The bak files are created when you compact. This is a backup /just in case/
something happens when you compact.

Delete all unused dbx files in the store folder.

Empty the Recycle Bin.

Now compact your folders. you should get one copy of each dbx file in the RB
as a bak file, and no new, or old dbx files should appear in the message
store.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"donna" wrote in message
...
now I am confused. I only deleted mail folders in OE6; I never deleted the
corresponding dbx files in the store folder. This was the basis for my
initial question. So based on the recommendation, I opened OE6 1st to
compact all mail folders before deleting the empty dbx files in the store
folder. However, 1) when I looked in the Recycle Bin, there were new bak
files for all the folders I had deleted yesterday that are not listed in
OE6 under folders. And 2)a mail folder I had renamed yesterday from
"typesetter" to "Copeland" was now listed in OE6 back to "typesetter"
although there both a "copeland" and "typesetter" bak file in the Recycle
Bin. Previous to all this the Recyle Bin was completely empty.

"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
When you deleted the dbx file, was OE closed? It won't delete permanently
if OE is open. Close OE and delete any unused dbx files. Restart your
computer and check that all is well in your OE folders. If it is, compact
again and recheck the message store.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"donna" wrote in message
...
Thanks. But I compacted all the folders and something odd happened. A
mail folder that I had renamed reappeared with the old name in OE. When
I checked the backup files in the Recycle Bin, not only is a bak file
there with the new name, there is also a bak file with the old name
neither of which was there prior to the file compact process. What is
this about?

"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
When you move messages to a new folder, and delete the old one, it will
still show a dbx file for the deleted one. You can safely delete it
from the store folder.

The reason it shows some size is because when you delete, or move
messages, the space they took up is not recovered until you compact
your folders.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"donna" wrote in message
...
I have an archive folder section in OE6 and had created a subgroup off
of this with 4 mail folders. I wanted the 4 mail folders to be part of
the main group. So I created new folders under the main group with
slightly different names. I copied and pasted all the messages from the
subgroup into these new folders. I then deleted the empty folders from
OE6. However, when I went into the store folder on C drive, the deleted
folders were still listed as dbx files??? Why is this and what can I do
about it because when I click on the properties of the deleted dbx
files, it suggests they still have the data in them?

Thanks.