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Are deleted emails really deleted?

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Summary: Depending on what email program you use, deleted emails may or may not be really deleted.

It is said that "deleted files" are never completely erased unless you actually do so with the proper software. Does this also refer to emails? Once I erase an email (incoming or outgoing copy), does that stick around somewhere also?

In order to make the operation fast, when you delete a file, the operating system typically just sets a flag or removes an entry from a directory - the actual data within the file is left on disk to be reused later. Does the same apply to email messages?

In short: maybe.

First, let's be clear: when you delete a file in many email programs they're actually moved to a recycle bin so you can often find them there until the recycle bin is emptied. When you empty the recycle bin, then the messages are actually deleted.

The problem is that different email programs all use different approaches to storing their email. As a result, there's no one answer as to what happens when they delete a message.

One clue is if the email program provides a "compact" function for its email storage. That implies that the file will grow as email arrives, but when files are deleted the file doesn't get smaller until you compact. That implies that like a file system, messages that are deleted are simply marked without freeing up the space immediately. Like filesystems, as long as new messages haven't overwritten where the deleted messages used to be, then it might be possible to actually retrieve deleted messages. It might need special tools, but it could be possible.

One caution is that some email programs automatically rewrite or compact their files on exit, so this might only work if you make a copy of the email files before exiting the program.

And finally, all of this applies to email that's downloaded to your system. Web-based email like Hotmail or Yahoo, server-based email systems like Microsoft Exchange, or IMAP servers add another level of complexity that makes deleted email that much less likely to be retrievable.

Related:

Article 1873 | Posted February 2, 2005

Recent Comments
73 Comments

Hi,

I use a cox email system and I deleted a important email. It is gone from the cox server. I found it on my blackberry lastnight but when I tried to back up my blackberry the email was gone, since I had deleted it from my email account.
Can I retrieve it? I need to.

Posted by: Lisa at June 15, 2008 5:50 PM

AFTER ALL THE JUNK MAIL AND OLD E-MAILS ARE DELETED, I RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT I STILL HAVE OVER 5,00 E-MAILS STORED. I WANT TO DELETE THESE WITHOUT DOING EACH ONE AT A TIME. CAN YOU HELP ME DELETE ALL DELETED E-MAILS. THANKS

Posted by: JULIE WEAVER at July 19, 2008 9:09 AM

Where would I look to recover the emails that were deleted from aol? Can instant messages (aim and yahoo) be restored?

Posted by: sandy at July 31, 2008 3:40 AM

I was wondering if email is really deleted off the exchange server once deleted from the client workstation. Sent items and deleted items - non - cached mode - mailbox location = exchange server.

Posted by: Joe at August 7, 2008 9:05 AM

I deleted all the e-mails in my Hotmail inbox on accident. I really need to know if there is a way to get these back. Thanks for any help you can give me!

Not that I know of. That's why I always recommend backing up off-line.

-Leo

Posted by: Stephen at August 29, 2008 1:53 PM

so like for hotmail, since it is server based how once it drops of my account it is really really gone??

Yep. (OK, I suppose there may be backups or something that they could recover if the police came to them with a court order, but for all practical puposes for normal operation - once it's gone, it's gone.)

-Leo

Posted by: JJ at September 9, 2008 7:42 PM

can I permanently mark a copy of all my outgoing mails to my another e mail id? (for example from hotmail to yahoo), without typing the e mail id every time?

Posted by: vadiraja at September 29, 2008 3:33 AM

hello
i'd deleted my account and before that i deleted all my mails then now i remember i had deleted too many important mails and i need it i tried to find it in trash but it was empty.please help.
thanks

Can't help you. You didn't indicate what email service you use, or what email program you use, whether it's web based or PC based. All that makes a difference.

It sounds like unless you made a backup before deleting, everything's gone.
- Leo
21-Oct-2008

Posted by: lili at October 21, 2008 12:01 AM

I read the answers you gave to individuals needing to retrieve deleted email. Just to be clear. I am trying to retrieve an email that i accidently deleted from my trash on my Yahoo account. Are you saying there is absolutely no way to get those back other than a court order or some type of legal intervention?

Thank you

I'll never say "absolutely no way", but I will say that in your shoes I would definitely consider it a lost cause.
- Leo
20-Nov-2008
Posted by: Valerie at November 18, 2008 9:39 AM

I used Pop3 to download my emails to my laptop. I also kept a copy of my emails in the server. but when i deleted my emails on my computer - they got deleted from the server too. The emails are very much important to me. Can you please help me with this problem? Is there a way to retrieve those emails? I hope so...

Posted by: Gaurav Oza at November 22, 2008 11:50 AM

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