Can saved e-mails on my PC on an AOL account be recovered if they disappeared when I updated my AOL to 9.1 from 9.0? I didn’t know I should have been saving my files to AOL instead of to PC. NOW I KNOW!
Windows System Restore
Hmm, I hope you can recover your files. If this has only just happened, the quickest fix is to use System Restore to roll your computer settings back to the day before you upgraded AOL and back up the ‘Saved to PC’ files. System Restore is a feature of your Windows operating system that allows users to turn back the time on their computers to remove recent changes. In this case, by turning the time on your computer back to before you upgraded AOL, you will be back to the settings from before - this goes for any and all changes you made, so be sure to re-update your security programs and Windows Updates once you’ve sorted out AOL.
AOL and ‘Saved to PC’ Storage Options
What you should know before you change your settings to save to the AOL server rather than to your PC is that AOL only keeps your emails for 30 days, so you should still ‘Save to PC,’ but make sure you routinely back up this folder, especially before you upgrade AOL. Browse the AOL mail tools and features page for more advice and tips on optimizing your account and your settings.
Roll Back Time with System Restore
To roll back your computer with System Restore:
- Click Start, then choose All Programs
- Choose Accessories, then System Tools
- Choose System Restore
- The wizard will launch - follow the on-screen instructions to choose a roll back date and reset the computer - and finish the process with the wizard
Backup AOL Saved to PC Files
Once you roll back AOL, you can use these steps to back up your ‘Saved to PC’ files, then you can upgrade to AOL 9.1 without losing your older files and mail. Use your operating system’s search function to find a directory called C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\ALL USERS\APPLICATION DATA\AOL\C_AMERICA ONLINE 9.0. Here you can find a folder labeled Organize. This is the folder that holds the emails you ‘Saved to PC’. Open, copy and save this entire folder to a backup device, like a CD or flash drive. You can also copy this folder back to this directory after you upgrade 9.1 to get all these files in the same place.
I hope this helps, if you need more help, let us know. Good luck!
Kate Dubensky | June 9th, 2009
You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.
