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Lost years of emails :-(

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mister8ball
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Lost years of emails :-(

Hi, I have been a Plusnet customer for probably 15 years or so, but recently had to cancel my broadband & phone package because I moved in with my girlfriend (she is also a Plusnet customer so I haven't gone too far away). My request was to cancel the package but to keep the email account because I have probably 5 years worth of emails, some of which are very important.

I was warned that the emails on the server would have to be deleted & to back them up somewhere. Now I'm going to sound stupid...........I set the time frame on my Windows 10 mail & downloaded all my mail ( or so I thought!!) I was not aware that Windows 10 Mail does not store emails locally on my pc. Of course as soon as I recreated my plusnet email & Windows Mail synced with the plusnet mail server everything disappeared. I have lost some REALLY important documents like insurance documents, loan/finance agreements & other stuff.

Does anybody know if there is any chance at all that Plusnet may be able to restore these messages? Or if Windows Mail does in fact keep any sort of archive locally that can restore them?

19 REPLIES 19
Baldrick1
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Re: Lost years of emails :-(

@mister8ball  Welcome to the forum.

I have come across this, maybe it will help, worth a try anyway?

 

Thank you for the additional details. Saving your email is a very good idea just in-case something happen we don't expect. Windows Mail App doesn't have an archive or backup function. However, all email messages are stored locally on a mail folder in the hidden AppData folder. Email messages are stored as .EML files and to be able to read them without Mail App needs another emailclient that is capable of reading .EML files. 

 

You can check the folder C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Packages\, choosemicrosoft.windowscommunicationsapps, and open the folder \LocalState\Indexed\LiveComm. Find the "Mail"folder and open it. You will see those .EML files stored on that location. 

Edit 

Having read a bit more this does not work if you have set your mail client up as IMAP rather than POP3.

People decry POP3 but to me, using this and frequent back ups is by far the best option as it leaves me in control.

 

Update us on how it goes. 

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mister8ball
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Re: Lost years of emails :-(

Thanks for your quick reply. I tried it but I can only go as far as 'Local State'......there is no 'Indexed' folder within that folder.

I checked & my mail is set up as IMAP rather than POP3. Does that mean I have no chance of getting my emails back?

Baldrick1
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Re: Lost years of emails :-(

@mister8ball 

I guess that depends on whether Plusnet have an archived copy that they can reinstate for you.

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mister8ball
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Re: Lost years of emails :-(

Ah ok, so hope is not lost just yet 🙂

Thank you for trying 😉

ps I just changed my email to POP3. I know it's locking the gate after the horse has bolted but at least it avoids future disasters.

Next lesson.......learn how to back up emails properly lol

mister8ball
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Re: Lost years of emails :-(

Errrr considering the online chat told me to come here for help, I'm assuming that Plusnet staff read & respond to these posts????? Or should I be phoning them?

jab1
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Re: Lost years of emails :-(

A very reduced number of the PN Help Team do read and respond on here, but the massively increased volume of posts kind of makes life a bit difficult.

John
mister8ball
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Re: Lost years of emails :-(

OK no worries I can wait, I know the whole world is grinding to a halt.

I just didn't want to sit here like a lemon if nothing was going to happen 🙂

mister8ball
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Re: Lost years of emails :-(

Just bumping this just in case it was missed.

Townman
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Re: Lost years of emails :-(

@mister8ball 

Bumping is (a) not allowed by the forum rules and (b) might delay your problem being responded to.

Did you record the details of your mailbox(es) before asking Plusnet to leave your account as mail only?  The switch to mail only is a bit painful for all involved - after the account it terminated, the account needs to be resurrected as mail only and YOU need to recreate the mailbox(es) then Plusnet can restore the mailbox content.

@Gandalf is this one you can catch please?

 

@Baldrick1 

"Having read a bit more this does not work if you have set your mail client up as IMAP rather than POP3.

People decry POP3 but to me, using this and frequent back ups is by far the best option as it leaves me in control."

Not the best advice where people access their email from more than one device, which these days most people do so.  In such scenario POP3 is a tub of lard.  People however do need to take responsibility for securing THEIR email themselves.  There is no good reason why whilst using IMAP, users cannot back up their "live" mailbox folders to local off line folders.

They then of course need to think about how the back up their PC - so many people just do not bother with this at all … and thus if using POP3 everything is lost!  It bemuses me the number of people who champion POP3 so that they are "secure" in case their email provider "loses" their email … yet they do not think ones (let alone twice) about not backing up their PC.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

Baldrick1
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Re: Lost years of emails :-(

@Townman 

I do hear you but in my post I did say 'and taking frequent back ups'. I have set my POP3 mail client to leave emails on the server for 2 weeks before deletion, which gives me adequate time to look at them from other devices should the need arise. It also avoids my whole email life history being available on an other party's  server.

People may well not back up their computer but equally they may not bother to copy emails to local folders.

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mister8ball
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Re: Lost years of emails :-(

Sorry, didn't realise bumping isn't allowed......must read forum rules.

I have recreated the mailbox using the same email address. I am receiving new emails but have lost all my old ones.

I know how to back up my pc but how do I back up webmail?

Townman
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Re: Lost years of emails :-(

Webmail is a browser based IMAP email client, which ‘sees’ whatever is on the email server, the same as an IMAP client on any other device does.

if you wanted to on your PC you could copy or move those emails to a local archive folder.  Personally I use Outlook.com for archive storage (but not email) along with its shareable calendar and contacts.  Such means 5hat my email history is well backed up without me needing to do anything.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

Gandalf
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Re: Lost years of emails :-(

Welcome to our community forums @mister8ball and sorry for the delay. I've raised a request for your emails to be restored following your account/mailbox cancelling and then being re-activated.

You should get them back within the next 24 to 48 hours. Apologies again for the delay you've experienced.

From 31st October 2022, I no longer have a regular presence here as I’ve moved on to a new role.
Anoush Mortazavi
Plusnet
mister8ball
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Re: Lost years of emails :-(

That's brilliant thank you so much, that's a real weight off my mind 🙂

I now have Gmail pulling from plus mail using POP3 (but ticked the option to leave mail on plusnet server) & I've dumped the dreadful (IMO) windows 10 mail in favour of thunderbird to pull from Gmail using IMAP so I think I'm covered in future.

Thank you all again