye to Windows, although I will be installing Parallels for those few programs I have to use under Mr. Gates' software.

[Tenex]

Originally Posted by simon12

Tenex - I thought of taking it in but I really don't want to lug a PC and an Imac to the apple store, plus my PC is constantly dying and may not live thru the trip!

I may be wrong but I think the service is only available for Apple store bought kit so it wouldn't apply from what you've said.

[clockworks]

Originally Posted by simon12

Thanks for the replies.



I'll investigate further - could someone tell me what the Mac mail software is called?

It's called "Mail"

[K86]

I'll be moving over to a Mac sometime in January after MacWorld myself and I've spent the best part of two weeks getting my photos, documents, web favourites and music organised for the move

I personally would get an external HDD, copy everything over and then and once you're done you can use it as a Time Machine to make sure everything is always backed up

Transferring your files should be as easy as drag and dropping your documents to your desired folder. That is as far as I know anyway but where your favourites are concerned just export them from IE and then just import them into Safari

[huntere]

Welcome to the "light side"

If you look on Apple website there are really good tutorials on how to port from Windows to Mac (you'll notice the opposite thing doesn't exist on Microsoft - funny that!)

Anyway makes life really easy.

Mail is really easy to setup - easier than Outlook. Contacts should be a cinch too.

One thing, seriously look at using Forefox as opposed to Safari. I tried really hard to stick with Apple specific software but Safari doesnt cut it when compared with Firefox.

[K86]

One question that I've been meaning to ask is this. Does Hotmail work with Apple Mail? I know Yahoo does but most of my emails go to my Hotmail account

[huntere]

Originally Posted by K86

One question that I've been meaning to ask is this. Does Hotmail work with Apple Mail? I know Yahoo does but most of my emails go to my Hotmail account

Not as far as I know. But you can add Messenger and use that as "local" email client - well it'll advise when new emails rec;d etc.

[K86]

Originally Posted by huntere

Not as far as I know. But you can add Messenger and use that as "local" email client - well it'll advise when new emails rec;d etc.

I've just been looking into it and no, you can't link your Hotmail account to your Apple Mail. It has the same problem that the iPhone and iPod does

I did however find this on the Apple website
Apple - Downloads - Email & Chat - Daniel’s HTTPMail Plug-in

It seems to be an add-on for Apple Mail which allows you to get your Hotmail messages through Apple Mail

[simon12]

I did a bit of research yesterday and came across a simple DOS program that converts Outlook Express .dbx files into .mbox files so that the Mac will read them. it's called DbxConv and is available here: http://people.freenet.de/ukrebs/dbxconv.html

This site - Importing email from Outlook and Outlook Express | Hawk Wings - gives a good description of how it works so I'm going to give it a go tomorrow.

K86 - I'm going to buy a usb hard drive enclosure from Maplins which will allow me to use my existing HD from my PC as an external drive. That will allow me to use Time Machine.

Can someone tell me does Time Machine simply make a continuously updated copy of your Imac's HD onto the external drive? Is it 1:1 or is it compressed somehow?

[clockworks]

Time Machine uses a special type of disk image - Apple call it a "sparsebundle". You need to use Time Machine to restore it to your Mac. You can't boot from it, or read the files directly.

[simon12]

Aah - in that case, what size external drive do I need to back up from a 320gb imac drive?

Will time machine work if the drive is connected via USB?