In the digital age, our email inbox has become a precious archive of work communications, important documents, and personal memories. Alice Mail, today integrated into TIM Mail, represents a tradition for millions of Italians, a service that has accompanied the evolution of the internet in our country. However, entrusting your data solely to the cloud carries risks. Technical problems, cyber attacks, or simple human errors can lead to the loss of valuable information. For this reason, performing a complete backup of Alice Mail is not just a good practice, but a necessity to protect our digital memory. The service provider itself, TIM, recommends periodically backing up messages to your computer.

This guide was created to combine tradition and innovation: on one hand, the historic Alice mailbox; on the other, modern data safeguarding techniques. We will accompany you step by step in creating a backup copy of all your emails, ensuring that nothing is lost. Securing your emails means guaranteeing continuity for your work and preserving your memories, a small investment of time for great future peace of mind.

Why It Is Crucial to Save a Copy of Your Emails

Many users take for granted that their emails are safe on the provider’s server, but there are several scenarios where a local backup proves fundamental. First and foremost, security. No service is 100% immune to breaches. In the event of unauthorized access to your account, a malicious actor could irreversibly delete important messages. Having an offline copy protects you from this eventuality. Furthermore, a backup is essential for long-term archiving and for consulting messages without an active internet connection.

Another crucial reason is migration. If you decide to change email provider, for example to migrate to a new provider like Gmail, having a complete archive of your old conversations will allow you to transfer them without losses. Finally, there is the risk of accidental deletion. A wrong click can delete a vital conversation. With a regular backup, you can easily recover any message or folder deleted by mistake, guaranteeing you full control over your personal and professional data.

The Difference Between IMAP and POP3: The Key to Backup

To save emails to your computer, you need to use an “email client”, a program like Mozilla Thunderbird or Microsoft Outlook. During configuration, you will be asked to choose between two protocols: POP3 and IMAP. Understanding the difference is the first step to an effective backup. The POP3 (Post Office Protocol) is the older one. It works like a post office: it connects to the server, downloads new messages to your device, and, in the default configuration, deletes them from the server. This frees up online space but makes managing mail from multiple devices difficult.

The IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol), on the other hand, is more modern and flexible. It acts like a mirror: it synchronizes all folders and messages between the server and all connected devices. If you read, move, or delete an email from your smartphone, the same change will occur on your computer and webmail. To perform a complete and faithful backup of your Alice Mail inbox, the recommended choice is undoubtedly IMAP. This protocol ensures that every single email, including sent mail and drafts, is copied to your PC, creating an archive identical to the one on the server. To learn more, you can consult our guide on how to choose between IMAP and POP3.

Configuring Alice Mail on an Email Client (Guide with Thunderbird)

Using an email client like Mozilla Thunderbird is one of the most effective and free methods to download and manage Alice emails on your computer. Thunderbird is an open-source program, secure and available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. The first step is to download it from the official website and install it. Once started, the program will guide you in creating a new email account.

During configuration, it is fundamental to enter the correct parameters to ensure connection to the TIM server. When prompted, choose manual configuration and enter the following information, paying attention to select the IMAP protocol:

• Incoming Mail Server (IMAP): in.alice.it
• IMAP Port: 143
• Connection Security: STARTTLS (or TLS)
• Authentication Method: Normal password
• Username: Your full email address (e.g., name@alice.it)
• Outgoing Mail Server (SMTP): out.alice.it
• SMTP Port: 587
• Security and Authentication: The same as incoming mail

Once these details are entered and confirmed, Thunderbird will connect to your account and begin downloading a copy of all messages and folders. This process, called synchronization, could take from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the amount of email in your inbox. For a more detailed guide, we invite you to read our article on how to configure your Alice Mail account on Thunderbird.

How to Export Emails for a Physical Backup

After synchronizing your Alice mailbox with Thunderbird, all emails are already saved on your computer. However, to create a manageable backup file to keep on an external hard drive or USB stick, it is advisable to export them in a standard format. Thunderbird offers several ways to do this. The simplest method is to save individual emails or entire folders in .eml format. This universal format preserves the text, formatting, and attachments of each message. To do this, simply select the desired emails, right-click, and choose the “Save as” option.

For a more massive and organized backup, you can use a free add-on for Thunderbird called ImportExportTools NG. Once installed, this tool adds a context menu that allows you to export entire folders, with all subfolders, in various formats, including MBOX (a single file for the entire folder) or individual .eml files. Another strategy consists of locating and copying the entire Thunderbird profile folder, which contains all your account data. This method creates a complete security copy but requires a bit more technical familiarity to locate the right folder in your operating system.

Beyond Emails: Don’t Forget Address Book and Attachments

A complete backup isn’t just about message content, but also two equally important elements: attachments and the contact address book. The good news is that, using the IMAP configuration method on Thunderbird described earlier, all attachments are downloaded automatically along with their respective emails. No additional operation is necessary: every file, document, or image received will be safe in the local copy of your mail.

Managing the address book, however, requires a separate step. The IMAP protocol, in fact, synchronizes only mail and not contacts. To save your Alice Mail address book, you must access the TIM webmail from your browser. Inside the “Address Book” section, you will find an option to export contacts. Generally, the most common and versatile export format is .csv (Comma Separated Values), a simple text file that can be easily imported into other email clients, spreadsheets, or online services. Saving this file together with the email backup will ensure you have a truly complete security copy of your entire history.

Conclusions

Securing one’s digital correspondence is a fundamental operation that combines the prudence of tradition with the possibilities offered by technology. As we have seen, performing a complete backup of Alice Mail is a structured process but accessible to everyone. The key to success lies in choosing the right tool and the most suitable protocol. Using a free and reliable email client like Mozilla Thunderbird, combined with configuration via the IMAP protocol, confirms itself as the most effective strategy for creating a mirror and complete copy of your mailbox on your computer.

Remember that backup is not an activity to be performed just once, but a habit to cultivate over time to guarantee constant protection against unforeseen events such as data loss, cyber attacks, or simple errors. By completing the procedure with the export of the address book, you will have the certainty of having sheltered a wealth of personal and professional information. Do not wait until it is too late: dedicate a few minutes to this operation today to guarantee yourself serenity and full control over your data.

Frequently Asked Questions