You will always have a dbx file in the message store and you can't have two
with the same name. That is why I said to drag the dbx file out to the
Desktop, and then rename the bak file to dbx. It this succeeds, then you can
delete the dbx file on the desktop.
If I may ask, why does your boss archive messages in a garbage pail?
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.
Backup & Resto
http://www.insideoutlookexpress.com/backup/
This is a great two click program:
Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB)
http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA
"Sarah" wrote in message
...
Ok just one quick question. I am trying to restore Deleted Items.bak file,
but I also have Deleted Items.dbx in the same location both exactly the
same
size. So how id renaming the bak file going to work.
Should I be starting a new thread already?
Cheers,
Sarah
"Sarah" wrote:
Thanks Bruce and sorry for posting here. Forgive me I am new at this.
Totally
agree with you regarding the use of this email program, but boss is set
in
his ways!!!
Hope this works. Although it seems boss thinks he did it. 
Cheers,
Sarah
"Bruce Hagen" wrote:
It is always best to start your own thread.
Do you have bak files already in the message store? This is not
supposed to
be, but it has started to be reported. Do this for any file needed, but
I
will just use one for an example.
For the Inbox. Close OE. Drag the Inbox.dbx file out of the message
store to
the desktop. Rename the Inbox.bak file to Inbox.dbx. Open OE and the
Inbox
should be back to normal.
If you have bak files for folders that are missing, in OE, create a
folder
with the same name. Eg: If you have a bak file for a user created
folder
named My Mail, create a My Mail folder in OE. Close OE and in the
message
store, rename My Mail.bak to My Mail.dbx. Open OE and that should be
fixed.
OE is far from a great e-mail client. I would expect people with a
business
to use a better program, but whether you use OE for home, or work, it
should
be backed up daily. There are many reasons that messages can be lost.
To avoide this in the futu
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.
Backup & Resto
http://www.insideoutlookexpress.com/backup/
This is a great two click program:
Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB)
http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA
"Sarah" wrote in message
...
Hi Bruce,
OE decided to compact my messages at work yesterday and I know my
boss
will
freak when he realises they are not there. I have found where the
messages
are hiding, but it is located in the same folder as the main dbx
files are
and not the recycle bin. How can I restore it from there without
killing
my
boss' computer?
Cheers,
Sarah
"Jack B" wrote:
Ok, thanks again.
Jack
----------------------------
"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
You can. There are a number of ways to backup. I just like this
program
because it backs up quick and restores quick. And that includes
Blocked
Senders, Message Rules and the Address Book.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA
"Jack B" wrote in message
...
Bruce,
"I backup OE daily
with this.
This freeware tool backs up everything in OE in seconds. Disregard
what
is
written in red. That is referring to a different program.
Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB):
http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx"
But why not just back it up by copying to another folder or HD?
Jack
-----------------------------------
"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
Crazy, but a friend just e-maid me and there has been a few
instances
of a
bak file ending up in the message store. One possibility mentioned
was
if
the compacting stopped using Task Manager or possibly just pulling
the
plug,
but apparently it can happen. Not sure why, and certainly don't
depend
on
it.
Even if it proves redundant, it never hurts to be safe. I backup
OE
daily
with this.
This freeware tool backs up everything in OE in seconds. Disregard
what
is
written in red. That is referring to a different program.
Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB):
http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA
"Jack B" wrote in message
...
Bruce,
"but Sent 2007.bak did not get into the message store by
itself"
But it did -- that is, it was there already, that is, when I
first
discovered that my Sent 2007 folder was empty:
Upon checking Identities, I see there is a small Sent 2007.dbx
file
and
a
large Sent 2007.bak file. Apparently, my lost msgs are in the
Sent
2007.bak
Also, I may have left out a step I did -- somewhere in the
process, if
not
mistaken, I created a new Sent 2007 folder in OE.
Jack
------------------------------------
"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
I'm glad it worked, but Sent 2007.bak did not get into the
message
store
by
itself. Someone had to click Restore in the RB to get it there.
Deleting
the
dbx file and then changing the bak file to dbx is fine. I only
suggest
dragging it out in case renaming the bak file fails in some way.
At
least
then you still have the option of using a recovery tool should it
come
to
that.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA
"Jack B" wrote in message
...
Bruce,
Thanks.
My situation was a little different than any of those
alternatives.
I discovered that I had a Sent 2007.bak in the Recycle Bin but
it was
about
a month old. So, I deleted the Recycle Bin.
Then I deleted Sent 2007 in OE. Closed OE. Used Windows
Explore and
deleted Sent 2007.dbx and then changed the file name of Sent
2007.bak
to
Sent 2007.dbx.
I held my breath, and it all worked ok.
Jack
------------------------
"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
All e-mail items may be missing when you start Outlook Express 6
Service
Pack 1:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918069
To restore a bak folder to the message store folder, first
locate the
Message Store in Windows Explorer.
In OE: 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, the dbx files 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.
In Windows Explorer, click on the dbx file for the missing, or
empty,
folder
and drag it to the Desktop. It can be deleted later once you
have
successfully restored the bak file. Minimize the Message Store.
Open OE and, if the folder is missing, create a folder with the
*exact*
same
name as the bak file you want to restore but without the .bak.
Eg: If
the
file is Saved.bak, the new folder should be named Saved. Open
the new
folder
and then close OE. If the folder is there, but just empty,
continue
on
to
the next step.
Open the Recycle bin and right click on the bak file for the
folder
in
question and click Restore. Open the Message Store back up and
change
the
file extension from .bak to .dbx. Close the Message Store and
open
OE.
The
messages should now be back in the folder.
If the messages are successfully restored, you can go ahead and
delete
the
old dbx file that you moved to the Desktop.
*********************************************
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