Firetrust Support Forums

Posted: **Wed May 10, 2023 12:46 pm**

I was getting a lot of spam and phishing emails in my Gmail account so I downloaded MailWasher to try. I had a heck of a time setting it up and getting Gmail set with the IMPA settings but looked like maybe it was working. I tried it for a while but was still getting some spam so decided that Gmail was catching the SPAM anyway so I uninstalled MailWasher. That was a few weeks ago but today i searched for an email and I found emails in Gmail were missing from 11/2018 thru 11/2021, three years of emails totally gone, from inbox, from sent mail, from folders..... totally gone. Not in trash, not in archive, nowhere. Not saying MailWasher had anything to do with it but seems odd that it happened right after trying MailWasher. Anyone have any idea what may have happened? Hacked?

Posted: **Wed May 10, 2023 10:53 pm**

The likelihood of losing mails on a Gmail account is extremely slim — especially when using the IMAP protocol. Even when one uses MailWasher to willfully delete messages on the Gmail server . . . it is quite frustrating to find those deleted messages continuing to show in the All Mail folder.

As a general thumb rule . . . it is a recommended practice among Users, to set all e-mail accounts according to the IMAP protocol, (instead of POP3) in MailWasher — however, Gmail is the one and only exception to that rule due to the near impossibility of deleting messages completely from the server (with IMAP) . . . as also already mentioned.

ps:—
Might sound silly — but, guess you have already looked in the Trash and the All Mail folders for your missing mail?

Posted: **Wed May 10, 2023 11:28 pm**

Yes, we have tried everything including Gmail Recovery Tool. Everything is gone. Filed report with Google and they just keep sending the same canned response. I did find IMPA was set to delete off server but not sure why the range 11/2018 thru 11/2021 are the only ones gone. Was also getting quite a few very pornographic spam messages that we getting filtered into my spam folder and I would empty it but now that I found emails missing the spam stopped. Thinking I got hacked but have a very strong password I change regularly and have 2 step verification on so don't see how that happened.

Posted: **Thu May 11, 2023 3:02 am**

As a general thumb rule . . . it is a recommended practice among Users, to set all e-mail accounts according to the IMAP protocol, (instead of POP3) in MailWasher

If you mainly work your email from one computer, POP3 is the way to go. If you frequently work your email from multiple computers or devices AND need to access that email from multiple devices, IMAP is the way to go.

The primary difference between POP3 and IMAP (from the users "viewing" aspect) is when the user deletes the email in MWP with POP3, it deletes the email from the email servers. It can no longer be viewed with that computer or any other device - EXCEPT that is not really true - in most cases. What most email providers REALLY do with POP3 when an email is deleted is they "temporarily" move the deleted email out of the Inbox and in to the Trash/Recycle Bin folder. After the Temporary period has expired (30 days is typical) then it is actually purged from the server. This is important to remember.

When the user deletes the email in MWP with an IMAP account, the email remains on the server and can, therefore, be viewed by other devices (work computer, or cell phones, as examples).

I find IMAP is genuinely a PITA. So all my accounts (gmail and non-gmail) use POP3 in both in MWP and Outlook 2016 (for my "keepers"). That way, they deleted emails don't keep showing up.

"IF" I am away from my primary computer, I can still see all my emails from any other device, as long as I have NOT deleted it with MWP .

If I have already deleted it, because most providers temporarily move that email and don't immediately delete it, I can simply visit the Trash bin on the specific email host and read it, or even recover it and put it back in the applicable Inbox.

One potentially big disadvantage to IMAP is security/privacy. With IMAP, your emails are stored on the servers essentially forever. With POP3 they are deleted (usually after 30 days - or immediately if you manually empty the Trash). Of course, if your system is otherwise compromised, it does not matter what email protocols you are using.

Another "possible" disadvantage to IMAP is, for some people, space. If using a big, major provider like gmail, it is usually no big deal. But if using a small email provider from some of the smaller ISPs or website hosting services, many set limits to how much space you are allocated for emails. Text emails are small. But some attachments can be HUGE!

Should I use imap or pop3?

Posted: **Thu May 11, 2023 5:48 am**

phlyx wrote: ↑
Wed May 10, 2023 11:28 pm
I did find IMPA was set to delete off server but not sure why the range 11/2018 thru 11/2021 are the only ones gone

Long shot, but just wondering if some email client you had installed downloaded and removed those emails from the gmail mail server...? you could check any you have installed for the missing emails....

MW itself cannot delete any emails unless you actually mark for deletion before clicking Wash Mail, OR, have setup auto delete manually within MWPro....

As yes, it wont help now you have uninstalled MW, so this really just FYI, but it displays all mail it deletes in it's own recycle bin, and all those it does not delete also in the bin, but hidden until you click "Show all mail logged"......

Posted: **Thu May 11, 2023 3:31 pm**

Digerati wrote: ↑
Thu May 11, 2023 3:02 am

TrustFire wrote: ↑
Wed May 10, 2023 10:53 pm
As a general thumb rule . . . it is a recommended practice among Users, to set all e-mail accounts according to the IMAP protocol, (instead of POP3) in MailWasher

If you mainly work your email from one computer, POP3 is the way to go. If you frequently work your email from multiple computers or devices AND need to access that email from multiple devices, IMAP is the way to go.

The primary difference between POP3 and IMAP (from the users "viewing" aspect) is when the user deletes the email in MWP with POP3, it deletes the email from the email servers. It can no longer be viewed with that computer or any other device - EXCEPT that is not really true - in most cases. What most email providers REALLY do with POP3 when an email is deleted is they "temporarily" move the deleted email out of the Inbox and in to the Trash/Recycle Bin folder. After the Temporary period has expired (30 days is typical) then it is actually purged from the server. This is important to remember.

When the user deletes the email in MWP with an IMAP account, the email remains on the server and can, therefore, be viewed by other devices (work computer, or cell phones, as examples).

I find IMAP is genuinely a PITA. So all my accounts (gmail and non-gmail) use POP3 in both in MWP and Outlook 2016 (for my "keepers"). That way, they deleted emails don't keep showing up.

"IF" I am away from my primary computer, I can still see all my emails from any other device, as long as I have NOT deleted it with MWP .

If I have already deleted it, because most providers temporarily move that email and don't immediately delete it, I can simply visit the Trash bin on the specific email host and read it, or even recover it and put it back in the applicable Inbox.

One potentially big disadvantage to IMAP is security/privacy. With IMAP, your emails are stored on the servers essentially forever. With POP3 they are deleted (usually after 30 days - or immediately if you manually empty the Trash). Of course, if your system is otherwise compromised, it does not matter what email protocols you are using.

Another "possible" disadvantage to IMAP is, for some people, space. If using a big, major provider like gmail, it is usually no big deal. But if using a small email provider from some of the smaller ISPs or website hosting services, many set limits to how much space you are allocated for emails. Text emails are small. But some attachments can be HUGE!

Should I use imap or pop3?

You've selectively (mis)quoted the wrong person — it's not me . . . who needs these long "lectures."

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