All email messages that you receive in your Outlook email account go through an email server, It depends on the type of your email account whether the email stays on the email server or not. Outlook supports four basic email account types: POP3, IMAP, HTTP and Exchange Server. Except for POP3 email account, the rest three maintain the email copy on server until you delete it. So, if you use POP3 email account, you need to manually configure your email account settings to leave a copy of messages on server. At times, when you don't configure this setting and delete an important email message accidentally, there is no way other than using a backup or using a Deleted Email Recovery product to retrieve it.

For example, suppose you use POP3 account and use a PST file as the default email delivery location. Without realizing the importance of one or more of your email messages, you delete them inadvertently. You use Shift+Delete key, remove them from Deleted Items folder or empty the entire Deleted Items folder. You find that there is no copy of lost emails on server.

Cause

By default, POP3 email account deletes the email message once you download it in your local PST. You cannot find these messages on server because you haven't selected the 'Leave a copy of messages on the server' check box under Delivery settings of your Outlook email account.

Solution

To retrieve the deleted email in POP3 account, you should consider one of the below methods:

(1) You can use your latest backup to copy the lost email(s) from. The backup must be updated and clean to offer the required restoration.

(2) If no suitable backup is available, you should Recover Deleted Email using commercial applications.

Deleted Email Recovery utilities are scanning-based products with high competency to salvage lost emails from a PST file. It is suggested not to compact and not to store more emails in the affected PST file once you find the emails deleted accidentally. The software are reliable, graphically rich and easy to install with powerful email recovering techniques.

Stellar Phoenix Deleted Email Recovery is an advanced recovery application for deleted emails from any Outlook PST file. The software Recover Deleted Email and offer safe restoration. The tool supports Outlook 2007, 2003, 2002 and 2000. It is a non-destructive tool with a variety of advanced options and graphic features.