Restore local folders in eM Client

Hi, I have been using eMClient for 2 years having migrated from Windows Mail. I have always used Local Folders to keep track of past conversations EG: Purchase guarantees, eBay conversations, Holiday Bookings etc… I have been able to import folders from Windows Mail and then import from old Computer to new computer to maintain structure. Unfortunately I experienced a Desktop Computer problem on my 6 month old HP Desktop. I followed the HP HelpDesk advice and backed up my local Documents, Pictures & Music before carrying out a Factory Reset. The problem I was experiencing (Network Adapter) was eventually fixed. However, all Apps were removed although Personal data was apparently unaffected.
I have reinstalled eMClient (version 7.2.34711.0) and my Folders no longer exist :-(  After much searching and reviewing posts on this Forum, I have found windows.old File Directory. There are several eM Client files there including mail_data.dat 1.49 GB & mail_fti.dat 106 MB, I tried pointing the storage setting to this Folder from Em Client hoping that it would recreate the Local Folders but no joy.
From the size of the files, I am hoping my old e-mails are still available, any suggestions how I can display them?

Quick update, 10% on way to a solution!!

Thankyou to Richard Dobbins from another post. I have (after saving files from recycle bin) been able to salvage the Folder structure. My Local Folders are now displayed…although they are empty! The large .dat file (1.49GB) is present in the Local Folders, but for some reason is not populating the e-mails into my Local Folders. I have tried numerous option moving files around, but no luck yet…

Richard Dobbins

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The above worked for me but I did in a slightly different process (provided by EM tech support). This process assumes you have a copy of your “Local Folders”:

  1. Got to Menu, Tools, Settings, under General look for Storage.  Note the location of our data files. 
  2. Close EM
  3. Go to the folder location in #1
  4. Rename your EM Client (e.x: “EM Client old”)
  5. Open EM. Do not add an email just cancel.
  6. Close EM
  7. Go to folder location in #1 above
  8. In a separate window, open the file location of your saved Local Folders
  9. Copy the saved files to your new “EM Client” “Local Folders” folder
  10. Start EM and add your email address(es)

At last success!!

Copying just the files in ‘Local folder’ didn’t work on my PC. Luckily I still had my previous HP Computer running Windows Vista and this was also used to run eM Client. I connected the network to my old computer, updated the version of em Client onto it (slow process…) and then copied the ‘Local Folder’  as per instructions above. Lo and behold everything was restored to the date of my Factory reset (Feb 2019). So it worked OK on my old Computer but doing exactly the same on my newer Windows 10 failed to generate same result.

Solution - I copied the Folder one up from ‘Local Folders’ called ‘eM Client’ from the old computer to the newer computer and hey Presto everything restored. All contacts are there, along with Local Folder structure and content. There is presumably something in that Folder (eM Client)  that didn’t like being unlinked to ‘Local Folder’ and was probably exacerbated by Windows 10.

Moral of the story - Don’t give up if you can see that you have a large “mail_data.dat” file, your e-mails will still be readable…eventually.