How to retrieve archived emails?

[#1]

I have not accessed my Free-online account for some time.

All my back emails have gone. 

How to get access to these emails please? 

[#2]

@Perrysmith Welcome to the forums. How long is 'some time'?

[#3]

A thing you could try is use an email client like Thunderbird or Outlook on a computer, provide it with the SMTP & IMAP/POP3 details and see if it resolves/collects the old mail.

I don't have details of plusnet's SMTP usage so that's something you might need to look up.

Though as far as I know the POP3 system doesn't retain emails as IMAP does.

Perhaps another user could fill you in with that.

(retired IT bod)

[#4]

Good thought, @YouKnowIThatGuy , but it depends how long ago the account was last accessed (I think) - PN do not retain emails forever.

[#5]

True.

And with everyone moving to "cloud" storage these days with free accounts from google, microsoft etc, no-one should need to.

Unless they run a middle to large company sharing sensitive corporate data.

I used to hate doing those nightly DAT backups!

[#6]

Hey @Perrysmith,

I've not been able to locate your account this morning, so please feel free to send it over to me on a Private Message so I can review this further. I'd back up what @jab1's asked here and ask that you please let me know when you last accessed the account - doesn't need to be a specific date, a rough timeframe will be fine

[#7]

Hi & thanks. 

It may be 18 months.

No emails visible (sent or received) beyond Mar 2021. 

Perry

[#8]

“ I don't have details of plusnet's SMTP usage so that's something you might need to look up.

Though as far as I know the POP3 system doesn't retain emails as IMAP does.”

Does not help the user get their emails back. Also SMTP has no bearing on the choices between IMAP or POP3. Further if the user accesses their mail from multiple devices this strategy is probably unhelpful.

As with most things in life, people need to take care of their own data security and do periodic house keeping … rather than relying entirely in their supplier for data security. As a retired IT bod you might offer advice on practical data back up strategies which one might anticipate you are well versed in?

Given that the OP reports that they’ve not accessed the mailbox for 18 months then it’s a fair bet that the mail is gone forever. Such points to the desirability of accessing email (all boxes) via something one uses daily - for example a smart phone - along with good housekeeping / back up.

POP3 is not the panacea many consider it to be - it simply moves the problem to somewhere else, which without a solid personal data back up policy … is likely to create a bigger issue than the one POP3 proponents seek to fix.

[#9]

Thanks for getting back to us @Perrysmith. Unfortunately, as @Townman has alluded to, we wouldn't be able to recover the mailbox due to the amount of time that has passed since it was last accessed. Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience that this may have caused.

[#10]

Thanks.

I recall that I cleared down a load of unwanted emails & of course was still receiving incoming during this period. Does that not count as activity? 

[#11]

I'm a little confused, @Perrysmith - your initial post stated 'I have not accessed my Free-online account for some time.' - now you claim you have been receiving mail during this period - how do you know?

FYI - simply receiving the mail without accessing the mailbox - by opening it, is not 'activity'.

[#12]

For clarity logging into the mailbox is “activity”.

The mailbox just receiving email is not “activity”, the mail will be waiting to be accessed.

Having logged in, mail does not need to be “opened” to count as “activity”.