[wlpncp]

I just upgraded my wife's laptop from Windows Vista to Windows 7. I think it was successful, but afterwards I saw that all her e-mails and contacts in her Comcast e-mail account have disappeared. Is there anyway to recover them? I did make a back-up of the Vista system (4 DVDs) before I did the upgrade. Hope someone can help me. She is going to kill me when she finds out! Thanks to all in advance.

[LiveBrianD]

Wait... are you sure that those 4 DVDs aren't for the system recovery image that allows you to get back to the factory install of Vista? (complete with drivers and unwanted bloatware) What email client is she using? If you set up the account using IMAP, the messages will be synchronized with the server. (login to the mail via the web interface to find out) If you set it up using POP3, it'll either download messages off the server and then delete them, or leave them there, taking up space. (note: IMAP works well if you have multiple computers, but POP3 is terrible at that because it doesn't actually synchronize everything.)

Fortunately, there is one thing that'll save your ass here. For one thing, try to keep your wife off the computer for now until we get this fixed. This will depend on whatever email client she's using. You can view everything from the previous OS install (from the old Windows system folder, which is now useless, to your documents folder, which will let you easily transfer your stuff out). Once I know what email client she's using, I can tell you what specific folder to look in (it varies, but it's usually in the appdata folder; since I'm talking about things from the previous OS install, instead of C:\Users\yourloginname\AppData it's C:\Windows.old\Users\yourloginname\Appdata. Ditto for documents, etc.

[wlpncp]

Thank you for your response. The backup DVDs that I made were per the instructions from HP, as found in their "HP Upgrade Manager" disc that came with the Windows 7 disc. She is using the Comcast.net e-mail program, How do I tell if the account was set up using IMAP or POP3 I don't know what these are)? Am I going to have to go back from Windows 7 to Vista to get the lost e-mails? Thanks again. Terrible thing to happen as Valentine's Day approaches!

[LiveBrianD]

So she was accessing it here? http://xfinity.comcast.net/
If so, she just needs to sign in again here. (in that case, all the mail is on the comcast servers, NOT on your local PC, so it doesn't matter if you nuked everything on it) It sounds like she wasn't using a program like Windows Live Mail or Microsoft Outlook, right? IMAP and POP3 only apply if you're accessing your mail online.

As I thought, the backup DVDs are just for the OS, incase you want to go back to Vista, NOT for your files. So wait... what disc did you use to upgrade to Windows 7? Was it a retail disc? It sorta sounds like a disc HP gave you. (like what you'd get if you bought the laptop shortly before Windows 7 was released)

[wlpncp]

LiveBrianD, on 21 January 2012 - 11:17 AM, said:

So she was accessing it here? http://xfinity.comcast.net/
If so, she just needs to sign in again here. (in that case, all the mail is on the comcast servers, NOT on your local PC, so it doesn't matter if you nuked everything on it) It sounds like she wasn't using a program like Windows Live Mail or Microsoft Outlook, right? IMAP and POP3 only apply if you're accessing your mail online.

As I thought, the backup DVDs are just for the OS, incase you want to go back to Vista, NOT for your files. So wait... what disc did you use to upgrade to Windows 7? Was it a retail disc? It sorta sounds like a disc HP gave you. (like what you'd get if you bought the laptop shortly before Windows 7 was released)

Yes, that xfinity link is correct. So how do I get Comcast to restore the lost e-mails? I had an on-line chat with them last night. I got a somewhat vague response that they would have their "higher tier 2 fix team" contact me within 24 hours (12 to go). We'll see if that happens. I used the Windows 7 disk and HP Upgrade Manager disk that HP sent to me, and yes I bought the laptop shortly before Windows 7 was released.

[LiveBrianD]

If she was just accessing it through the web browser, at that address, the mail should still be there. It doesn't matter if your computer blows up or your house is wiped out by a hurricane, if the mail is online, like on comcast's server, it won't get wiped out and you will still be able to access it via another computer.

[wlpncp]

LiveBrianD, on 21 January 2012 - 12:42 PM, said:

If she was just accessing it through the web browser, at that address, the mail should still be there. It doesn't matter if your computer blows up or your house is wiped out by a hurricane, if the mail is online, like on comcast's server, it won't get wiped out and you will still be able to access it via another computer.

I spoke with Comcast tech support today. They tried to explain that the missing e-mails had been transferred from their server to somewhere on my laptop. Since I did not have a Windows Live Mail account at the time of my upgrade from Vista to Windows 7, they could not provide any suggestions as to where on my computer the missing e-mails might be. So, unless you have some ideas, I guess I am dead in the water. Thanks for your previous help on this.

[LiveBrianD]

That sounds like you were using the POP3 protocol to access your mail via a desktop client/program like Microsoft Outlook, Windows Live Mail (note: this is confusing, but Windows Live Mail is a email program and Windows Live Hotmail is a web-based email service.), etc. Unless you know what program your wife was using, I can't help you.

[wlpncp]

LiveBrianD, on 26 January 2012 - 03:25 PM, said:

That sounds like you were using the POP3 protocol to access your mail via a desktop client/program like Microsoft Outlook, Windows Live Mail (note: this is confusing, but Windows Live Mail is a email program and Windows Live Hotmail is a web-based email service.), etc. Unless you know what program your wife was using, I can't help you.

This makes no sense to me, but I did a search using my wife's Comcast e-mail address and found the missing e-mails in Windows Live Mail. This makes no sense to me since she/I never set Windows Live Mail up. Anyway, apparently during the Vista-to-7 upgrade, her Comcast e-mails were transferred to Windows Live Mail. It would be nice if there were some way to get them back to her Comcast box so she doesn't have to go through these few extra steps to see them in Live Mail. Wonder why her e-mails were "hijacked" by Live Mail and the ones in my Comcast account were not.

[Dellinsp531]

She must have used some program like Windows live Mail or Outlook to check mail and that is why it was affected when you did the upgrade.

You can just send the emails back to the Comcast inbox using Windows Live Mail,which a program to check emails like it was mentioned before. You can import the contacts into comcast as well.

After that, check the comcast email setting and WIndows Live Mail and see that it is set not to delete emails after it has been open from an email program. Windows Live Mail should be set to leave a copy on the server if the program will be used. If the program will not be used, than remove the account info from the Windows Live Mail.

[LiveBrianD]

wlpncp, on 26 January 2012 - 10:33 PM, said:

LiveBrianD, on 26 January 2012 - 03:25 PM, said:

That sounds like you were using the POP3 protocol to access your mail via a desktop client/program like Microsoft Outlook, Windows Live Mail (note: this is confusing, but Windows Live Mail is a email program and Windows Live Hotmail is a web-based email service.), etc. Unless you know what program your wife was using, I can't help you.

This makes no sense to me, but I did a search using my wife's Comcast e-mail address and found the missing e-mails in Windows Live Mail. This makes no sense to me since she/I never set Windows Live Mail up. Anyway, apparently during the Vista-to-7 upgrade, her Comcast e-mails were transferred to Windows Live Mail. It would be nice if there were some way to get them back to her Comcast box so she doesn't have to go through these few extra steps to see them in Live Mail. Wonder why her e-mails were "hijacked" by Live Mail and the ones in my Comcast account were not.

Hmm... she must have set it up if you were able to find the files there. Also, this is Windows LIVE Mail, NOT Windows Mail, right? Windows Mail was with Vista only, and Windows Live Mail is a downloadable program for XP, Vista, and 7 (7 doesn't come with it's own email program, and WLM is intended to replace it).

Install Windows Live Mail (from http://explore.live....-programs?T1=t2 )
Go to C:\Windows.old\Users\Yourusername\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail
Then go to C:\Users\Yourusername\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail and copy all the files there

Now, start Live Mail, and all your stuff should be there.

[orlbuckeye]

wlpncp, on 20 January 2012 - 09:29 PM, said:

I just upgraded my wife's laptop from Windows Vista to Windows 7. I think it was successful, but afterwards I saw that all her e-mails and contacts in her Comcast e-mail account have disappeared. Is there anyway to recover them? I did make a back-up of the Vista system (4 DVDs) before I did the upgrade. Hope someone can help me. She is going to kill me when she finds out! Thanks to all in advance.

Well with Vista Windows mail came with Vista and basically it was the same as Outlook Express and will only allow you to set up a Pop server email account. Windows 7 doesn't ship with an email client but Windows Live mail is available for download that will allow your to setup IMapi and Pop3 email accounts. If your contact file is still on your system the instructions below may help you to import them into Windows live mail.


http://windows.micro...at-for-contacts

[wlpncp]

orlbuckeye, on 30 January 2012 - 11:22 AM, said:

wlpncp, on 20 January 2012 - 09:29 PM, said:

I just upgraded my wife's laptop from Windows Vista to Windows 7. I think it was successful, but afterwards I saw that all her e-mails and contacts in her Comcast e-mail account have disappeared. Is there anyway to recover them? I did make a back-up of the Vista system (4 DVDs) before I did the upgrade. Hope someone can help me. She is going to kill me when she finds out! Thanks to all in advance.

Well with Vista Windows mail came with Vista and basically it was the same as Outlook Express and will only allow you to set up a Pop server email account. Windows 7 doesn't ship with an email client but Windows Live mail is available for download that will allow your to setup IMapi and Pop3 email accounts. If your contact file is still on your system the instructions below may help you to import them into Windows live mail.


http://windows.micro...at-for-contacts

What I would like to do is export the e-mails from Windows Live Mail back to her Comcast in-box. I guess I could do that one e-mail at a time by just forwarding each e-mail to the Comcast in-box. But I wish there were some way to make the transfers on a folder-by-folder basis rather than one e-mail at a time. Any ideas?

[LiveBrianD]

Unfortunately, POP3 is a one way street there. You can download messages from the server, but you can't put them back.

[Tunz]

Those emails were obviously already downloaded into Windows Mail in Vista anyway, and that's where she'll expect to find them. Windows 7 upgrade does not randomly download someone's email from a remote server for the sake of an upgrade or any other reason. Even if it wanted to, there is no way to acquire those server settings and passwords unless the account was already set up in Windows Mail.
If I were concerned with keeping my manhood intact, I would be following LiveBrianD's directions, to the letter.

This post has been edited by Tunz: 31 January 2012 - 08:31 PM

[wlpncp]

Tunz, on 31 January 2012 - 08:29 PM, said:

Those emails were obviously already downloaded into Windows Mail in Vista anyway, and that's where she'll expect to find them. Windows 7 upgrade does not randomly download someone's email from a remote server for the sake of an upgrade or any other reason. Even if it wanted to, there is no way to acquire those server settings and passwords unless the account was already set up in Windows Mail.
If I were concerned with keeping my manhood intact, I would be following LiveBrianD's directions, to the letter.

O.K. Much thanks to everyone for your help on this. I really appreciate it. Gonna try to blame all this on one of her friends who must have set up Live Mail in Vista for her.