Lost emails on Netscape Messenger 4.5

charlesch · 12th April 2005

I've had 2 users tells me that they've lost tons of email in their Inbox and I have not been able to figure out why.

Quick check of the profile directory showed Inbox.snm with > 100,000kb and Inbox with >500,000kb. Yet the Inbox in messenger only shows 7 messages. It looks like they are still there but messenger does not display them.

Has anyone experience this problem before? Does anyone know how to recover these emails?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

TIA

Charles

**Ramona** · 13th April 2005

Charlesch,

The first thing to have your users try, is to delete the Inbox.snm file. Do not delete the Inbox file with no extension, as this file contains the Mail.

The size of the files is alarming in itself. The Inbox is not intended for archiving, and a user risks losing all Mail by allowing the Inbox to grow to this exhorbitant size. They will have a lot of trouble trying to open the Inbox, simply because the file is so large.

If deleting the files with the SNM extension doesn't help, then perhaps rebuilding the Mail folder will.

Close Communicator
Rename the Mail folder, e.g., XMail
Create a new Mail folder
Now have the users copy all files in the XMail folder with NO SNM extension.
Start Messenger
Is all Mail viewable?

Let us know if they continue to have problems.

I would urge them to update their browsers, as Communicator 4.5 is seriously obsolete. Of course if they have no choice, I understand.

I would also urge them to create Archive folders, and edit those large Mail files, keeping the Inbox free as possible. I get nervous if my Inbox is over 2 MB...

Ramona

charlesch · 20th April 2005

The first thing to have your users try, is to delete the Inbox.snm file. Do not delete the Inbox file with no extension, as this file contains the Mail.

This did not work.

The size of the files is alarming in itself. The Inbox is not intended for archiving, and a user risks losing all Mail by allowing the Inbox to grow to this exhorbitant size. They will have a lot of trouble trying to open the Inbox, simply because the file is so large.

I agree.

If deleting the files with the SNM extension doesn't help, then perhaps rebuilding the Mail folder will.

Close Communicator
Rename the Mail folder, e.g., XMail
Create a new Mail folder
Now have the users copy all files in the XMail folder with NO SNM extension.
Start Messenger
Is all Mail viewable?

Unfortunately, this also did not work.

Ramona[/QUOTE]

I'll try reading these files in Messenger 7.2 or Thunderbird 1.0.2 directly

Thanks, Ramona.

**Ramona** · 20th April 2005

Charles,

Can these users access a webmail interface for the ISP? If so have them check for SPAM, and if found, delete the SPAM at the webmail portal. If they're on a LAN, then unfortunately I haven't a clue.

You could also have them move mail out of the Inbox, into several archive folders. An empty Inbox might, emphasize might help. If you can get them to completely empty the Inbox, then once having done so, again, delete the inbox.snm file. Ensure that they exit Netscape before editing.

If the Inbox file shows 100,000 KB, then the Mail is there. I assume they have no backups?

Last resort would be to create a new users profile, and move only the mail files with NO SNM extension, to the newly created users profile, Mail folder. See this page: Setting up a New Users Profile

Ramona

charlesch · 21st April 2005

Can these users access a webmail interface for the ISP? If so have them check for SPAM, and if found, delete the SPAM at the webmail portal. If they're on a LAN, then unfortunately I haven't a clue.

Unfortunate no. Mails are deleted from server as users download them to their pc.

You could also have them move mail out of the Inbox, into several archive folders. An empty Inbox might, emphasize might help. If you can get them to completely empty the Inbox, then once having done so, again, delete the inbox.snm file. Ensure that they exit Netscape before editing.

If the Inbox file shows 100,000 KB, then the Mail is there. I assume they have no backups?

You are correct.

Last resort would be to create a new users profile, and move only the mail files with NO SNM extension, to the newly created users profile, Mail folder. See this page: Setting up a New Users Profile

I will give this a try but the previous attempt yeild no fruit.

Thanks for your help, Ramona.

**Ramona** · 22nd April 2005

charlesch,

If you are the IT person, and it appears you are, here is yet another step you can take. I wouldn't advise it for your users, however, unless they are advanced users, and they have a backup of their Profiles folder.

If you are finally able to access these Mail files, then to reduce the size of those humongous inboxes:

Compact the Mail Folders
Exit Netscape

Open Windows Explorer
Make two copies of the Inbox, and move them to a temporary folder
When you move the first copy, rename it Inbox1
When you move the second copy, rename it Inbox2
Next:
Open the copies of the renamed Inboxes in WordPad
Delete the the second half of the Inbox1 file, and the first half of the Inbox2 file
Ensure that you make the break on a message boundary, so the first line of the second Inbox file is, for example: From - Thu Mar 24 18:13:26 2005

Now, copy the Inbox1 and Inbox2 files to the Mail folder
Open Netscape Messenger, and let the Messenger Index the files

Once the user has ensured that all the Mail is available, then the original (much too large) Inbox can be moved to a backup file, or deleted. Whichever you are most comfortable with. I would stress to your users that the Inbox should be kept to a minimum size. and Compact folders frequently.

Ramona