Deleted POP3 account - disappears also all mail!!

I have done stupid thing. I moved from POP3 to IMAP, because I haven’t access to default email folders/containers like lists, social, spam. Sometimes it is necessary!

In Em Client I had already 2 accounts: local email server and Gmail. I couldn’t make 3rd IMAP in 1st POP3 place, because Em Client free version just allows 2 accounts.

So the STUPID thing: a first I deleted POP3 account and then created the same IMAP account. The magic came up only few days ago, when I needed to check email of last week. I somehow hoped that deleting account won’t completely delete my conversations from database folder: C:\Users<username>\AppData\Roaming\eM Client.

Now on server and on IMAP client I see that missing only Inbox messages (most important). But I still have spam, trash, drafts and so on. Isn’t it nice for me?

Questions:
1. Is there even tiny chance to get back lost Inbox messages?
2. If yes, then what should I do?

Hope there is a chance!

Hi Martin,

You might be able to get the old e-mails back if you have made a backup, using eM Client or using a ‘default’ back up program.

Of course, before you try that, you should first make a backup of the current status of your e-mail!

By the way, instead of really *deleting* an e-mail account, you could also have *disabled* that account from downloading e-mails. And you can also enable/disable an account, so you can or won’t see the e-mails it contains. See the ‘accounts’ window.

Yes, backups are so important, especially when using local folders as in POP3.

BTW, Hans. The option to enable/disable accounts was discontinued with the release of version 7.

Hi Gary,

ah? I didn’t know about disappearance of enabling/disabling accounts in version 7 … I still didn’t switch.

You may disable an account by moving it down in the list and uncheck send/receive.

For Martin these tipps are imo not the way foreward.

No backup is bad. But – if he would have had one, he would not ask. The interesting thing is the partial  remains of – whatever.

@Martin:

Hans is right: First thing is a backup of the current state. But not only backup. You should EXPORT the (required) mails, to have an option, to combine them eventually with a repaired account.

(I did not try this yet. As far as I can see, only EML-format ist available for export. I do not have experiences of the quality for reimporting them and how long this may take.)

  • How did you discover, that only inbox messages are missing?
  • Did you check your mailbox(es) directrly on the server?

“You may disable an account by moving it down in the list and uncheck send/receive.”
That does not disable the account, merely disables send/receive. It will still be counted as an account for the purposes of the the Free License. In version 6, which Hans is using, it is possible to completely disable the account without removing it. The option to disable send/receive is there as well.

_"_The interesting thing is the partial  remains of – whatever. "
This is normal if moving from POP3 to IMAP (at least with GMail). The sent emails will appear in the IMAP folders because they are also saved on the server. POP3 only deletes the Inbox emails as per the users settings. Trash should be there, but should be empty unless emails were deleted through the web interface, or the account was at one time connected by IMAP. Drafts, similarly should be empty.


Current verson 7.1.30794.0 the marked checkbox is missing. Possibly to encrease the motivation for purchasing a licensed version … :wink:

Remains: Is ths normal? I don ́t think so. A new setting for an account should either take over all or nothing. Everythin in between is an undefined state that is predictable an can therefore be avoided. E.g. by anouncing the arising data loss on changing POP to IMAP: “Do you really want this? It will delete all existing messages. Do you have a backup?”

The remains are probably a misunderstanding.

When you move from POP to IMAP, some things will be in the IMAP folders. That is normal. Sent items will be there, that is normal. Any other items already on the server will be there, that is normal. Maybe the last few days of Inbox will be there, that is normal.

When you add an account as IMAP, everything on the server will be there. That is normal. There is no such thing as all or nothing. It is always all.

When you are using POP, your emails are saved in local folders. Depending on the user’s setting Inbox items will be deleted after some time from the server. If you delete the local folders (like by deleting the account in eM Client) you will lose all the emails in the Inbox and it’s folders on your computer. If there are some emails still in the inbox on the server that have not been deleted, they will appear in the IMAP folders. That is normal.

There is nothing abnormal about Martin’s situation. The fact that he does not have a backup, that is unfortunately also fairly normal.

Installing IMAP does not delete POP data. Only deleting the POP account will do that. You are given a warning when deleting a POP account.