This document assumes you are using the Thunderbird e-mail client. It is also assumed that Mail has been configured to use the IMAP protocol.

1. From the side bar where your mail folders are listed, you will see (at least) two main heading trees listed in bold text.  Identify that they are listed as your SUNY Oswego email address (example: bugsbunny@oswego.edu) and "Local Folders."  You will be moving email messages from your SUNY Oswego email address tree to the "Local Folders" tree. 
2. Click the folder name under your SUNY Oswego email address tree that you want to start moving messages from.  The email messages stored in that folder should now be displayed. Go through each of the messages and delete any messages that you no longer need to keep. 
3. While reviewing the messages in the selected folder, if there are messages you want to archive (save to your local hard drive on your PC), you will need to move them to a folder of the same name under the "Local Folders" tree.  If a folder with the same name does not exist under the "Local Folders" tree, you will need to create it. To do this:
4. 1. Right click on the "Local Folders" heading (point the mouse to the words "Local Folders" and click the right mouse button). 
   2. Select "New Folder."
   3. 1. For the name of the folder, call it the same name as the folder listed under your SUNY Oswego email address tree.
      2. For the "Create as a subfolder of" field, make sure "Local Folders" is selected. 
      3. Click "OK."
   4. Verify that the new folder is now listed under the "Local Folders" tree.  It should also still be listed under your SUNY Oswego email address tree.  If you do not see the folder listed under both trees, do not procede with the following steps until this step has been successfully completed.
5. To move an email message from a folder under your SUNY Oswego email address tree to a folder of the same name under the "Local Folders" tree, click and hold down the mouse on the message you want to move.  While holding the mouse down, drag the message to the same folder listed under the "Local Folders" tree (point the mouse to the words of the folder you want to move it to) and then release the mouse.  The message originally in the folder under your SUNY Oswego email address tree should now either be marked for deletion or deleted.  To verify the message was successfully moved to the "Local Folders" tree, click on the folder of the same name under the "Local Folders" tree.  You should see the message listed.  Continue moving messages within this same folder. 
6. • If there are multiple messages within this folder that you want to move from your SUNY Oswego email tree to the "Local Folders" tree, you can hold the control key (Ctrl) down while clicking on the messages you want to move.  When you have finished selecting the messages, click and hold down the mouse on the hightlighted messages and drag the mouse over to the folder of the same name under the "Local Folders" tree. 
   • If you wish to move all the messages within a folder, go under the "Edit" menu, choose "Select" and then "All."  That should highlight all of the messages and then you will need to drag them to the folder of the same name under the "Local Folders" tree.
7. Continue with Steps 2-4 for each mail folder you have listed under your SUNY Oswego email tree.

If you would like to see an example of how the above steps are completed, please look at this Thunderbird Example (pdf, 600KB). Please note that this is just an example and does not necessarily reflect your email environment.