[quote user="bfluet"]The hierarch.om file contains entries for each folder listed in the folder window.  A directory attached as a mailbox has an entry that looks like this:

0,0,"KLY2EVRG:2CB3:FOL01D7F","71D72317:c:\\temp\\testmail","testmail"

You can see how changing the directory name or location would make the entry invalid. [/quote]

Just for the reference of anyone later who might come along reading this thread seeking information, I think that is like an entry for a folder in an external Mail Box not an entry for the external Mail Box itself. This is what a Mail Box entry looks like:

0,0,"01131047:G:\\PMBoxOldMail:NEW","01131047:G:\\PMBoxOldMail",Name_Unavailable

This is what a tray looks like.

1,2,"15921048:People","01131047:G:\\PMBoxOldMail","People"

An external Mail Box entry seems like it will stick around in the hierarch.pm file forever, even if it is obsolete. There apparently is no way to ever get rid of it or change it once it has been created. Folder entries and tray entries may be eliminated from the hierach.pm file when they are removed within Pegasus.

I would like to know more about how attaching mailboxes work. I wanted to use them to offload and store old, etc. mail. I tried to do this and it all seemed to work for a while. However, the following experience makes it apparent that I need to know more.

I added a mailbox on a USB drive. I created folders and trays and moved messages into them.

1) Then in the middle of moving some messages I ran out of destination disk space and the operation was aborted.

2) I moved the mail box to a location where there was more space with the intention of continuing. But I discovered that when I added the mailbox its organization no longer existed and its contents no longer showed.

3) I tried renaming the mailbox and adding it with the same results.

4) At this point things began deteriorating and it became clear that something had gotten corrupted in Pegasus. For example, the contents, organization and names in "My Mailbox" (the home mailbox) and the added mailbox were getting mixed together.

I am not sure if the cause of the corruption was the "crash" when the message moving operation failed or the moving and renaming of the offloaded mailboxes. If anyone could enlighten me as to what is the most likely cause I'd appreciate it. Obviously, I'd like to know how to avoid such events in the future.

After experimenting it became apparent that the location and name of the added mailbox did not seem that they could be changed once initially set up. At least, not without losing the organization of the mailbox. Looking into the mailbox file there was nothing in it but the folders (.PMM and .PMI files) and they were intact. So the organization must be in Pegasus' home directory (perhaps in the same Hierarch.PM file with the My Mailbox info). And that seems to be inextricably linked to the original name and location of the file.

Can anyone elaborate on how this works and the validity of my deductions and suppositions about how these remote mailboxes work?

Inasmuch as one of the main uses of these remote mailboxes would be to archive old messages, it would seem that not being able to move the archival mailbox is a real show stopper. For example, you could not take the mailbox and view it on another computer with another copy of Pegasus since the organization of the mailbox remains with the original program. Or even if you plug your USB drive back into the same computer and it comes up using different drive letter then its organization would also be lost.

Is there some trick I don't know to using remote mailboxes?

Craig

To add a directory as a mailbox first create the directory using Windows Explorer.  You then go into to the folder window in Pegasus and use the Folder pull down menu to add a mailbox to the list.  Here you point to the directory and optionally assign it a name.  This generates an entry in the heirarch.pm file which contains the structure shown in the folder window of Pegasus Mail.  If you move the directory or rename it without first disconnecting it as a mailbox you end up with a bad entry in heirarch.pm.  So if the directory you are adding as a mailbox is on a USB device that will be routinely disconnected you need to attach it as a mailbox only when needed and disconnect it when you are done.

Since you ran out of space the first time it is possible that a .pmm/.pmi pair did not get copied completely which could leave you with an indexing issue.  Try creating a new directory that will be added as a mailbox and then copy into it one of the .pmm/.pmi file pairs from your original directory using Windows Explorer.  Attach it as a mailbox then check the message folder contents to make sure messages and message contents match.  If you encounter an indexing error reindex the message folder.  Disconnect the mailbox.  Copy the next .pmm./pmi pair and do the same. Repeat...

Note:  Reindexing requires as much free space as the files being indexed so be sure the device you put the directory on has sufficient space.

You probably just learned this the hard way but I'll say if for anyone else who may look at this thread.  It is safer to do a copy rather than a move.  A copy maintains the integrity of the originals which allows you to confirm that the copy was successful before deleting the originals.  This is unnecessary if you have a backup from which you can recover if something goes wrong during a move.

Thanks, bfluet, for your reply.

So the organization of the added mailbox IS in the heirarch file. (I only moved or changed the name of the remote mailbox folder when it was disconnected so I don't think that was a problem.) However, am I correct that moving the mailbox or changing its name will lose that organization since the info in the heirarch file is permanently tied to the original name and location?

As near as I can tell I did not lose any messages (messages, not .pmm/.pmi pairs, are what are copied, right?) or end up with any defectively indexed remote .pmm/.pmi pairs. The corruption problems I had were with the hierarch file. 

I agree: copy is safer than move! If something goes wrong you have a backup to refer to.

[quote user="CraigSpencer"] So the organization of the added mailbox IS in the heirarch file. (I only moved or changed the name of the remote mailbox folder when it was disconnected so I don't think that was a problem.) However, am I correct that moving the mailbox or changing its name will lose that organization since the info in the heirarch file is permanently tied to the original name and location? [/quote]

The hierarch.om file contains entries for each folder listed in the folder window.  A directory attached as a mailbox has an entry that looks like this:

0,0,"KLY2EVRG:2CB3:FOL01D7F","71D72317:c:\\temp\\testmail","testmail"

You can see how changing the directory name or location would make the entry invalid.  [quote] As near as I can tell I did not lose any messages (messages, not .pmm/.pmi pairs, are what are copied, right?) or end up with any defectively indexed remote .pmm/.pmi pairs. The corruption problems I had were with the hierarch file. [/quote]

Thanks again for your answer bfluet.

[quote user="bfluet"][quote user="CraigSpencer"] So the organization of the added mailbox IS in the heirarch file. (I only moved or changed the name of the remote mailbox folder when it was disconnected so I don't think that was a problem.) However, am I correct that moving the mailbox or changing its name will lose that organization since the info in the heirarch file is permanently tied to the original name and location? [/quote]

The hierarch.om file contains entries for each folder listed in the folder window.  A directory attached as a mailbox has an entry that looks like this:

0,0,"KLY2EVRG:2CB3:FOL01D7F","71D72317:c:\\temp\\testmail","testmail"

You can see how changing the directory name or location would make the entry invalid.

[/quote]

 Yes, I see. But apparently those entries (and the names and locations) can never be changed and will never go away (even if they are obsolete). Altho, perhaps I could go into the hierarch.pm file and edit the name and location of a remote mailbox if I wanted to change it.

I just discovered that if I select a remote mailbox and click "rename" it seems to work. I don't know if I would dare to actually try a rename operation on a remote mailbox. But I think that would be only the display name. I don't think it would change the location and name (in hierarch.pm) of the mailbox file itself.

[quote user="bfluet"][quote user="CraigSpencer"] As near as I can tell I did not lose any messages (messages, not .pmm/.pmi pairs, are what are copied, right?) or end up with any defectively indexed remote .pmm/.pmi pairs. The corruption problems I had were with the hierarch file. [/quote]Yes, it is the .pmm/.pmi pairs that are copied.  [/quote]

 I don't see how that could be true. When I try to pick up a folder (a /pmm/.pmi pair) from My Mailbox and drop it into a remote mailbox it won't do it and I get this error message.

[quote]You have attempted to move a folder between two mailboxes and one or both of these mailboxes does not support that operation.
The move operation cannot be performed.
Hint: Try creating a new folder in the destination mailbox, then opening it and copying the messages from the source folder into it.

[/quote]

The only way I have been able to transfer anything to a remote mailbox is to create a new folder (.pmm/.pmi pair) in the remote mailbox, open a folder (.ppm/.pmi pair) in My Mailbox and then select and copy the individual messages from the later to the former.

[quote user="bfluet"]

  You could also copy .cnm files if you wanted new messages to show up as new messages in the attached directory.

[/quote]

I have not tried that but it would be copying individual messages, again.

[quote user="bfluet"] The entries in hierarch.pm point to the folders (.pmm/.pmi pairs) and attached mailboxes.  The contents of the folder window is controlled by heirarch.pm.[/quote]

I think I understand that.

Craig