Cloud Computing and Storage

catiemck

Hope someone can help me please.
I use gmail with Windows 8 and am concerned that all my emails, attachments, etc. are being stored in the cloud. I really don't want or need this - I want my stuff on my PC and nowhere else! There have been times when my internet access is down and I can't access my existing emails and I can't find anything in gmail help about this. I know clouds are useful for back-ups and access from different PCs, etc. but I don't need this.

Is there another email service that doesn't make use of clouds, preferably free of course, but I am quite prepared to pay if necessary - there is so much confusing information out there!

Many thanks

Tropez

Using a program like Outlook (if you already have it) or another desktop based email client, you can use POP or IMAP to download your emails directly from Google's servers to your computer.

https://support.google.com/mail/troubleshooter/1668960?hl=en

victor2

Use an email client, such as MS Outlook (if you already have Office) or Thunderbird (free).
Configure the account so that messages are deleted after being received by the client. You can see new messages online from any device up until the point that your "main" computer receives them, then they are gone as far as gmail is concerned.

esuhl

If you use an email client with a third-party email provider as suggested by the above two posts, then all your emails still rely on a server/cloud to store messages (although you can delete them once you know they're there).

If you want to have emails sent "directly" to your PC, you'd need to set up an email server. There's a useful-looking guide here: http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/02/how-to-run-your-own-e-mail-server-with-your-own-domain-part-1/

Of course, email is inherently insecure, and many copies of your messages will be cached on various servers/clouds -- that's just how email works. If you're worried about privacy, you may well want to encrypt your messages, so even the cached copies that litter the internet will be unreadable to anyone other than the sender and recipient. There are some guides to using PGP encryption here:
http://lifehacker.com/180878/how-to-encrypt-your-email
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/it-security/email-encryption-using-pgp-and-s-mime/

catiemck

Thanks so much for all this advice - really good of you to take the time. I realise that my emails will end up all over the place and will certainly have a look at encryption

I shall have to study it carefully, as I am afraid I'm not that good with these things - perhaps the easiest option would be for me to buy a copy of Outlook express!

esuhl

catiemck wrote: »

Thanks so much for all this advice - really good of you to take the time. I realise that my emails will end up all over the place and will certainly have a look at encryption

I shall have to study it carefully, as I am afraid I'm not that good with these things - perhaps the easiest option would be for me to buy a copy of Outlook express!

Is Outlook Express still available? It always used to be free, so I wouldn't pay for it! Thunderbird is much better for home use, anyway.

https://www.mozilla.org/en-GB/thunderbird/

victor2

As above.
Outlook Express was bundled with XP and then discontinued. If you really want Outlook type operations, look at buying a copy of that, but there are free options available anyway.
Unless you are sending/receiving highly sensitive stuff by email, encryption is more likely to be a hindrance than a help. Just not sending key bits of information by email at all is the best approach IMO.
A potentially expensive and not as reliable way is to look at your own dedicated email server - even then, the traffic is going through the internet and you can't control what the sender or receiver does with it.

borse2008

If you use outlook and set it up with your gmail account yes you can access your email offline if you werent on the net, it downloads a local copy of your email to outlook.

When you setup an email account with anyone, its setup on the companies, server whereever that would be based. You cant physically move it off there as they host it. Every email account, is using the cloud or is based on the companies servers protected by your password, using the cloud which everyone has now, if you have a gmail or hotmail account, is just part of the service.

I_have_spoken

I use gmail with Windows 8

You'll be aware that Windows 8 tries very hard to backup the contents of the PC to OneDrive, if you have a Microsoft account

RumRat

OP I think you are being over cautious and a little paranoid. Your email is working as it should and how millions of other email accounts work......Stop worrying and enjoy the convenience.

You'll be aware that Windows 8 tries very hard to backup the contents of the PC to OneDrive, if you have a Microsoft account

Only if you sign in with an MS account instead of a local one.

catiemck

Thanks for all these. Yes RumRat you're probably right and I am paranoid, and I know that anything I start on my PC is probably sent around the world three times before I've finished it. I have nothing particularly secret, I just don't like the idea of my stuff being in a cloud!