Methods and systems for managing e-mails involve an e-mail server that maintains a data set identifying e-mails, and that implements a shortcut feature whereby at least a portion of an e-mail identified in the data set is identified by a shortcut identifier, so that the at least a portion of the e-mail is not stored in the data set. One method involves replicating a copy of at least some of the e-mails onto the client computer when the client computer is coupled to the e-mail server. Another method involves accessing a full copy of an e-mail while a client computer is not in communication with the e-mail server. Another method involves maintaining the shortcut identifier for an e-mail in the data set so that the data set is not updated with a full copy of the e-mail when a user requests the e-mail.