Switches and options that can be used when running Convert command

The Convert utility in Lotus Notes and Lotus Domino is used to upgrade a mail file design or to convert a mail design from one language to another. The Convert tool can also be used for mail file migration to Microsoft Exchange.

What are the switches and options that can be used when running the Convert command ("load convert -") and what output do they generate?

General usage information for the Convert utility can be found in the Domino Administrator Help.

Usage and options:

load (n)convert -? /? -a -c -d -e -f -g -h -i -l -m -n -o -proxy -r -s -u -w -x -z arguments

-a 'Admin Name': Send mail to the administrator when the convert tool completes.

-c: Convert categories to folders.

-d: Do not convert categories to folders.

-e or -e-: Enable or disable NSF support for IMAP.

-f <file name>: Read the list of databases to process from a text file (max 32KB).

-g 'Language Name': Replace the mail file design with the user's preferred language.

-h: Adds the IMAP-specific items to optimize fetches.

-i: Convert categories to folders, even if there are more than 200 categories.

-l <file name>: Generate a list of mail files by reading user mail files from the Domino Directory. Write the list to a text file.

-m: Enable or disable folder references which are needed for IMAP.

-n: NOOP - Show the databases that match the file name and template name criteria, without actually updating anything.

-o: Remove IMAP specific items.

-proxy: Enable display status and error messages in a console window.

-r: Enable recursive search of databases.

-s: Ignore the preserve flag for folders when replacing the design but always preserve them.

-u: Enable the upgrade of folders to the same design as the $Inbox design.

-w <dir path> : Enable fixup of names in Notes in all mail files on the server to allow for Microsoft Exchange mail migration.

-x: Enable exclusive design element keys - <NAME><CLASS><LANGUAGE>

-z 'User Name': Distinguished user name for migrating R5 IMAP seen flags to unread marks.

-? /?: Display command line help information.

Examples:

Upgrades a V6 mail design to a V7 mail design on a Domino server running on Microsoft Windows:
load nconvert <Mail file path> StdR6Mail mail7.ntf

Upgrades an old mail design and its folders to a V7 mail design on a Domino server running on Unix or Linux:
load convert -u <Mail file path> * mail7.ntf

Changes the user's mail language design from English to German:
load (n)convert -g'German' <Mail file path> *  mail7_de.ntf

Generates a current user file list on this server and writes it to the file maillist.txt file:
load (n)convert -l maillist.txt

Upgrades all previous mail designs that are listed in the maillist.txt file to a Domino V7 mail design:
load (n)convert -u -f maillist.txt * mail7.ntf

Performs address fixup for all Exchange-migrated mail databases in a specific <dir path> and its subdirectories:
load (n)convert -w <dir path>

Performs address fixup on a specific Exchange-migrated mail database:
load (n)convert -w <mail db path>

Generates a text list containing all Exchange-migrated mail databases from the primary mail directory (excluding replicas). This feature is of lesser-importance than address fixup but it is necessary in the event that the subsequent option is required:
l oad (n)convert -w -l <text list path>

Performs address fixup on all Exchange-migrated mail databases listed in a specific text list file. Provides flexibility in allowing the administrator to manage the databases that need address fixup:
load convert -w -f <text list file>

Using the load convert command to convert non-mail databases :
You can use the server's mail convert utility to convert non-mail databases to another type of non-mail database. Non-mail databases are databases that do not have a $Inbox folder. Use the convert utility with the -d switch to prevent the conversion process from creating new folders for each category in the databases you are converting.

When the load convert task is used without a switch, folders are created for all categories within the database. The load convert task looks for an $Inbox. If there is no $Inbox, it processes the categories as views.

Enter the load convert -d task from the Domino server command line as follows: load convert -d databasename * newtemplatename,

-- where databasename * is the name of the database you are converting (includes all documents in that database).
-- where newtemplatename is the name of the template that creates the type of database to which you are converting the non-mail database.

You can also convert an entire directory as shown in this example:
load convert -d doclibrary\ *.nsf  newtemplatename

-- where doclibrary\ *.nsf represents the name of the directory being converted and all databases in that directory.
-- where newtemplatename is the name of the template that creates the type of database to which you are converting all databases in the named directory.

In Domino 8.0 and above:
The convert command no longer unconditionally enables the option "Inherit design from master template" in database properties of the converted databases. Instead it will not change the option at all. If it was enabled or disabled before the convert command, it will stay the same way afterwards.

To unconditionally enforce inheritance use the -inherit flag when running convert. To unconditionally disable the option use the -noinherit flag when running convert.

IBM Software Support no longer recommends the use of the -m switch with the Convert command:

Convert -m may cause a Domino server to crash.

SPR # SKAI8D79TY - Covert -m utility can not finish when enabling EnableImapFolderSynch=1
SPR # MOHA8CJ4M8 - A notes.ini parameter, EnableImapFolderSynch=1, prevents users from sending mail by iNotes, and end up with Domino server crash.
SPR # DPOS76GLWU - Documentation - Convert utility -m switch sld only be used for R5 IMAP mail files