IMAP 2003 Deleted account = folders gone?

[broozm]

The local IMAP data appears to be GONE[!?] after I deleted the IMA
account.
If I recreate the IMAP account will it link back to the same IMAP ps
or will it recreate it and pull the entire email history down again?

IMAP had been working fine linked up to a gmail account (Fo
purposes of keeping all the email in case of the laptop dieing).

But due to unrelated network changes, smtp sending had stoppe
working.
I created a new POP3 account to test connectivity and passwords. Bu
the Telecom helpdesk insisted I "temporarily" remove the IMAP account t
make sure this was not interfering...

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

Open the data file folder location - the actual PST file is not usually
deleted when you delete the account. Any mail downloaded in it will be
usable. However, if you add the account back, it will make a new pst and
will sync the entire mailbox if you try to use the old pst.

The default location is at
%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
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http://forums.slipstick.com/showthread.php?t=22205

 

[broozm]

;77579']Open the data file folder location - the actual PST file is no
usually
deleted when you delete the account. Any mail downloaded in it will be
usable. However, if you add the account back, it will make a new ps
and
will sync the entire mailbox if you try to use the old pst.

So there is no way to reopen the same imap pst? And if I recreate th
imap account, even identically as far as I can, will it overwrite th
current pst when it creates the new one?
Or if I "Open Data File" the pst, does it know that it is an imap ps
and know the settings of the server etc?
What is the default filename for an imap pst - and how is it differen
from the normal outlook.pst

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

You may be able to set it as a pst for the imap account but outlook will
refresh the contents so there is no benefit to doing so. You can open it as
a pst not associated with a mailbox - if the messages are fully downloaded
you can use them.

The imap pst is in a format similar to this: (e-mail address removed) and its at
%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

The method to pick the imap pst:
http://www.slipstick.com/config/moveimap.asp - but the account is also
linked by a GUID so outlook will clean out the pst and rebuild it.

if you accidently (and recently) deleted the account and are trying to get
it back, use system restore. its easier and the old pst should work with it
just fine.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

Do you keep Outlook open 24/7? Vote in our poll:
http://forums.slipstick.com/showthread.php?t=22205

;77579']Open the data file folder location - the actual PST file is not
usually
deleted when you delete the account. Any mail downloaded in it will be
usable. However, if you add the account back, it will make a new pst
and
will sync the entire mailbox if you try to use the old pst.

So there is no way to reopen the same imap pst? And if I recreate the
imap account, even identically as far as I can, will it overwrite the
current pst when it creates the new one?
Or if I "Open Data File" the pst, does it know that it is an imap pst
and know the settings of the server etc?
What is the default filename for an imap pst - and how is it different
from the normal outlook.pst?

 

[broozm]

;77665']You may be able to set it as a pst for the imap account bu
outlook will
refresh the contents so there is no benefit to doing so. You can ope
it as
a pst not associated with a mailbox - if the messages are full
downloaded
you can use them.

The imap pst is in a format similar to this: (e-mail address removed) an
its at
%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

The method to pick the imap pst:
http://www.slipstick.com/config/moveimap.asp - but the account is also
linked by a GUID so outlook will clean out the pst and rebuild it.

if you accidently (and recently) deleted the account and are trying t
get
it back, use system restore. its easier and the old pst should wor
with it
just fine.

Just to finalise this and help others, I found that each time an IMA
account in Outlook is created, it creates a new pst with the a
incrementing suffix:
Outlookimap.google.com-00000015.
From a recent backup, the 000006 version would not reopen - either b
directly DataFile Open'ing it, or by reaming it to the current nam
(presumably due to the guid).
I only saw your suggestion to use system restore after I had recreate
it and got it working again.
The normal Local Folders PST was unaffected, and the user's extensiv
set of folders was intact

The recreation of the IMAP structure appeared to only download headers
so presumably when an email item is accessed it will have to go an
fetch the content before it can be opened? OR is there a way to get i
all downloaded again ahead of needing it (during downtime)?

So my current setup is
POP3 account that does the actual sending and receiving to my curren
isp.
IMAP account to gmail that in effect acts as my Exchange Server an
keeps a copy.

Moral of the story, do not delete the imap account in Outlook unles
you want to bring all the mail down again.

Thanks for your suggestions. Odd that no where could I see any thread
on this exact topic... I would have thought a lot of others would hav
been using this sneaky back up method!

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

The recreation of the IMAP structure appeared to only download headers,

so presumably when an email item is accessed it will have to go and
fetch the content before it can be opened? OR is there a way to get it
all downloaded again ahead of needing it (during downtime)?

The Send/Receive settings control this. Ctrl+Alt+S - then edit the account
in the S/R group.

So my current setup is
POP3 account that does the actual sending and receiving to my current
isp.
IMAP account to gmail that in effect acts as my Exchange Server and
keeps a copy.

Moral of the story, do not delete the imap account in Outlook unless
you want to bring all the mail down again.

<g> Very good. And remember- system restore is your friend. Profiles are
stored in the registry and system restore backs up the registry....

Thanks for your suggestions. Odd that no where could I see any threads
on this exact topic... I would have thought a lot of others would have
been using this sneaky back up method!?

If they are, they aren't talking about it. I know some who either set
their ISP account to forward to gmail or set gmail to collect from the isp
so they'd have a backup. They then set up gmail to reply from the ISP
account and don't ever log into the ISP account.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]



Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

Do you keep Outlook open 24/7? Vote in our poll:
http://forums.slipstick.com/showthread.php?t=22205

;77665']You may be able to set it as a pst for the imap account but
outlook will
refresh the contents so there is no benefit to doing so. You can open
it as
a pst not associated with a mailbox - if the messages are fully
downloaded
you can use them.

The imap pst is in a format similar to this: (e-mail address removed) and
its at
%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

The method to pick the imap pst:
http://www.slipstick.com/config/moveimap.asp - but the account is also
linked by a GUID so outlook will clean out the pst and rebuild it.

if you accidently (and recently) deleted the account and are trying to
get
it back, use system restore. its easier and the old pst should work
with it
just fine.

Just to finalise this and help others, I found that each time an IMAP
account in Outlook is created, it creates a new pst with the an
incrementing suffix:
Outlookimap.google.com-00000015.
From a recent backup, the 000006 version would not reopen - either by
directly DataFile Open'ing it, or by reaming it to the current name
(presumably due to the guid).
I only saw your suggestion to use system restore after I had recreated
it and got it working again.
The normal Local Folders PST was unaffected, and the user's extensive
set of folders was intact

The recreation of the IMAP structure appeared to only download headers,
so presumably when an email item is accessed it will have to go and
fetch the content before it can be opened? OR is there a way to get it
all downloaded again ahead of needing it (during downtime)?

So my current setup is
POP3 account that does the actual sending and receiving to my current
isp.
IMAP account to gmail that in effect acts as my Exchange Server and
keeps a copy.

Moral of the story, do not delete the imap account in Outlook unless
you want to bring all the mail down again.

Thanks for your suggestions. Odd that no where could I see any threads
on this exact topic... I would have thought a lot of others would have
been using this sneaky back up method!?