# AOL has lost my email folders !!!



## cowboysgirl (Mar 10, 2002)

i logged on to AOL as usual yesterday to find that all my folders in my Personal Filing Cabinet have disappeared ! 

i called the AOL TechHelpline Technician - NOT THE SHARPEST KNIFE IN THE DRAWER !! - he told me i could find them on my hard drive BUT HE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO LOOK! 

have more faith in you guys, so please don't let me down


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## rkselby98 (May 6, 2000)

I can't see where knowing where they are will help you use your mail.

To find the go to start, find, find files and folder. Make sure you have it set to look in C:

Type in aol click find.

This will show you where the folders are. They should be in C:\widows or C:

Ah maybe I am getting ahead of myself. Maybe you aren't trying to use the mail..

EDITED:
To be truthful I thought AOL mail folders were stored on their server same as yahoo....

You might not find those folders.


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## jnibori (Jul 21, 2002)

"AOL

Your AOL e-mail is only saved for a certain length of time. You can save it for longer periods by saving it to the PERSONAL FILING CABINET (PFC) On the My AOL menu on the AOL toolbar, click PREFERENCES. In the PREFERENCES window, click MAIL

Select one or both of the following:

To save outgoing mail, select the RETAIN ALL MAIL I SEND IN MY PERSONAL 
FILING CABINET check box. 
To save incoming mail, select the RETAIN ALL MAIL I RECEIVE IN MY PERSONAL 
FILING CABINET check box. Click OK."

Did you do this?


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## rkselby98 (May 6, 2000)

Looks like we have someone who knows something about aol.

When the tech guy from aol, if I read it right said it was on the hard drive. AOL doesn't strore the mail folders on the hard drive do they?


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## jnibori (Jul 21, 2002)

I have not messed around with AOL for a while, but I have heard both things. I have heard that when you place something into the Filing Cabinet, it is actually stored in a file/folder on your hard drive. But the thing that I have wondered about is, if that's true, then why does AOL prompt you to compress the filing cabinet after you've done some house cleaning? Why would they care about my hard drive?

Dunno


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## rkselby98 (May 6, 2000)

Good question, have you searched your hard drive for them?


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## Mosaic1 (Aug 17, 2001)

This is for future reference. In the AOL Folder on the hard drive look for a folder named Organize. 

Look for a file named after your screen name. It is the one with no extension. there will be several files. The only without the extension should be your Personal Filing Cabinet.

You can copy that and put it somewhere safe for next time. When it's in the organize folder it's your Personal Filing Cabinet. 
I use Compuserve which is owned by AOL. Some of these details may be different. I am not sure you will get your personal filing cabinet back. 

If you have a Folder named Backup, you can look in there for a file named the same as your screen name. It will be older and not up to date, but you can put it in the Organize Folder and see if it at least is a start. The rest may be lost. Don't forget to rename the original file in there already so that if you need to get it back, you can. Never just replace something. Always rename the original so you do not lose it.


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## dearharish (Aug 9, 2002)

Actually AOL provides you the feature of Filing Cabinet so that you can Save the emails in the Filing Cabinet and later on view them offline or keep it for future reference. 

Now since some AOL members may have many important emails to be stored you can create folders in the Filing Cabinet and store the emails there. Now since the Filing Cabinet is stored on your harddisk (hence you are able to view your emails offline) any changes you make in the filing cabinet has nothing to do with AOL servers or AOL in general. 

Therefore if you have lost one of the folder it is possible that you might have deleted that folder by mistake or someone else might have deleted it since it is in your Harddisk 

I am sure that i have resolved your query.


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## cowboysgirl (Mar 10, 2002)

i had no idea WHERE my emails were saved, the 'EXPERT TECHNICIAN' - there description not mine - told me that all my emails were stored on my hard drive and on a VIRTUAL drive with everybody else's at AOL !! i think he was new! 

anyway have followed all advise and think i can resurrect some of my emails, so thanks to all for the help
Maggie


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## Foxbat (Mar 21, 2004)

AOL "automatically" UGRADED itself to '9.0 Optimized' ALL of my saved TO PC email folders and contents are gone. AOL disavows knowledge of updates deleting folders on the PC. The location of the deleted folders should be C:/Windows/Profiles/Desktop/AOL Saved PFC.

Running Windows 98se, AOL 9.0


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