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General discussion

can I get deleted email through Time Machine

by 222ridepegasus Feb 7, 2011 8:04PM PST

Hi there,

I managed to delete an important email whilst tidying my mail, is there any way to grab/merge an older mail Archive? via Time Machine? my machine is regularly backed up through Time Machine...

One way I thought was to restore my machine to date before the email was deleted - then restore back to the present state - but this seems a long and slightly dangerous route? is there not another way?

many thanks Kieran

Discussion is locked

7 Posts
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Try this
by mrmacfixit Forum moderator Feb 7, 2011 9:12PM PST

Open Mail and go to the Inbox
Launch Time Machine
As Time machine does a backup every hour, you can step back in time, using the indicator on the right, until you find the missing email.
Select the missing email and click Restore.
That should pull the missing email back into the inbox.

Have you checked your deleted folder to see if it is still in there?


P

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Cheers... but
by 222ridepegasus Feb 7, 2011 11:08PM PST

I don;t have the HD permently attached and run Time machine every 5 days or so.... the email I deleted a month ago or so.... I have a back up from 20 dec which I know has the email... but how do I extract from that far Back?

sorry if this sounds like a dumb question - other than complete restore (after a stolen Mac) I'm a novice with Time Machine, only that I do back up with it....

the email is not in the deleted folder by the way.... I trashed all deleted emails

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connect your Time Machine
by sturner--2008 Feb 7, 2011 11:29PM PST

And enter the program. Navigate to a date that is on or as close to it as you know the email was present. then you can navigate down to find the mail files.

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As l said earlier,
by mrmacfixit Forum moderator Feb 8, 2011 1:03AM PST

Launch Mail and then Time Machine.

Use the indicator on the right of the Time Machine screen to step back in time.

find the missing email, select it and hit the Restore button

P

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Cheers - will check tommorrow night.....
by 222ridepegasus Feb 8, 2011 1:06AM PST

Many thanks - I'm working away till tommorrow - so will check my Time Machine Back up and report back in about 24 hrs... cheers for the reply Happy

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It worked!!
by 222ridepegasus Feb 8, 2011 11:19PM PST

Wow Time Machine is amazing!!! thanks for the help guys.... thats brilliant!!!

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As an added bonus,
by mrmacfixit Forum moderator Feb 9, 2011 8:22AM PST

you have also found out that backups need to be a little more frequent than "every 5 days or so"

Pleased it worked for you, Time Machine is a neat piece of software

P

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