no, local copy of Outlook (without a central server) uses .pst files to store mails, if they are deleted (many moons ago) chance of recovering a deleted email is very small.

but still, here's a way to try it:

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When you delete an email in Outlook – it really isn’t deleted; it’s only “marked” for deletion. It’s only until you “compact” your PST file that your email is permanently erased, and the empty space is reclaimed.

Outlook’s Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST.exe) can diagnose and repair errors in your PST file. If the file is not corrupt, it does some minor clean-up – but if the file IS corrupt it also reverts all objects to “not deleted.”

So we’ll first need to “corrupt” our PST file to have ScanPST reclaim our “deleted” emails. [NOTE: I'm not including detailed instructions. If you're not comfortable please ask someone to help you.]

1) Locate and backup your Outlook PST file

2) From the Command Prompt type what’s in bold (not the hyphens "-")

DEBUG C:\fullpath\OutlookFile.PST
- f 107 113 20
- q

3) Now that you’ve “corrupted” your PST file run ScanPST (usually found in C:\Program Files\Common Files\System\Mapi\1033)

4) Once ScanPST completes, your deleted emails will be restored.

http://bhandler.spaces.live.com/Blog...Auug!391.entry

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be sure to back up the .PST file, it can be found under \document and settings\user name\.... for the exact location you need to right click -> properties of the "Personal Folder" (the root folder) in Outlook.

copy that .pst to another location; then use a hex-editor to "corrupt" it and run scanpst.exe (found somewhere under c:\program files\ search for it) and point to that .pst;

here's comment from that site I linked above:

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Fantastic, thanks. This method worked perfectly, except in my case my PST file was too large (~100mb) and running Debug gave me the message 'Insufficient Memory'.

I decided to try downloading a hex editor and having a go with that. I found a free one here (http://www.chmaas.handshake.de/delph...vi32/xvi32.htm) and changed the very first character of the file to a '2', then saved.

Running the inbox fix tool then recovered my Deleted Items and the subfolder within it!
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Repair Corrupt PST and Recover Deleted Emails
 

You can try using Repair PST software from http://www.repairpst.net to recover deleted emails from pst file.

I don't have a WC cooling, would much rather you keep it :) my service was for free:)

Have you tried Stellar Phoenix Mailbox Professional - PST Recovery Software.

Stellar Phoenix - Outlook PST File Recovery Software is designed to repair and restore data from damaged or corrupted Microsoft outlook file. Microsoft Outlook stores email messages, contacts, notes and folders on the local drive as a .pst file. This Outlook file recovery software scans the damaged .pst file and extracts and then saves information in a new usable .pst file, enabling PST File Recovery. In addition, Phoenix-Outlook mail recovery software allows you to recover accidentally deleted messages that have been emptied from the "Deleted Items" folder in Outlook. Phoenix-Outlook mail recovery software allows you to recover accidentally deleted messages that have been emptied from the "Deleted Items" folder in Outlook. Stellar Phoenix Mailbox offers Outlook PST File Recovery from the following email items - Email with attachment , Appointment , Contact , Note , Task , Journal , Draft , Calendar. Key Features- Provides PST File Recovery from folders, calendars, contacts, tasks, notes. Repairs even the password protected files. Restores formatting from RTF and HTML messages. Recovers from encrypted files. Support to repair .pst files with more than 2GB file. Unique profile created for individual pst files. Updated recovery module supports Best Encryption during pst recovery. Recovers deleted email attachments. Recovered messages may be saved in the .pst file format on any (including network) disks visible by the host operating system Microsoft Outlook Versions Supported Microsoft Outlook 97, Outlook 98, Outlook 2000, Outlook 2002 and Outlook 2003

Downlod the demo from: http://www.stellarinfo.com/outlook-p...e-recovery.htm

You can use Inbox Repair tool which is used to restore corrupted file of pst. To run Inbox repair tool fallow the steps:

1. Click on start goes to the search then click on files or folders option.
2. In search box type scanpst.exe.
3. Double click on the scanpst.exe file to open the inbox repair tool.
4. Then enter the location of Pst file and its name or browse it for the path.
5. Then start to repair.

This way you can repair your pst file. But if your file is badly damaged you may not able to repair it. At that time you can use pst repair software.You can try a popular Outlook recovery tool called Advanced Outlook Repair to repair your PST file.

All those years ago, the Magic 8 Ball warned us about this: "Outlook not so good..." ;-)

.bh.

but at the same time; no great alternatives available... Tried Thunderbird for a year; but switched back to Outlook

My earlier post was mainly in the way of some levity, but the best humor has a seed of truth at the core.

Has the OP checked at his email provider (ISP). Many email services can be set to never delete anything in your account at the mail server level no matter what you do with them at the local (email client) level unless you go there and specifrically delete them (except in the trash or spam folders which may have a timeout - gmail's is 30 days for those folders). Gmail is one. Gmail is quickly becoming the mail service of choice because of the intrinsic features as well as all the ancillary features and future expansions. Though all is not sweetness & light - I've experienced some significant slowdowns and connect timeouts lately probably due to the huge traffic. I believe Gmail is offering both POP and IMAP for local client connections now. I handle all my email right from my local client (integrated into Seamonkey also a Mozilla offshoot). I have four email services attached to it: Verizon/Yahoo, fastmail, gmail and Netscape/AOL (much better than it used to be in terms of user-friendliness.
. If Outlook has the available settings, I would set it to download (copy) email but not delete it from the server. This can more easily be done if your mail service is not POP based as that is SOP with IMAP. I have used www.fastmail.fm for some years which is primarily an IMAP mail service in which if you delete an email locally, it is still on the service until you go there and Purge your deletions - actually the mail isn't even local unless you save it to a local folder. The $15. lifetime account has worked for me thus far, but they have higher levels at higher annual costs which among other things offer more local space and either IMAP or POP connections for local mail clients.

Thunderbird with either the Lightning or Sunbird (calendaring add-on either specifically for T-bird or most platforms) could be a suitable replacement for Outlook. But nothing can protect one from oneself. You can't delete things and expect them not to be gone. Things like the Recycle bin give the unwary a false sense of security. I almost never simply Del, I [Shift]-[Del] which is a permanent delete in Windwoes - no need to clear the Recycle bin... That means I have to be responsible for my deletions.

I suppose a tyical data recovery program like Get Data Back or R-Studio from R Tools (www.r-tt.com) could be used to see if the deleted email remains to some degree or other (most emails should fit in one cluster so there is always the possibiltiy that that one didn't get reused yet) if you can remember a unique word or phrase from the email to use as a search key. Most data recovery programs can be had as trial downloads so you can experiment to see what it can recover before shelling out the $$s to get an actual recovery. Remember the cluster(s) in which the mail resided is no longer reserved to a certain folder though start with the folder in which the mail originally resided. But if that folder search fails, you'll have to let the recovery tool scan the whole partition looking for the keyword or phrase, which will take a good while. Good luck.

.bh.

Hey Zepper, do note that the original post date is 3rd January 2007 ;)

Sorry, FYZ revived the dead thread and I wasn't paying attention. Anyway, someone may benefit...

.bh.

that's for sure:) data recovery tips are always welcome; I lost 20Gb of documents because of a faulty dynamic NTFS disk under Win2000; if I had known getdatabackNTFS back then I would have recovered something