You're welcome, and thankfully for you it was a false alarm.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"StringerBell" wrote in message
...
Once again,
thanks for your help. the answer is simply that I`m a total idiot. Somehow
"Hide Read Messages" was chosen in the VIEW options.
I dont remember doing it, but I probably did. Sorry `bout the false
alarm.
"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
View | Current View. Is Show All Messages checked and nothing else?

Note also that space used is not reclaimed when you delete or move a
message until you compact. So you could have an Inbox that appears empty,
but is actually hundreds of MBs in size. Check the Inbox.dbx size in the
message store.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"StringerBell" wrote in message
...
Thanks for your reply,

but there is no bloat. There are currently no messages in my
Inbox. I started noticing the depletion on tuesday. This morning there
were about 17 messages in the Inbox and just shrunk until they were all
gone. Lost some important stuff too.

Very weird--
so if you have any ideas...........
"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
More likely, your Inbox is bloated. Move all messages you want to save
to a local folder you create and then Delete Inbox.dbx and follow with
a Compact All Folders.

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
{Inbox.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
Imperial Beach, CA


"StringerBell" wrote in message
...
Hi,

I must have some sort of Virus. for the last few days , everytime I
opened OE, I lost a few emails from my inbox . I didnt notice until it
was way too late. How can I fix this? Can I retrieve the lost emails?

happy thanksgiving