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General discussion

Lost emails - Outlook 2003

Apr 20, 2005 7:05AM PDT

I had a bad computer problem that I have somewhat squared away. It is a Dell 8200 512mb mem, 40 gb hd, pretty good system, Office 2003. I seemed to have lost everything, then lucked out and remembered that back in Jan05 I had used Win XP backup just for the heck of it and backed up to a removable hard drive. Anyway, once I remembered that and restored it, my immediate problems were somewhat solved, but my emails stopped in Jan 05 and everything since then is no where I can find.
Are they around anywhere? Does anyone know how to help me in this? Or should I just be happy my system is almost normal and go on from here?
What is the best recommended way to save Outlook emails - the ones I want to save - not all the junk?
Any help would be appreciated. I have always had good luck with knowledgable folks helping out on this forum and so hope to find my lost emails.

Rogge

Discussion is locked

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Re: lost Outlook mails
Apr 20, 2005 4:56PM PDT

All your Outlook mail is, by default (that is, until you change the filename or move the mail to a 'personal' folder) in a file called Outlook.pst somewhere in your Documents and Settings folder. And a Windows-level backup/restore does that whole file. So you've effectively erased all your newer mail.

Read through http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;196492 or http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=290827 for information on backup, restore and move Outlook data. Those are the recommended ways. And it might make sense to delete junk, or move it to its own junk folder regularly.

And if you don't know what a 'personal folder' is, read through http://www.ku.edu/exchange/faqs/personalfolders.shtml.
You might find use for it.

Kees

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Lost email
Apr 20, 2005 11:15PM PDT

Thanks for the quick response and info.

Rogge