Mail file getting large. How to backup and remove?

Question

My Mail file is 500 MB and I want to move, say, anything older than two years to a different location so I can search it and find attachments. The archive function seems to just create a copy of the mailbox. Is there some way to move messages like this?
I have deleted the trash, but the size of my mail file and attachments seems to be bogging Mail down and maybe the system a bit.
Benjamin Barrett
Seattle, WA

Answer 1

When I archive my e-mail, it's about 350 MB, and it seems like it's a bit of a burden on Mail.
It shouldn't be.  Like I said, I'm almost at 350 MB and it's not a problem.  I was able to make a smart mailbox showing everything more than 1 year old, and within seconds had a snappily-scrolling list of nearly 9,000 messages.  Are all these e-mails still in your In box, or some other mailbox you use every day?  Are they still on the server?
It's possible that I just need a new Mac--this one is about three years old
You're more accustomed to Windows, I bet.  Three years isn't much in the Mac world.  I've got a nearly 8-year-old Mac that was still in frequent use - and far more functional than any of the 3-year-old Windows machines at my wife's small business - until the hard drive failed a couple days ago.  I'll probably replace the drive and let it chug right along for another few years.  The only Mac I've ever owned, and used, for less than 7 years was the one I dropped on a concrete floor!
It's clear that Mail won't work for this purpose
Not at all...  I'm sure there's something you can do to improve performance.  Perhaps there's something wrong with your system or with your Mail data.  It's hard to give more specific advice at this point, but the fact is, Mail does work for this purpose for me.