You cannot open and read dbx files. You have to get them back into OE. Are
they in your current message store? The do the following for each folder one
at a time.

In Windows Explorer, click on the dbx file for the missing folder and drag
it to the Desktop. Open OE and create a folder with the *exact* same name as
the one on your desktop. Open the new folder and then close OE. Go back to
Windows Explorer and Click Desktop and drag the file from the Desktop to the
OE store folder that you clicked on to reveal the .dbx files. Prompt - "Do
you want to overwrite......."? Click Yes.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA

"Irisheyes" wrote in message
...
I found the folders but I cannot tell if it has the information that I am
looking for as I re-created a number of the subfiles that disappeared. If
I
click on the icon for the dbx file it will not open. At first it told me
the
computer did not have the program that was used to create the file.

What am I doing wrong?

Irisheyes

"Bruce Hagen" wrote:

If the dbx file is not in the store folder, then you are out of luck.
Your
problem is different than most others because the dbx file normally
remains
in the store folder if the OE folder is deleted or disappears. Make sure
you
are looking in the store folder for the correct identity.

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.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA

"Tarheelsfan" wrote in message
...
I have a sub folder under the Inbox in OE that has suddenly disappeared
with
all the stored files in it. I just noticed it, so I had to have
happened
within the last week. I did not delete it and can see by postings that
this
has happened to other people. I looked in the "store" folder and the
name
of
my sub folder is not there. It is not in the deleted items or the
trash
can.
What can I do? Please help. This has some very important docs in it
that
I really don't want to lose. Thanks.