RALEIGH, N.C.  – North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue has replaced an order signed by her predecessor that clarifies how and when e-mails in executive-branch agencies should be preserved.

The executive order announced Wednesday largely follows the order released by Gov. Mike Easley the day before he left office in January.

Perdue says employees can’t delete e-mails they send or receive for at least 24 hours except for junk mail so that they can be stored for at least 10 years. The state’s information technology office also will purchase an archive system so messages can be retrieved more easily.

Easley’s executive order came months after several media outlets sued him and his administration, accusing them of systematically destroying e-mails. Easley said such deletions didn’t occur.