If you have any messages in Deleted Items you want to save, move them to
another folder and then delete Deleted Items.dbx.

Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder will reveal the location of
your Outlook Express files. Press the Tab key to highlight the folder
location, then Ctrl+C. Close OE, then Start | Run | Ctrl+V will put the
location in the box - Click OK and you'll see the OE files. Otherwise, write
the location down and navigate to it in Windows Explorer.

In WinXP, Win2K & Win2K3, the OE user files (DBX and WAB) are by default
marked as hidden. To view these files in Windows Explorer, you must enable
Show Hidden Files and Folders under Start | Control Panel | Folder Options
Icon | View, or in Windows Explorer | Tools | Folder Options | View.

With OE closed, find the DBX file for the folder in question {Deleted
Items.dbx} and delete it. A new one will be created automatically when you
open OE.

General precautions for Outlook Express:

Do not archive mail in default OE folders. They will eventually become
corrupt. Create your own user defined folders for storing mail and move your
mail to them. Empty Deleted Items folder regularly. Keep user created
folders under 100MB, and Default folders as empty as is feasible.

After you are done, follow up by compacting your folders manually while
working *offline* and do it often.

Click on Outlook Express at the top of the folder tree so no folders are
open. Then: File | Work Offline (or double click Working Online in the
Status Bar). File | Folder | Compact all folders. Don't touch anything until
the compacting is completed.

Turn off e-mail scanning in your anti-virus program. It is a redundant layer
of protection that eats up CPUs and causes a multitude of problems such as
time-outs and account setting changes. Your up-to-date A/V program will
continue to protect you sufficiently. For more, see:
http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3

In Tools | Options | Maintenance: Uncheck Compact messages in background and
leave it unchecked. {N/A if running XP/SP2}.

And backup often.

Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB):
http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"Tom Brown" wrote in message
...
On my wife's XP machine, with OE, there are some messages that she can't
delete. This is a relatively new characteristic. I don't know when it
started but it has not always been that way. Some messages are ok
(normal), but many are not.

If she focuses (highlights) on a message, she can't click the DEL key, the
red X, right-click/delete or any other method of getting rid of the
message. She also cannot DRAG it to any other folder or COPY/PASTE. When
she tired that she gets an error dialogue box that says "The selected
message(s) could not be moved. An error has occured."

But, if she does a Shift/Del, it does permanently get rid of the message.
That is not always suitable as she might like to Undelete some messages in
the future. She has XP SP2 and OE Version 6.00.2900.2180

Any help will be appreciated.

Tom