Email recovery

[#1]

I downloaded the emails from my wife's account ([Removed]) into the Windows Live Mail 2012 email program on 22/05/2025 but I chose the wrong options in the program and it's deleted all of the messages (I mistakenly thought I'd chosen the settings to leave messages on the server and she could delete the ones she didn't want to keep herself), but I was very wrong.

The [Removed] domain was a free domain provided by Madasafish who have been grandfathered into Plusnet, so is it possible to restore the messages back? And, if so, how can we get them restored please?

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Personal information removed from a public forum.

[#2]

Just to clarify: we have downloaded her messages to our PC with Windows Live Mail (WLM) but I had unchecked the "Leave messages on server" (or "Keep messages on server") box, so downloading the messages deleted them.

We have set up her account up in Mozilla Thunderbird as an IMAP account and can restore the messages from WLM's directory on the hard drive, but would we be quicker calling the tech support team and asking them to restore the messages in her Inbox from the snapshot (if it's available)?

Also, a new email has arrived since we downloaded and deleted the messages: would a snapshot restore delete that? Would it restore the mailbox (Inbox, Sent Items, Junk, Deleted Items/Trash) folders as well?

Or will we be better off working with the IMAP account in Thunderbird as my wife can choose which messages she wants to restore?

[#3]

@RichardWattCove 

With issues such as this, it really helps to identify the email brand.

If this is related to totalise.co.uk then there was a network issue this morning which has now been resolved.

[#4]

@RichardWattCove 

I would be very careful at this stage!

As a general principle, IMAP (which means that a "master" copy of all the mails remains on the server) is safer than POP3 (which allows you to take the emails off the server) for most use cases. It sounds like the Microsoft Mail account is POP3.

It seems possible to back up emails in Windows Live mail (I searched "back up local email on Windows Live mail" and there is a Microsoft link).

I think I would take a copy of the mail with the machine off the Internet before any further steps. I would also put a copy of this backup somewhere safe before doing anything else.

Once backed up into a local file, it may or may not be possible for Thinderbird to import the emails (I've had mixed experiences with Thunderbird).

I would have a look in Webmail and see what seems to be there. It may be possible to "undelete" items.