Help lost folder

[Barbee]

I use Windows Mail. Never had a problem. I do genealogy work and I have quite a lot of surname folders where I store email pertaining to that surname. It's very important and there are a lot of attachments with documents. Today I go in and one of the folders is gone. The very first one titled Ansell-Collins.

Now where could it go? I searched the deleted folder... not there. I check to be sure it didn't jump into another folder... I opened everything. GONE.

Can anyone explain this and perhaps help me get it back?

If I was beyond the limit of how much mail I could store wouldn't I get some type of warning before it just deleted something I needed? Years of work down the drain.

 

[richc46]

Welcome
We cannot give you the reason, but Im fairly certain that I can give you the solution.Download and use Shadow Explorer
ShadowExplorer.com - About
Do not use the computer for any other reason. If Explorer does not work, do not use the computer post and I will give you another solution.
Nothing is truly deleted from the hard drive until it is overwritten. That is why I say dont use.

 

[Barbee]

I restored the computer to May 9, 2012 and it wasn't there! I'm wondering if restore doesn't work with email folders.

I'll try the program you mentioned...

 

[Barbee]

Looks like I'm not the only one... what's with this mail program anyway???

http://www.vistax64.com/browsers-mail/285131-lost-windows-mail-folder.html

Years of work was in that folder!

How do you backup mail?

 

[richc46]

You can back up mail with the export funtion. With Windows Live mail 2011.
There is a little box, next to home. It is on the upper left as soon as you bring up Windows Mail.
You click on the box, then export to the location of your choice.

 

[Barbee]

Welcome
We cannot give you the reason, but Im fairly certain that I can give you the solution.Download and use Shadow Explorer
ShadowExplorer.com - About
Do not use the computer for any other reason. If Explorer does not work, do not use the computer post and I will give you another solution.
Nothing is truly deleted from the hard drive until it is overwritten. That is why I say dont use.

It didn't work

 

[Barbee]

It brought up files but no email folders... I dont' think it does email.

 

[richc46]

Did you try to go to search by the start button and type the name of the email? It should be somewhere on the computer.
Are you using Windows Live Mail 2011?

 

[Barbee]

2006

 

[richc46]

I think that might be your problem. Every now and then Live Mail brings out a new version. 2006 is old and there may have been a malfunction.

 

[MilesAhead]

For future reference it's better to look in Restore Points using ShadowExplorer than to run the restore point, for data. If it's some system problem keeping things from running right, that's another matter. But once you run the restore point, you've overwritten the files on the live system. Chances of getting it back are reduced.

It's worth it to pick up a USB 2.0 external drive for copying data and system image backups. There are several free backup programs that can help you recover from disaster. Also many of the image backup programs let you mount a system image to a drive letter. If I permanently delete a file sometimes I can bail myself out by mounting my last image backup and just copying that file out to the HD.

Macrium Reflect and Easus ToDo backup free versions both have that feature (and probably several other programs I don't know about.)

 

[Barbee]

None of the restore lost data programs shows emails.

 

[richc46]

If this does not work and you tried shadow explorer, Im afraid that the old Widows Mail 2006, was not current enough to work properly
Recuva - Undelete, Unerase, File and Disk Recovery - Free Download

 

[Barbee]

Great... this is what came with my computer that I bought around that time. Since then I've increased my memory and the computer still works great so can't see buying a new one. Is there an upgrade for the email program?

Now I'm worried about my other email folders... is there a way to save them to a flash drive or something?

 

[richc46]

Yes you can import and export (save), as shown in an earlier post.
There are many free email services. Many like Thunderbird, you may just want to the most current of Windows Mail
Top 11 Free Email Programs for Windows - About Email