You lost the messages because you allowed the Inbox become too large. Try
this first. If it doesn't work, you will need a retrieval tool.

The Inbox.dbx(1) is the new one. leave that alone for now. The Inbox.dbx
that is large is your old one with the missing messages. From the message
store, drag Inbox.dbx to the Desktop and change the name to Saved Mail.dbx.

Open OE and create a folder with the *exact* same name as the one on the
Desktop, (Saved Mail). Open the new folder and then close OE. Go to Windows
Explorer and locate the Message Store folder for your OE identity, but don't
open it. Click on the Desktop and drag the file from the Desktop in the
right hand pane to the OE store folder in the left pane. Prompt - "Do you
want to overwrite......."? Click Yes.

If that restores the messages to the new folder, create more folders and
move messages to them so they are not much more than 100MB each. Compact all
folders when you're done.

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


"Jim Wood" wrote in message
...
OE6 opened this morning with no messages in the Inbox; there should have
been
nearly a year's worth. New messages began to arrive and they are being
saved,
but where are the old ones? I can locate these files: Inbox.dbx,
Inbox.bak and Inbox (1).dbx. The first two are huge, the Inbox (1).dbx
is
small and growing. How can I merge the new one (1)? with either the old
or
backup box, and why doesn't OE6 find the old inbox, I wonder?

ALSO... I note that there are multiple Search Folder.dbx files. Are these
simply the mail searches I have made in the past, and can these files
simply
be deleted?