One of the ways to back up your ENCS email to an external device is to use email client, like Thunderbird.
1. Configure an email client (Mozilla Thunderbird) in your personal machine.
2. Create a local folder by right clicking the name of your account on the left menu of the Thunderbird.
3. Copy the emails you want to backup (drag and drop is okay).
4. Check the properties of the folder, where it is located (It is on your computer, so this is the backup from server to your computer).
5. Save the local folder where ever you want (as backup, to view later using thunderbird).
OR
Let's say you want to backup your ENCS Inbox to your Thunderbird Local Folders at home
Your username is j_smith
Your ENCS Inbox is located at /var/spool/mail/j/j_smith
Log into 'login.encs.concordia.ca', create a folder to store your back up file;
say I create a folder in /home/j/j_smith/Inbox_backup
[grace] [/home/j/j_smith] > mkdir Inbox_backup
[grace] [/home/j/j_smith] > cp /var/spool/mail/j/j_smith Inbox_backup
A file named under your username (j_smith) was created in folder Inbox_backup. Copy this file and place on your Thunderbird Local Folders at home, which usually located at C:\Documents and
Settings\your_user_account\Application Data\Thunderbird\Profiles\your_profile\Mail\Local Folders; otherwise right click on the Local Folders to find it location directory.
Open Thunderbird, a folder named Inbox_backup under your Local Folders appears to show all your backup Inbox email.
Note: To back up other email folders (ie, Sent, Trash...), they are located at your
/home/j/j_smith/mail/
