View Full Version : Recovering IMAP folders from baced up .dbx files


Jim Nugent
I had an email account at a previous employer that used IMAP4. I had a set
of local folders (Inbox, Sent Items, etc.) that would "synchronize" when I
connected. The account has now been deactivated from the server end.

I went to look at some older emails and to my astonishment the folders were
empty. I can only guess that either 1) the folders were cleared on the
server before my ability to connect was removed and it "synchronized" or 2)
It got confused when it could not connect and cleared them.

For reasons I'm not sure I remember, I exported the account info to an .iaf
file, deleted it and then re-imported. Now even the empty folders are gone.

I have an older backup of the OE Stores (even the same ID) in which the
relevant .dbx file does contain the messages. I can see them by open the
file in a text editor. But when I try to import from this store, it is only
willing to import "Personal folders" (it lists them all), but not these IMAP
folders. Where does OE keep the knowledge that these folders are "gone" and
do not import data to them? ... Or is that the right question?

I desperately need these emails.
Thanks in advance
--
Jim
"Be right back... Godot"



Jim Pickering
Couple of things. IAF files only include the account information, not the
stored messages. Your old backup can be of use but will require some work
to import them into Outlook Express. See the workaround for importing or
inserting single DBX files into your copy of Outlook Express at this link:
http://www.insideoe.com/faqs/how.htm#importdbx

Make sure the DBX files in question reside in a folder on your hard drive,
and that the Read-Only attribute is not set, as it would be if you copied
them to a CD.
--
Jim Pickering, MVP, Outlook Express
Please reply to newsgroup only.


"Jim Nugent" wrote in message
news:O5AHRq$HFHA.1096@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>I had an email account at a previous employer that used IMAP4. I had a set
> of local folders (Inbox, Sent Items, etc.) that would "synchronize" when I
> connected. The account has now been deactivated from the server end.
>
> I went to look at some older emails and to my astonishment the folders
> were
> empty. I can only guess that either 1) the folders were cleared on the
> server before my ability to connect was removed and it "synchronized" or
> 2)
> It got confused when it could not connect and cleared them.
>
> For reasons I'm not sure I remember, I exported the account info to an
> .iaf
> file, deleted it and then re-imported. Now even the empty folders are
> gone.
>
> I have an older backup of the OE Stores (even the same ID) in which the
> relevant .dbx file does contain the messages. I can see them by open the
> file in a text editor. But when I try to import from this store, it is
> only
> willing to import "Personal folders" (it lists them all), but not these
> IMAP
> folders. Where does OE keep the knowledge that these folders are "gone"
> and
> do not import data to them? ... Or is that the right question?
>
> I desperately need these emails.
> Thanks in advance
> --
> Jim
> "Be right back... Godot"
>
>