Transfer between "UW Deskmail" and "UW Exchange"
with Web Alpine

Transferring messages between "UW Deskmail" and "UW Exchange" seems to be a common task. People may want to do this when they start using UW Exchange, or when they leave, or at almost any time to create or access an "archive" of messages using the UW Deskmail storage space. A variety of tools may be used, the most common being MS Outlook. Since you usually have Outlook already configured to access your UW Exchange space you just need to add an IMAP "account" for access to your UW Deskmail folders and it works fine (if you remember to move MESSAGES and NOT "folders").

However, there may be occasions when you don't have access to MS Outlook. The Outlook Web Access client won't be able to reach message stores other than your Exchange account, so that's not an answer. As a "minimalist" exercise, it IS possible to transfer messages using nothing but "Web Alpine" (a working Web browser and Internet connection, of course). Using Web Alpine also has the advantage that all the "heavy lifting" occurs between servers on the UW network, unlike using a "rich" desktop client (like Outlook or Thunderbird) the messages do NOT have to be copied first to your computer, then to the target folder, moving them TWICE over what may be a (relatively) slow network.

Let's consider the case of copying the messages from a folder on UW Exchange to a folder on UW Deskmail (nothing up my sleeves...):

1. Open Web Alpine, using the usual URL http://alpine.washington.edu, login and open your Inbox, to see a page similar to the image below

2. To add a "folder collection" to Web Alpine that accesses your folders on UW Exchange -

select "Settings" (near top/right, next to "Help")
open additional "Advanced Settings" with the "plus" sign next to "Advanced Settings" (left side)
select "Folders" from that list to see a page similar to the image below

3. Select "Add" to bring up a panel similar to the image below

In this panel enter:

Nickname: UW Exchange (though it can be anything you like)
Server: exchange.washington.edu
Security (pop-up list): SSL
User: your UW NetID

then select "Add" and (IMPORTANT) "Save Settings" to complete

4. To create a new folder (on Deskmail) to receive the copies, we'll name it "copied-from-Exchange" -

select "Back to Inbox" (top of left side)
select "View/Manage Folders" (bottom of left side)
select the "Deskmail Folders"
select "New Folder" (top/left of list) to bring up a display similar to that below

enter the desired name for the new folder (we've used "copied-from-Exchange"), and select "New Folder" to complete

5. To open the folder (on UW Exchange) that will be the source of the messages to be copied -

select "View/Manage Folders"
this time (IMPORTANT) select the "UW Exchange" folder collection
open it to display a list of those folders
select and open the desired folder (we've used "made-by-OWA") to display a page similar to the image below

6. Next select some (or all) of the messages in this folder. IMPORTANT - to select ALL the messages in the folder you must use the "Select All" command from the "More Actions" tab (middle of the command bar). Otherwise, you may select all the VISIBLE messages (but not ALL the messages in the folder).

7. With the desired messages selected -

click on the "Move" command tab and select the "Copy" command that appears below it
(it is ALWAYS safer to copy, verify, then delete, rather than "move"...)
select, just to the right of that, the "to Folder" drop down to select the target folder.

The folder SHOULD be in the list of recently used folders if it was just created, but, if not, find the "More Folders" option at the bottom of the list.

The copy happens...

It is good practice to open the target folder and verify the content is as expected, the message count can be a useful "cross check". It may be the case that the LAST message in a set is not always copied. If so, select JUST that message and copy it again. Once you've verified the copy is complete, you may delete the source folder, but that action may be safer in your usual Exchange client (Outlook or "OWA").

Repeat as needed for additional folders. The process in the reverse direction is entirely parallel, but left as an "exercise for the reader".... :-)

Transfer between "UW Deskmail" and "UW Exchange" with Web Alpine

Transfer between "UW Deskmail" and "UW Exchange"
with Web Alpine