How to Save Information When Switching Internet Providers

When switching Internet providers, one of the main concerns is losing all your user names, passwords and bookmarks for your favorite web sites. On top of that, all of your emails and contacts are on the previous provider's server. There are ways to save this important information, but you must do them before you switch ISPs.

Saving Your Emails and Contacts

1. Switch to an independent email account provider before you switch Internet service providers. That means that instead of all your email information being stored on your current ISP's server,


2. Set up a Gmail by Google or Thunderbird by Mozilla email account. Both are free.


3. Go into your current ISP email account and have your email forwarded to the new account after you have this new email account set up.


4. Import your contacts from your current ISP's server into your new mail program. If you choose Thunderbird, for example, click on the "Address" tab in the navigation bar, then Tools-->Import. This opens a window that allows you to choose what you want to import from your other email account. The wizard conveniently walks you through the process.  

Saving User names and Passwords

1. If you don't already have it, create a list of your usernames and passwords.


2. Set up a free account with Xmarks. Xmarks is an independent server that saves your user names and passwords for all web sites that require them. It will synchronize with each and store your information for retrieval later.


3. Use the Firefox browser. You have the option of saving user names, passwords and when you log into your favorite web sites and are able to save bookmarks. If you are not currently using Firefox, switch to using it before you switch ISPs.