You're welcome & I'm glad you got your messages back.

Note that no folder is reduced in size until you compact your folders. Move
a message from the Inbox to another folder, the Inbox is still the same size
until you compact. Same if you empty Deleted items. The dbx file remains the
same size until you compact. Many view it as a PITA, and it is, but it is
necessary.

Why does OE insist on compacting folders when I close it?:
http://www.insideoe.com/faqs/why.htm#compact

Why Mail Disappears:
http://www.insideoe.com/problems/bugs.htm#mailgone

About File Corruption:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/...orruption.mspx

--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"Loretta" wrote in message
...
thanks very much. This worked and I have everything back. I noticed that
for some reason even though the deleted items in OE was empty in the store
folder the size was very large. I'll have to make sure that the deleted
stays empty in size. Thanks again

"Loretta" wrote:

Lost all the email folders in outlook express. tried to get them back
with
the import but was unable to. I found all the folders that I am missing
in
the recycle bin marked as a .BAK when I do a restore they move back to
the
original folder and stay as a .BAK. I tried renaming them to a .dbx in
hopes
that they can be imported - but I get "No messages can be found in this
folder or another application is running that has required files open"

Can anyone help me get thes back?