Exports and downloads
An export is a set of files built from an archived mailbox in one format. You choose which to build; nothing is built until you ask.
Formats
| Format | What it holds | Opens in |
|---|---|---|
| EML ZIP | Every message as an .eml file in its original RFC 822 form, with attachments inside, in folders named after the mailbox's labels or folders, plus manifest.csv listing every file with its folder, date, sender, subject, size and SHA-256 digest |
Any mail program, any archive tool, a text editor |
| MBOX | The whole mailbox in one file, mboxrd form | Thunderbird, Apple Mail, most archive and e-discovery tools |
| CSV | One row per message: date, from, to, subject, folder, size, message id | Any spreadsheet |
| ICS | Calendar events, cancelled ones included | Any calendar |
| VCF | Contacts as vCards | Any address book |
EML ZIP, MBOX and CSV are built from the mail; ICS from the calendar; VCF from the contacts. A format the mailbox has nothing for is skipped.
Building
On an Archived job choose New export, tick the formats and, for a job with several mailboxes, the mailboxes. One export is created per mailbox per format. They build one at a time per job, with progress shown live: items written and bytes so far.
A build interrupted by a restart carries on from the last file it finished rather than starting over.
Volumes
Large mailboxes split into volumes. The default volume is 1 GB. An Owner can choose a larger size, or a single file for the whole mailbox, under Settings; the choice applies to exports built afterwards. Every volume is a complete file of its format: a ZIP with its own manifest, a valid MBOX, and so on.
Downloading
Each finished export lists its files with their sizes and SHA-256 digests. Choose a file to download it. Downloads stream from Mailgestor's encrypted store, decrypted as they go, and each one is recorded in the audit log.
Exports are deleted seven days after they are built. The job page shows when each expires. Build again if you need the files after that, as long as the archive itself is still there: it is kept for six months after its last archive pass.
Deleting
An export can be deleted from the job page before it expires, and when a job has several finished exports each carries a checkbox, with Select all finished and Delete selected above the list, so a whole set goes in one step. A running export can be cancelled. Deleting an export deletes its files; the archive stays.