Switching to Gmail

It's OK! You can retain your existing email address for as long as you want :D

Updated 6 March 2018

We recommend a switch to Gmail for better email security, greater reliability, better spam and malware protection and superb synchronisation. Plus you get access to a whole range of Google apps including Drive for cloud-based data storage, Calendar, Photos and much more.

Here is what we recommend

  • Download & install the Google Chrome browser software
  • Create a new Gmail address at www.gmail.com
  • Add your existing email address (BigPond/Internode/Activ8/etc)
  • Label the incoming emails so you can see which sender has been used
  • Import your existing address book or contact list
  • Import your existing emails
  • Configure each of your devices (phone/tablet/laptop/desktop/etc)
  • Confirm your email is send/receiving/synchronizing as intended
  • Advise re use of Gmail features

When we have completed the changeover, here is what you need to do

  • Advise all of your contacts about your new email address
    • Noting that your previous email address(es) will work for as long as you want them to
    • Not an essential step, your contacts will work it out over time!
  • Identify who is still using your previous email address
    • For regular contacts
      • Simply reply and alert them to the change individually
    • For organisations and web sites etc where you have used your previous email address as your login name
      • Go to the organisation website and change your login email address to your new Gmail address
    • Some organisations will only email you annually, ie for renewals etc
      • So it will take between one and two years to be sure you have changed everything over
    • Until you cancel whatever service you have with your existing provider, your previous email address will still work
      • and you will know who is still using your previous email address
    • When you do cancel your previous email address, make sure your provider actually cancels it
      • otherwise, anyone still using will send you an email thinking you have received it but it never arrives
      • test by sending an email message to your previous email address, it should "bounce back" with an error message

Please email computers@lcc.com.au or call us on 08 8682 1666 if you would like us to implement this process for you. We can do the entire job in our workshop, or on-site or we can login remotely, whichever you prefer. The cost will vary between $100.00 and several hundred dollars depending on how much we need to do. Once we understand your precise requirements we can give you a firm quote.