Moving sites and how to handle email

**Fraser** · 07-09-07

I have a couple of sites that I look after for friends and I now need to move them to a new server. Moving the website is fine but I can't work out the best way to handle the email.

If I just change the dns then they may not be able to connect to the old server to collect any email as their domain will be pointed at the new server.

Is the best option to get them to change their account in outlook to find the old host by IP address to make sure the old mail box is cleaned out or is there a better way to do this?

Cheers

**tbp** · 07-09-07

You should be able to change the dns, as mail accounts usually aren't linked to the domain in the view of picking up mail.

If you use the domain for collecting mail off the new server, you should be able to use the ip address of the old server to collect any outstanding mail from the old server.

**moredial** · 07-09-07

Why don't you take a copy of the mail spool files off the old host and put that into the mail directory on the new server? Do this about 48 hours after moving the DNS to ensure that no new mail will be being received on the old hosting.

Use a different user (user.old) on the new server to do this as you otherwise risk editing the mail spool at the same time as a new mail is being received - and saving the edited spool file will overwrite those new mails.