Delete Batches of Email using an Email Client

You can Delete email messages from the Gmail All Mail folder using your email client:

Apple Mail:

1. Open your email client. (For this example I'll use Apple Mail)
2. Configure your email client as recommended in Gmail Help:
   http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answ ... swer=78892#
   • Be sure that you configure Mail > Preferences > Accounts > Mailbox behaviors > Trash > [Gmail]/Trash
   • Open Window > Activity - so you can view the progress of the email move operations
   • Backup your email messages to a folder on your local computer using your email client. (I recommend creating yearly archive folders for your incoming and outgoing email messages as follows):
     • On My Mac (Local Folders)
       • ARCHIVE
         • IN
           • 2008
           • 2009
         • OUT
           • 2008
           • 2009
   • Move your email messages (500 - 1000 at a time) from your Inbox and Sent folders to the corresponding folders in your email archive. (Watch the Mail Activity window and wait until the move operation completes before moving the next set of emails or proceeding to the next step)
   • Verify that you have backed up all your email messages locally as described in the previous step and that the Mail Activity window indicates that there is no longer any email activity, then quit Apple Mail and restart the application.
   • Synchronize your gmail account with Apple Mail (Mailbox > Synchronize "Google")
   • Quit Apple Mail and restart the application.
   • Now that you have backed up all your email messages and synchronized your email account, you can start deleting email messages from the Gmail All Mail folder.
   • Click on the [Gmail] / All Mail folder in Apple Mail.
   • Move your oldest email messages, 500 - 1000 at a time, from "[Gmail] Gmail / All Mail" to the "[Gmail] / Trash" folder.
     (Watch the Mail Activity window and wait until the move operation completes before moving the next set of emails or proceeding to the next step. It is recommended that you move and delete less than 5000 emails per day.)
   • Synchronize your gmail account with Apple Mail (Mailbox > Synchronize "Google")
   • Verify that the Mail Activity window indicates that there is no longer any email activity, then quit Apple Mail and restart the application.
   • Login to the SJSU Gmail web interface and click on Trash.
   • Click the Empty Trash now link. Click OK to confirm.
   • Click on All Mail then click Oldest to verify that the email messages have been deleted from All Mail.