# Computer Geek hlep needed **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 30, 2005, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-geek-hlep-needed/306086 "2005-05-30T14:07:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jlzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jlzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jlzania)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-geek-hlep-needed/306086/1 "2005-05-30T14:07:41Z")
Pretty please. I stupidily managed to delete an email that I sent that I really need to access. I’ve emptied my trash and recycle bin too so I don’t know where to go from here. However, in all the bad crime TV shows I watch, a computer wizard is somehow able to go in and retrieve the bad guy’s old emails. Is there any way someone here could be kind enough to talk me through this or am I screwed? If it helps, I’m still on Windows 2000. Thanks for any and all suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-geek-hlep-needed/306086/2 "2005-05-30T14:10:23Z")
Which email program? ---
**Author:** ![jlzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jlzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jlzania)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-geek-hlep-needed/306086/3 "2005-05-30T14:11:48Z")
MS Outlook, missbunny. And I apologize for spelling help wrong-i’m a little addled brained right now. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-geek-hlep-needed/306086/4 "2005-05-30T14:17:21Z")
Are you using POP3 or was this an Exchange mailbox? If POP3, are messages removed from the server when you pop, or is there a copy left on it? If Exchange, is “Retried Deleted Items” enabled? The Exchange administrator would have had to do this; it may be turned on and you don’t even realize it. Is it possible to ask the sender to send you another copy? ---
**Author:** ![daffyduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ec9cab/32.png) [@daffyduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daffyduck)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-geek-hlep-needed/306086/5 "2005-05-30T14:24:24Z")
It all depends on how much time and money you have. You could pull your hard drive and send it to a data recovery company and they can do all sorts of tricks to retrieve data from disks. Be ready to spend some serious money. Just google for “data recovery” and you’ll find them. But first, I’d try one of the shareware data recovery tools from places like Tucows. [http://www.tucows.com/preview/258313](http://www.tucows.com/preview/258313) Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![jlzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jlzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jlzania)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-geek-hlep-needed/306086/6 "2005-05-30T14:28:36Z")
I believe it was POP3 but honestly, I’m not all that savvy. I’d rather not ask to have it sent back to me at this point. I will try the tool daffyduck provided a link to-thanks both of you for the suggestions. ---
**Author:** ![jlzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jlzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jlzania)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-geek-hlep-needed/306086/7 "2005-05-30T14:31:00Z")
Yikes, on second thought, at $67.00 for the shareware, maybe I’ll wait to see if anyone else has a bright idea before I pull out the old cc. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-geek-hlep-needed/306086/8 "2005-05-30T14:58:46Z")
You might try emailing your ISP to see if they can retrieve it from the mail spool. OTOH, since you’ve already sent it, perhaps you could email the recipient to send you a copy. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-geek-hlep-needed/306086/9 "2005-05-30T15:15:31Z")
Well, if you’re lucky (or unlucky as the case may be), the recepient may respond with a quoted message. Aside from that, the first thing you should do is use the computer as little as possible (to avoid writing over the space on disk that holds the info you want to retrieve.) Get a tool like Norton’s that recovers deleted files and exists on a CD drive. Run undelete and hope for the best. ---
**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-geek-hlep-needed/306086/10 "2005-05-30T23:06:32Z")
I’ve not used it, but perhaps you could give [this](http://www.recover-my-email.com/) a try? ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-geek-hlep-needed/306086/11 "2005-05-30T23:34:39Z")
As you did mention the movies in the OP, I think this is how they typically do it: Key rapidly on your keyboard making sure to press enter a few times then stop. At this point your screen should say in large bold letters: **"Central Internet Mail Server: Authorized Access Only"** Next, remark to the person that is looking over your shoulder (without turning to look at them), “I installed a little backdoor access program a few weeks ago” Now, hit a few more keys and your screen should say **"Message Retrieved"** It’s that easy! ---
**Author:** ![Jon\_the\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Jon\_the\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jon_the_Geek)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-geek-hlep-needed/306086/12 "2005-05-31T00:29:10Z")
> [@jlzania](#): > > Yikes, on second thought, at $67.00 for the shareware, maybe I’ll wait to see if anyone else has a bright idea before I pull out the old cc. Check to see how the program works. It might be unlimited use for 30 days, followed by the need to pay the $67 to continue to use it. I’m a little surprised that Tucows doesn’t give more detail about that… actually, now that I look, their definition of “shareware” is “This is fully functional software that you can download, try and decide whether or not it’s right for you. If you like it, you pay a nominal fee to continue using the application after the allotted trial period expires.” (as opposed, I assume, to for example a “demo,” which would have limited functionality until you pay). Of course, if you like it, you could support the author by paying the $67 🙂 If that doesn’t work, click the “File Recovery” part of the file path on the gray bar just above the blue box. There are 47 programs there; hopefully one of them will meet your needs. ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-geek-hlep-needed/306086/13 "2005-05-31T11:29:45Z")
Link to a free undeleter: [http://www.officerecovery.com/freeundelete/](http://www.officerecovery.com/freeundelete/) Hope this helps! PS. I have no idea, but it seems that MS Outlook stores all the recieved emails in one big archive, instead of as individual .eml files. In this case, an undeleter utility is not going to be of much help too. I am not using MS Outlook personally, can someone else confirm?