Mail Over Quota!!! We see this and panic, and so we should. This sinister statement means that you have used up all the available space on your mail server (the storage place where all your email resides). This will cause all emails sent to you to bounce back to the sender and you will no longer be able to send any emails. Not a good situation to be in, we all rely on our emails so much.
There are simple solutions to avoid being in a “Mail Over Quota” situation.
No.1 – Move your mail into Folders that reside on your computer
By moving emails from your inbox and sent items folders of your email account into folders that reside on your computer, you’re effectively removing them from the mail server and onto your computer’s hard drive. This is a great way to clean out and organise your email without having to delete everything. Here’s a quick run down on how to create your own local folder database.
Create a Personal Folder
Follow the steps below to create a Personal Folder in your Microsoft Outlook program.
- Click File on the top left.
- Click Info on the left (it might already be selected).
- Click the Account Settings drop-down and click Account Settings.
- Click the Data Files tab.
- Click Add.
- Choose the desired save location and name the file.
- Click OK.
- Now the folder will appear on the left side of Outlook under your email folders or other Personal Folders.
- From here you can save messages, or drag and drop messages into this new “Personal Folder”.
Always remember to back up your computer to keep your downloaded email safe and secure.
No.2 Change to a POP3 email account.
Changing your email account from an IMAP to a POP3 will Force your email to be downloaded from your email server to your computer, storing them locally on your hard drive. This is a great way to manage your email if you do not need to be able to access all your mail from many different devices. Here are some very basic definitions of IMAP and POP3. Please note: make sure to make a backup of your emails before switching from IMAP to POP3.
An IMAP account is a Window to your mail server which lets you see everything on your mail server. All your mail will continually accumulate without proper housekeeping.
A POP3 is a Gatherer which will download everything from your Mail Server to reside on your computer. Constantly cleaning your server space and making room for more mail.
Each option has it’s own pros and cons depending on the your workflow and email needs.
No.3 Google Mail and Office 365.
Google and Microsoft offer dedicated email services that take the headaches away from complicated email set-ups. These services are dedicated IMAP configurations which have plenty of storage space and cloud based features. Running a team of email reliant staff? This is the answer. Learn more about switching to Google Mail and Office 365 in this post here.
So what ever solution works for you, seeing the dreaded “Over Quota” message can easily become a thing of the past.
