Help recover btinternet.com emails

pumaz · 21 Apr 2014 at 22:29

I've gone and done something really stupid

Mother in-laws laptop which was running vista and outlook etc. had been playing up so I did a format and upgrade to Windows 7 which went smoothly except for I didn't back her Outlook contacts and email up

I figured I'd be able to retrieve her messages through IMAP but no it only seems to work with POP and only displays the last 9 days worth :confused:

Is there anyway of getting her old email messages back?

MissChief · 21 Apr 2014 at 23:12

No other device setup? Ipad/tablet/phone? When you say 'only 9 days worth' is that on the btinternet webmail site?

Hyburnate · 21 Apr 2014 at 23:15

IMAP keeps them stored locally and auto deletes them at the server. POP keeps them both (so if deleted locally syncs and deletes server).

You could try Recuva doubt it'll work though. I'd say gone :/

Sparx · 21 Apr 2014 at 23:18

Sorry I can't tell from your OP if this is what you have already done, but, have you tried logging into BT Mail from the website and seeing what mail is still stored?

bledd · 22 Apr 2014 at 00:22

Hyburnate said:
IMAP keeps them stored locally and auto deletes them at the server. POP keeps them both (so if deleted locally syncs and deletes server).

You could try Recuva doubt it'll work though. I'd say gone :/

You've got them mixed up.

POP3 downloads from the server to local machine and deletes the server copy.

IMAP leaves it on the server, so you can have multiple email clients to view the same emails.

Google do a kind of hybrid POP3 setup where they keep your mails on the server but mark them as read if you download them.

Caged · 22 Apr 2014 at 00:27

If it was a POP account then this is a data recovery thread and not an email accounts one. If it makes you feel better the idea of a mail account being POP these days just wouldn't even register at all.

pumaz · 22 Apr 2014 at 09:16

It occurred to me late last night that I backed her user folder up on to a usb stick and still have it. Am I right in thinking that if I locate the old outlook.pst file on the usb stick I can just copy and paste this over the one on her laptop and all her emails and contacts will be back?

bremen1874 · 22 Apr 2014 at 13:21

If you have the .pst file you should be able to import from it.

Steveocee · 22 Apr 2014 at 13:35

Have you tried mail2web to see if they are still on the BT server somewhere?

leigh_boy · 22 Apr 2014 at 13:37

bremen1874 said:
If you have the .pst file you should be able to import from it.

it might be an OST to in that case you need a converter

pumaz · 22 Apr 2014 at 14:24

Definitely have the .pst file, had a look before I went to bed. I'll check for ost file as well when I get back from work. So importing is better than just replacing the file?

Thanks for the help guys

leigh_boy · 22 Apr 2014 at 14:37

pst you wil import.
ost is an outlook file and the data has to be extracted.

pumaz · 26 Apr 2014 at 21:54

Update:

Copied & Pasted the backed up "Outlook.pst" file on to her laptop (didn't use import) and everything working great