Why are some of my emails missing?

Sometimes when you complete a conversion of your email files, the number of messaged converted may be more or less than you are expecting. Here are the most likely reasons why that could happen:

• The original files are damaged
  • They could be damaged even though your mail may look OK in the original app and your app is showing you a cached summary in the message list. When your files are damaged, Emailchemy may not be able to read them fully, and an error message may or may not be in the conversion log.
  • Remedy: use the original mail app’s inbox or database repair feature. Most have these. Make a backup first though. Examples (others can be found with a web search)
    • Outlook: Repair Outlook Data Files (.pst and .ost) – Microsoft Support
    • Outlook Mac: Rebuild the Office database – Microsoft Support
    • Thunderbird: Rebuilding the Global Database | Thunderbird Help (mozilla.org)

• Emails have not been downloaded
  • This happens sometimes with IMAP and Exchange Server accounts that are not configured to keep local copies of all email. The emails need to be downloaded and stored in files on your computer for Emailchemy to find them.
  • Remedy:
    • In your email app, configure your email accounts to keep a local copy of all email and then re-sync your folders if necessary.
    • Instructions to do this can be found in your email app’s documentation or help resources.

• The original count is wrong
  • Sometimes an email app will display the number of messages in a folder or in the database, but when it does this, it’s not counting them up every time you open the app. It could be using cached data that is out of date (see “original files are damaged”). Sometimes the email app (e.g. the macOS Mail app) will adjust the count and hide messages based on what it thinks are duplicates, and sometimes it’s wrong. Sometimes the app will be showing the count of all items, including folders, accounts, labels, meetings, contacts, files, etc., and not just the count of email messages.
  • Remedy:
    • Don’t always trust the original count or a count made by visual inspection. Emailchemy will convert all messages it finds in the data, whether they were marked as duplicates or deleted in the original app.
    • Keep in mind a message may show up in a summary/mailbox view in the original email app, but if you try to open it it might not be there. Again, see “the original files are damaged” above.