Recovering Isa's AOL Saved Mail Folders
During a visit to see my mom for a little while, she started in on me with a MASSIVE GUILT TRIP about my sister and the recent loss of some email folders that were deleted when AOL crapped out on her for the nth time.
My mom took the drama to such an extent that I logged on remotely to my sister's computer via logmein.com from my mom's computer and attempted to fix the problem right then and there. My sister was told by AOL that all of her info was in a folder on her desktop called AOL Saved Info.
Sure enough, the folder was there and I could see a file called "saraisabel" that was about 218 MB, so clearly that was the file that contained the email folders I needed to restore. A little bit of Googling for a solution and I was able to determine what files from that folder on the desktop needed to be moved where.
However, a little more noodling was in order because Windows XP would NOT let me move the files due to the old "this file is open or in use by someone or something else on this system" error.
Easy enough to fix:
- Go to Control Panel.
- Go to User Accounts.
- Create an Admin account for myself.
- Log off my sister's account.
- Log into my new account.
- MOVE the files from her desktop to wherever AOL wanted them (the "organize" folder buried somewhere).
- Log off my account.
- Log into my sister's account
- Log into AOL.
- Check mail.
Voila! Folders restored and order is restored to the Universe once again. call up my sister and have her check her AOL Mail. Folders there, much rejoicing is heard throughout the land.
Drama over. For now. Until next time. I'll be here to douse water on the next mini fire that flares up. We're family after all, right?
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