Managing Your Email Quota for Windows

Eudora Email at Florida State University

 

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On this page:
Overview
Download and delete from the mail server
Download and leave mail on the server for _ days
Leaving mail on the server indefinitely
Other quota management techniques

Overview

Mail servers have several methods of handling email quota. Some send a notice if you are approaching your limit. Others "lock" your mail service until you reduce your mailbox contents below the set quota. To avoid these problems, you should have a strategy for managing your mail before problems arise. There are several approaches; please choose the best method for your needs from those listed below.

1. Your mail is downloaded to your computer and immediately deleted from the mail server (default).
2. Your mail is downloaded to your computer, but remains on the mail server for a specified number of days
3. The mail remains on the server indefinitely

Download and Delete from the Mail Server (default)

When you initially set up Eudora, the recommended settings look like those in the dialog box below. The check boxes for Leave on server for _ days and Delete from server when emptied from trash are not checked.

User Services recommends that settings look like those in the dialog box below. The check box for Check for mail every _ minutes should be set to no less than 5 minutes. Please also check Delete from server when emptied from trash.

If you follow these recommendations when setting up Eudora, you will never need to worry about a mail server quota. Your mail will be automatically downloaded from the server to a mailbox on your computer. You can file, filter, and delete messages on your computer without having to be concerned with a server quota. User Services recommends this setting.

Download and Leave Mail on the Server for _ Days

If you check mail from several locations, or travel on a regular basis, you might want to have access to recently received mail from various computers. With this method, you will still have all of your mail stored on your primary computer. The secondary computer-a computer at home for example-will have access to your recent mail. This option will automatically manage the quota for you.

To give yourself access to recent mail on a secondary computer you will set the primary computer to leave mail on the server for a preset number of days. The secondary computer will be set to leave mail on the server indefinitely (the box is checked with no number of days in the text box). The outcome is that your primary computer will still download and store all new mail since your secondary computer is set to leave mail on the server. After the preset number of days passes, mail is deleted from the mail server.

It is fine to set up a secondary computer to Leave Mail on Server without a number of days specified, but you must ensure that your mail is deleted from the server after a certain amount of time. The crucial step is to set the primary computer to delete mail after a specified number of days.

To set up two computers for limited time email access, first set up your primary computer:

1. Select Options... from the Tools menu.
   
   
   
   
2. Select the Incoming Mail icon.
   
   
3. Check the Leave mail on server box.
   
   
4. Check the Delete from server after _ day(s) box.
   
   
5. Enter a number in the Days box (7 is recommended).
   
   
6. Check the box for Delete from server when emptied from trash.
   
   
   
   
7. Click OK to save your settings.
   
   

On the secondary computer:

1. Select Options from the Tools menu.
   
   
2. Select the Incoming Mail icon.
   
   
3. Check the Leave mail on server box.
   
   
4. Do not check the Delete from server after _ day(s) or the Delete from server when emptied from trash box. You will be able to delete mail from the secondary computer without deleting mail from the server.
   
   
   
   

Leaving Mail on the Server Indefinitely

Note: This option is not recommended and requires constant, active management of your email.

If you keep your mail on the server indefinitely without regular management:

• Your mail will take longer and longer to process. Eudora must read through the headers of all of your messages each time it checks for new messages. With several hundred (or thousand) messages, this can take many minutes.
  
  
• The POP servers will become bogged down with the extra processing and filled disk space. Everyone will suffer with the additional drain on computer resources.
  
  
• Some servers will "lock" your mailbox if you exceed the quota. You will not be able to access your email until the problem is resolved.
  
  
• If you read mail from a different computer (say, if you're travelling), reinstall Eudora, or even change the POP account in Eudora's preferences, Eudora will determine that this is a new computer that has not seen the mail. All of the mail stored on the server will be downloaded to the computer. This could be a major problem if you have a large mailbox or you are connecting via a modem while traveling.
  
  

All mail will be stored on the server until you manually delete it from the trash. You must manage your mailbox on a regular basis--including deleting older messages--or this method will cause problems over time.

The primary and any secondary computers have identical settings to leave email on the server indefinitely.

1. Select Options... from the Tools menu.
   
   
   
   
2. Select the Incoming Mail icon.
   
   
3. Check the Leave mail on server box.
   
   
4. Do not check the Delete from server after _ day(s) box.
   
   
5. Check the box for Delete from server when emptied from trash.
   
   
   
   
6. Click OK to save the changes.
   
   

Other Quota Management Techniques

If you have a large mailbox on the server, there are several methods to reduce it to a manageable size. You can regularly check your inbox and delete mail you do not wish to save. If you have been leaving your email on the server indefinitely, changing the preferences in Eudora will not delete old mail. This method will remove old mail:

1. Configure Eudora on your primary computer so that Leave mail on Server is not checked.
   
   
2. Hold down the Shift key and click on the Check Mail toolbar button or select Check Mail under the File menu.
   
   
3. A window will open and give you several options. Check the box next to Delete all messages that have been retrieved.
   
   
4. Click on OK.
   
   

This is a one-time option that will delete all of the messages on the server that have been downloaded to your computer from the server (not the messages on your computer). If you are unable to use this method to reduce a large server mailbox or if you have questions about the size of your mailbox, contact the FSU Help Desk via the HelpDesk website or 850.644.HELP (4357).