Emails accidentally deleted from IMAP server,recover from Entourage database backup?

[tridebri]

A client of mine made a boo-boo. Emails to him were getting bounced back to sender. He contacted his host, they informed him his email account was bumping up against his 2 GB limit. He talked to a friend who told him since he had all his email in an email client (Entourage) then he could log on to his webmail and delete all his emails. He did this. He was setup for IMAP, so guess what happens next? Thats right, he fires up Entourage, it syncs with the server, and with a POOF all his email is gone. It is business email, at least fairly important.

The good news is, he had a backup! From before the boo-boo! So I had him rename his current database to databaseold (I am providing remote phone support) and then move a copy of the backup database into the main identity folder. He then restarted Entourage, and...no emails.

What is very encouraging to me is that the backup database is showing a size of 1.9 GB....but I am not sure how to get those emails out of it...its hard to do over the phone, for sure...and then if I do see the emails, how to make entourage sync BACK to the server instead of the other direction.

thanks so much for any help anyone can offer!

Brian

 

[Adam Bailey]

What is very encouraging to me is that the backup database is showing a
size of 1.9 GB....but I am not sure how to get those emails out of
it...its hard to do over the phone, for sure...and then if I do see the
emails, how to make entourage sync BACK to the server instead of the other
direction.

First thing that needs to be done is as soon as you launch Entourage to
choose "Work Offline" from the Entourage menu. That will stop syncing. You
then should copy the cached messages to a local folder.

At this point you can let Entourage Work Online again, let it sync, then
copy the messages back to the server. This will upload them.

 

[tridebri]

I am with you, but not seeing any cached messages...that is the problem...database still reads 1.9 GB. but messages are nowhere to be found. I am trying to rebuild database now...but i just dont understand where the messages are!?!?

 

[Diane Ross]

A client of mine made a boo-boo. Emails to him were getting bounced back to
sender. He contacted his host, they informed him his email account was bumping
up against his 2 GB limit. He talked to a friend who told him since he had all
his email in an email client (Entourage) then he could log on to his webmail
and delete all his emails. He did this. He was setup for IMAP, so guess what
happens next? Thats right, he fires up Entourage, it syncs with the server,
and with a POOF all his email is gone. It is business email, at least fairly
important.

In IMAP the mail is left on the server. If he deleted the emails from the
server they are gone.

With a 2 GB limit, I suggest he change his account to POP.

 

[Adam Bailey]

I am with you, but not seeing any cached messages...that is the
problem...database still reads 1.9 GB. but messages are nowhere to be
found. I am trying to rebuild database now...but i just dont understand
where the messages are!?!?

Rebuilding the database is not a good idea. If those messages are still
there, rebuilding will purge them.

You may be out of luck.

 

[William Smith]

Rebuilding the database is not a good idea. If those messages are still
there, rebuilding will purge them.

You may be out of luck.

True. Although the database may still be large that doesn't mean
messages haven't been deleted. The database expands as it needs to but
does not shrink as messages are removed. Compacting is the only way to
shrink a database.

If you still have a copy of the old database then completely disconnect
your computer from the network so that it has no chance of talking with
the server. Then, and only then, launch Entourage. Follow Adam's advice
after that.

Good luck!

--

bill

William M. Smith, Microsoft Interop MVP - Mac/Windows
Entourage Help Page <http://entourage.mvps.org/>
Entourage Help Blog <http://blog.entourage.mvps.org/>

 

[Hat]

A client of mine made a boo-boo. Emails to him were getting bounced back to sender. He contacted his host, they informed him his email account was bumping up against his 2 GB limit. He talked to a friend who told him since he had all his email in an email client (Entourage) then he could log on to hiswebmail and delete all his emails. He did this. He was setup for IMAP, so guess what happens next? Thats right, he fires up Entourage, it syncs with the server, and with a POOF all his email is gone. It is business email, at least fairly important.
The good news is, he had a backup! From before the boo-boo! So I had him rename his current database to databaseold (I am providing remote phone support) and then move a copy of the backup database into the main identity folder. He then restarted Entourage, and...no emails.
What is very encouraging to me is that the backup database is showing a size of 1.9 GB....but I am not sure how to get those emails out of it...its hard to do over the phone, for sure...and then if I do see the emails, how to make entourage sync BACK to the server instead of the other direction.
thanks so much for any help anyone can offer!
Brian

If your email server is an Exchange server, you may be able to get the
mail back. I'm the Exchange admin for our district and have our
Entourage users go to OWA, Options, Recover Deleted Items. Our
Exchange server is set to keep deleted items for 14 days before they
are REALLY deleted. If you can get to a Windows machine, and set up
your profile, you can also use Outlook to recover deleted items
(select the Deleted Items folder from the folder list, go to the Tools
menu, and choose "Recover Deleted Items"). I don't know if your
Exchange server is set to keep the deleted items for x days, but it's
worth a try.

Hattie Leary
Communications Technology Supervisor
Anoka-Hennepin Schools
Coon Rapids, MN