Retrieving Deleted Email From Gmail IMAP

artmanphoto · 26 Sep 2016, 06:33 AM

I am using Thunderbird 45.3.0 on a Windows 7 Professional PC. I pay Google $5 a month to use their Google Apps where they "manage" my photography ".com" email address as a gmail account. Gmail's junk/spam filtering is superior to Thunderbird's. My Gmail IMAP server is "imap.gmail.com". Because I am using IMAP my Inbox messages are stored on the gmail server not on my hard drive.

Three weeks ago I received an email that had 12 photograph attachments. I deleted the email with the photograph attachments because I didn't think I needed them - I was wrong. I would like to retrieve the message and the photograph attachments.

I use backup software to continuously backup my computer. I was thinking I could go into my backup drive and find the Thunderbird inbox containing the emails and find the message with attachments that I deleted.

I am now thinking that since I use IMAP and the email files are never present on my PC hard drive that they wouldn't be backed up. Is my thinking correct?

Is there any way I can log into my Google Apps gmail account to retrieve the delete email and the photograph attachments?

Thanks very much.

David · 26 Sep 2016, 07:24 AM

Greetings artmanphoto:

Messages that you delete from your GMail account are usually moved to a folder called 'Bin'

It is only if you actually delete from Bin that they are deleted proper..

artmanphoto · 26 Sep 2016, 07:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

Greetings artmanphoto:

Messages that you delete from your GMail account are usually moved to a folder called 'Bin'

It is only if you actually delete from Bin that they are deleted proper..

David, thanks for your reply. Where to I find the folder called 'Bin'? In my Gmail account on the Web?

n5bb · 26 Sep 2016, 08:10 AM

When you delete an email using Thunderbird connected to a Gmail account using IMAP, by default the deleted message will be moved to the Trash folder in Thunderbird (in the United States). I think this folder is called Bin in some other countries. After 30 days Gmail will by default permanently delete the message from the Trash/Bin folder. So you need to act immediately if it has been 3 weeks!

But in the Thunderbird Tools>Account Settings>(Gmail account)>Server Settings page you can control what happens to deleted messages. So it's possible that something else happens when you delete a message.

In the Thunderbird Tools>Account Settings>(Gmail account)>Synchronization & Storage page you can control whether messages are kept on your computer (as well as the Google IMAP server). By default this setting is enabled, an in the Advanced menu you can control which folders are locally saved.

In Thunderbird you can also move messages to Local Folders. These are only stored on your PC.

Your backup software might be backing up your Thunderbird messages if it backs up your Gmail and/or Local folders. But I would not count on recovering email from Thunderbird folders backup up by such software.

Bill

artmanphoto · 26 Sep 2016, 08:22 AM

Bill, thanks very much for your great information!

Bill, artmanphoto

David · 26 Sep 2016, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by artmanphoto

David, thanks for your reply. Where to I find the folder called 'Bin'? In my Gmail account on the Web?

Yes: I was trying to make it simple

artmanphoto · 26 Sep 2016, 08:51 AM

Thanks to everyone for your replies and information.

I have restored the deleted email and the attachments. I logged into my gmail apps Admin Console and clicked on my account name. On the next screen in the upper right corner 3 vertical dots I clicked on Restore Data. On the next "Restore Data" screen I selected the date the message was sent and selected Gmail then clicked Restore Data.

It took several minutes but my deleted emails from September 11th including the message I was trying to restore appeared in my Inbox. According to Google, this will only work if the message was deleted 30 days or less.

I am glad it worked!

26 Sep 2016, 06:33 AM	#1
artmanphoto Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Kansas City - USA Posts: 177	Retrieving Deleted Email From Gmail IMAP I am using Thunderbird 45.3.0 on a Windows 7 Professional PC. I pay Google $5 a month to use their Google Apps where they "manage" my photography ".com" email address as a gmail account. Gmail's junk/spam filtering is superior to Thunderbird's. My Gmail IMAP server is "imap.gmail.com". Because I am using IMAP my Inbox messages are stored on the gmail server not on my hard drive. Three weeks ago I received an email that had 12 photograph attachments. I deleted the email with the photograph attachments because I didn't think I needed them - I was wrong. I would like to retrieve the message and the photograph attachments. I use backup software to continuously backup my computer. I was thinking I could go into my backup drive and find the Thunderbird inbox containing the emails and find the message with attachments that I deleted. I am now thinking that since I use IMAP and the email files are never present on my PC hard drive that they wouldn't be backed up. Is my thinking correct? Is there any way I can log into my Google Apps gmail account to retrieve the delete email and the photograph attachments? Thanks very much.

26 Sep 2016, 07:24 AM	#2
David Ultimate Contributor Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Canada. Posts: 10,355	Greetings artmanphoto: Messages that you delete from your GMail account are usually moved to a folder called 'Bin' It is only if you actually delete from Bin that they are deleted proper..

26 Sep 2016, 08:10 AM	#4
n5bb Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: May 2004 Location: Irving, Texas Posts: 8,929	When you delete an email using Thunderbird connected to a Gmail account using IMAP, by default the deleted message will be moved to the Trash folder in Thunderbird (in the United States). I think this folder is called Bin in some other countries. After 30 days Gmail will by default permanently delete the message from the Trash/Bin folder. So you need to act immediately if it has been 3 weeks! But in the Thunderbird Tools>Account Settings>(Gmail account)>Server Settings page you can control what happens to deleted messages. So it's possible that something else happens when you delete a message. In the Thunderbird Tools>Account Settings>(Gmail account)>Synchronization & Storage page you can control whether messages are kept on your computer (as well as the Google IMAP server). By default this setting is enabled, an in the Advanced menu you can control which folders are locally saved. In Thunderbird you can also move messages to Local Folders. These are only stored on your PC. Your backup software might be backing up your Thunderbird messages if it backs up your Gmail and/or Local folders. But I would not count on recovering email from Thunderbird folders backup up by such software. Bill

26 Sep 2016, 08:22 AM	#5
artmanphoto Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Kansas City - USA Posts: 177	Bill, thanks very much for your great information! Bill, artmanphoto

26 Sep 2016, 08:51 AM	#7
artmanphoto Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Kansas City - USA Posts: 177	Thanks to everyone for your replies and information. I have restored the deleted email and the attachments. I logged into my gmail apps Admin Console and clicked on my account name. On the next screen in the upper right corner 3 vertical dots I clicked on Restore Data. On the next "Restore Data" screen I selected the date the message was sent and selected Gmail then clicked Restore Data. It took several minutes but my deleted emails from September 11th including the message I was trying to restore appeared in my Inbox. According to Google, this will only work if the message was deleted 30 days or less. I am glad it worked!