Any bak files in the Recycle Bin or message store? If not:

Close OE. Drag the Inbox.dbx file out of the message store to the Desktop
and rename it Temp.dbx.

Open OE and you will have a new and empty Inbox.

Create a folder and name it Temp. Open the new folder and then close OE.
(You must do this). 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 Temp.dbx 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 does not get the messages back you will need a tool. Take your pick,
but I would go with DBXpress as the others are very slow and not as
resourceful. If you have compacted since moving the Inbox, then that is the
only tool that will work.

General precautions for Outlook Express:

Do not archive mail in the Inbox or Sent Items. Create your own user defined
folders and move the messages you wish to save to them. Empty Deleted Items
folder daily.

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 Freeware)
http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"JR Mack" wrote in message
...
I recently had a computer reformatted. I copied all of the files from the
Store Folder and pasted them back after the computer was reformatted. All
of the files were then accessible except the Inbox.dbx. It is a 170mb (the
user did not delete may of his messages) file and I can't figure out how to
get to these messages. I have tried creating a file - accessing the
file -- deleting the file -- and then renaming the the inbox file to match
the deleted file. This did not work. Is there a way of determining if
this file is corrupt and fixing it? As I mentioned there were several
files that were fine. It was just the Inbox.dbx.