There are ways to prevent this: If you use your mail preferences you can automatically retain a copy of all your mail in your personal filing cabinet (which resides on your hard drive), likewise you can choose to retain a copy of all mail you send the same way.  The only limit is the size you have allocated to your PFC, which is something you can choose under your preferences.  One warning though -AOL4 is nicer in that it permits you to 'save' a folder from your PFC as a file with an extension of PFC this way it keeps your PFC smaller and faster.  I don't think AOL3 as this option. Also you can change how long AOL will keep your read mail in the old mail section of the server - just remember that if you exceed your 500 message limit the previously read mail will be the first to be deleted. Gloria North GNorth@columbus.rr.com -----Original Message----- From: Elaine Maddox [<mailto:elainetm@worldnet.att.net%5D>mailto:elainetm@worldnet.att.net] Sent: Thursday, June 25, 1998 7:05 PM To: GenTips-L@rootsweb.com Subject: Re: not available You are unable to read a message (although it may still be listed in your mailbox) after X-number of days on AOL.  AOL is firm about it and the messages are not available for retrieval.  They are gone.  You may want to ask the AOL techs how many days you have to read the messages.  If it is important to you, I suggest you save it to a file.  Because it will disappear.  This does not happen in Netscape with an ISP.  Good luck. Elaine LMiller865@aol.com wrote: > I have been trying to read msg. from baymin@yahoo.com   re: townships. > I keep getting  " that mail is not currently available"  Does anyone know why > and has anyone else experienced this? > > Researching >  Gilman >  Dodson >  Coffman >  Doebler > All from Williamsport Pa. early 1900s > > lila > > ==== GenTips Mailing List ==== > Support online research! Donate to the RootsWeb Genealogical Project! See more information at: > <http://www.rootsweb.com/>http://www.rootsweb.com ==== GenTips Mailing List ==== Support online research! Donate to the RootsWeb Genealogical Project! See more information at: <http://www.rootsweb.com/>http://www.rootsweb.com