Email retrieval

[#1]

Hi all, new here so bear with me while I try to explain what the problem is.
My old laptop (now dead) had all my old emails on it (received and sent etc) but there are a couple that I need to get hold of.  They are all from my current email address with plusnet.  Is there any way I can find them from my new laptop either through email or through the Plusnet website?  Or were they stored on the laptop rather than the Email provider  - plusnet in this case, if you get what I mean?
Thanks for any help 
Steve

[#2]

If you sign into the PN webmail and see your mails you are in luck.
But I suspect you have already set up your new laptop to check your mail, if this is the case ansd you haven't downloaded all your old mail then more than likely it is gone for good
Going forward there should be an option in your mail client to leave a copy of the mail on the server after downloading - it may well be worth turning this option on.

[#3]

I concur, if you were using POP3 to collect your mail on the old laptop then chances are the emails you're trying to get hold of are lost.
An alternative to leaving a copy of the messages on the server is to use IMAP instead of POP3 for email retrieval.

[#4]

What's wrong with your old laptop?  If the hard drive is still working then it may be possible for you to put it in an external usb case and import them into your email app.
Phil

[#5]

Hi thanks for the prompt replies, its much appreciated.  I'm going to have to go down the hard route I think and try and retrieve them from the old laptop.  I was just hoping that there was a cheaper, more time efficient way of getting hold of them!
I did read on one of the forum posts that emails were also stored on PlusNets computers but I'm assuming this is no longer the case.....
Thank you 
Steve

[#6]

Providing your hard drive in your old laptop isn't totally broken, someone with the right connection lead can set it up as a slave drive on another computer and read the data off it. If it's a bit knackered but still runs, they will need specialist software. Unless they know what they are doing, best to take it to a reputable local Computer shop (not one of the big boys!!) and ask if they can recover the data. Get a quote, probably cost you around £25.
You can get future e-mails left on the server (so you can read them in web mail as well) by making the appropriate setting in your mail client. E.g. if using Outlook Express go to the Tools Menu then >Accounts >Properties >Advanced , the bottom section 'Delivery' there's a box "Leave a copy of messages on server" you can tick which means they will stay there and you can view them in web mail as well as Pop them with Outlook Express.
Other mail clients should have a similar setting.
Again as has been mentioned, alternatively you can use IMAP where they stay on the server.

[#7]

From my archive of Idiots Guide notes.....
On your OLD Computer:
Copy Mail Files to a Backup Folder
To make a backup copy of your Outlook Express e-mail message files:
1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. On the Maintenance tab, click Store Folder.
3. Select the folder location, and then press CTRL+C to copy the location.
4. Click Cancel, and then click Cancel again to close the dialog box.
5. Click Start, and then click Run.
6. In the Open box, press CTRL+V, and then click OK.
7. On the Edit menu, click Select All.
8. On the Edit menu, click Copy, and then close the window.
9. Right-click any empty space on your REMOVABLE DRIVE or CD, click New, and then click Folder.
10. Type mail backup for the folder name, and then press ENTER.
11. Double-click the Mail Backup folder to open it.
12. On the Edit menu, click Paste.
13. Close the Mail Backup window.
Now attach the Backup Drive or CD to your NEW Computer

Importing Outlook Express data
To import your Outlook Express e-mail messages from the Backup folder:
1. On the File menu, point to Import, and then click Messages.
2. In the Select an e-mail program to import from box, click Microsoft Outlook Express 5 or Microsoft Outlook Express 6, and then click Next.
3. Click Import mail from an OE5 store directory or Import mail from an OE6 store directory, and then click OK.
4. Click Browse, and then click on the Mail Backup folder on your desktop.
5. Click OK, and then click Next.
6. Click All folders, click Next, and then click Finish.