Hare Krishna.
I am using eM Client on windows 10 pc and have regular eM Client backups (every 3 days) in a zip file. Yesterday, I saw that in my eM Client my gmail account email list is empty. When I went to my web gmail account, I found that it got hacked and after I gained back the access, I found that all my emails have been deleted (and trash empty) even there.
So, I want to use the restore functionality of eM Client to restore back all my emails not only on eM Client local database but also on my original web server gmail account, exactly as they were 3 days back in the back up, with all labels, read/unread marks, etc. preserved. Is that possible?
Thank you in advance for your support.
Damodara Das
Try the restore in offline mode (How to restore backup in eM Client | eM Client) and see if you can copy the messages to local folders/export them to EML files.
Then you can turn the program to online mode (the “empty” folder will sync) and you can upload the messages from local folder/eml files back.
Dear sir,
I tried restoring it in offline mode. At the first try, the emails got recovered/restored as long as the eM Client was offline. As soon as I started the internet, it synced with the server and all emails got wiped out.
I have not yet tried to copy the messages to local folders/export them to email files. But I need some clarification in this:
- I want to keep my label/folder structure intact (as it is in the backup)
- I want that the email and conversation dates are preserved
- I want that read/unread status is also preserved.
So will copying email messages to EML or Local Folders achieve the above goals?
Yes, once you turn the program online, the status from the server is synchronized - so, empty emails. You need to first make a copy of the messages elsewhere.
The EML export will keep your folder structure, but not the read status.
Copying into Local folders you can keep the folder structure yourself (by copying each folder) and the read status.
Here is What Worked for Me:
On eM Client
Settings >> Backup
There will be a zip file created. We can set up automatic backup every three days with keeping only copy.
If anything goes wrong with the gmail ID, then:
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On eM Client, take another manual backup, with a different filename according to date and time stamp. Caution: Do not delete the last backup as that will be the main backup for restore. Copy that backup file elsewhere also for more security.
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Switch OFF wifi or the internet.
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On eM Client, go to File > Restore, and when asked, select the main backup file that got stored three days back.
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Immediately the eM Client APP will restart, so be careful and keep CTRL button on the keyboard pressed until on restarting it asks you if you want to load it in offline mode: select yes.
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Now sit back; it will take some time to restore each email in your gmail mailbox on eM Client. Do not start the internet in the whole process.
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Now, once the backup is restored, it is actually yet to sync with server online gmail account. Do not start the internet at this time otherwise the backedup account will again become same as server gmail account (i.e. empty)
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Now, see what are all folders (with their structure) on the left side-bar of eM Client under gmail account: It should look like — Inbox; Sent; Trash; Junk Email; All Main; More>>“All your custom labels and folders appear here.”
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You have to carefully make all these folders (mainly the custom folders) in your eM Client’s Local Folder Structure, exactly “as it is” in the gmail structure.
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Then you should click each folder one by one (including inbox, sent, draft; don’t click all mail) and select all emails in that folder and drag them to the corresponding local folder you just created. This step will take most of the time and you have to be very careful in this.
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Once this is done, double check it if everything is as desired. The email and folder structure that you are seeing now in the local eM Client account is going to be the new folder and email structure on your gmail account on the website. Therefore, it should be exactly as it was before.
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Now start the internet and click the “offline” red mark on the top bar of eM Client; it will become online and start syncing your local folders to your main gmail account on the server.
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If it doesn’t upload emails in Local Folder structure to gmail automatically, then you should click each local folder, select all emails in each folder, and manually drag them to the correspoding gmail folder; then it will start uploading.
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It is certainly a tedious task but should not take more than a few days (if not a few hours) and that is worth to restore your gmail account back which could be worth 20 years hard work.
ANOTHER Option is:
To avoid tediousness of step-7to9, after step-6, i.e. after restoring the backup file (in offline mode) to the eM Client gmail account, you should do the following:
a). File >>Export — Export the “eM Client gmail account” (that you just restored) to eM Client’s emdf file; in the wizard dialog box, Expand gmail account and check all the folders one by one manually. Then click next/export; it will ask for file location and name. Give a proper name and just save it. It will take some time to export.
b). Once export is done, goto File >>Import, select the emdf file you just exported; in the dialog box, select all the folders from emdf file by clicking to select gmail account; and then in the next dialog, select “Local Folders root location” and the click import. It will take much time to import.
c). Once done, all your folders and emails that are showing on the gmail side will be there on local folders also, in the same structure.
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Once this is done, double check it if everything is as desired. The email and folder structure that you are seeing now in the local eM Client account is going to be the new folder and email structure on your gmail account on the website. Therefore, it should be exactly as it was before.
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Now start the internet and click the “offline” red mark on the top bar of eM Client; it will become online and start syncing your local folders to your main gmail account on the server.
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If it doesn’t upload emails in Local Folder structure to gmail automatically, then do this:
i) Press Refresh and see if it syncs and starts uploading the emails
ii) If not, then see if the eM Client gmail account is becoming empty
iii) If none of the above two happens, then manually click all mail, select all, and delete. Then empty trash also. Now it will take time to fully sync with server gmail and make everything empty there also.
iv) Once the “server gmail” and “eM Client gmail” are both empty and synced, you should click each local folder, select all emails in each folder, and manually drag them to the correspoding gmail folder; then it will start uploading.
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It is certainly a tedious task but should not take more than a few days (if not a few hours) and that is worth to restore your gmail account back which could be worth 20 years hard work.