You will have to do this for each folder.

First, make sure it isn't in Deleted Items. If not, see if the dbx file for
the folder still exists in the message store and manually restore it as
follows.

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 Explorer, you must enable Show
Hidden Files and Folders under Start | Control Panel | Folder Options |
View.

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, (not opened), that you clicked on to reveal the .dbx files.
Prompt - "Do you want to overwrite......."? Click Yes.

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


"TOMR" wrote in message
...
My wife and I share the same OE6 program and both store old e-mails in
various folders. Recently, all of my wife's stored e-mails have
disappeared.
None of mine seem to be missing, but all of her folders are empty. Doing
a
search for *.dbx shows all of the entries for her specific folders, and
the
entries seem to be the right size for having stored e-mail messages.
BUT...I
can't get the messages back. Any suggestions?