How to Move Email From an Old Computer to a New Computer

By Fred Larrey

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Moving email from an old to a new computer can be complicated, but doesn't have to be. Certain online companies offer email to their customers--they are called email providers. These include AOL, Comcast, Hotmail, Yahoo, Verizon, MSN, Juno and many more. Whether you receive email locally (a program like Microsoft Outlook checks your emails from online and downloads them to your computer) or you check your email using your Internet browser, moving them to a new computer can be quick and easy using Gmail's Import Contacts and Mail feature.

Step 1

Make sure your email provider is supported. Navigate to the link in the resources section, and click the link at the bottom that says "Click here to see which email providers are supported." Find your email provider in the list.

Step 2

Navigate to www.gmail.com. If you have a Gmail account already, log in. If not, click the "Create an Account" button in the bottom right corner. Follow the instructions on the next page (type your full name, the name of your new email account, etc.) to create a new account.

Step 3

In the top right corner of the Gmail page, click "Settings."

Step 4

Click the "Accounts and Import" link.

Step 5

Click the "Import Mail and Contacts" button.

Step 6

Type the email address that contains your old email. Click "Continue."

Step 7

Type in the password for your old email account. Click "Continue."

Step 8

Check the "Import Contacts" check-box to import all your contacts from your old email. Check "Import Mail" to have all your old email sent to your new Gmail account. Check "Apply Label" to create a Gmail label for all email that was from your old account, to make it easily discernible from new email in your in-box. Finally, click "Start Import" to begin transferring all of your old mail.

Step 9

Check your Gmail account. In the next 24 to 48 hours, all of your messages should be transferred.

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