Why it happens:

http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/probl...s.htm#mailgone
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/...orruption.mspx

Recovering the missing data: http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx (#2 and #4)
and http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=918069 (see Notes section under
Resolution)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DBXpress (faster, more powerful, with even greater functionality than
DBXtract)
http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Avoiding Such Corruption in Futu

- Don't use Inbox or Sent Items to archive messages. Move them to local
folders created for this purpose.

- Empty Deleted Items folder daily.

- Frequently perform a manual compact of all OE folders while "working
offline". More at http://www.insideoe.com/files/maintain.htm

- Do not cancel Automatic Compacting, should it occur, and do not attempt to
close OE via Task Manager or shutdown your machine if Automatic Compacting
is taking place.

- Disable email scanning by your anti-virus application. It can cause
corruption (i.e., loss of messages) and provides no additional protection:

Why you don't need your anti-virus to scan your email
http://thundercloud.net/infoave/tuto...ning/index.htm
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002

Pete Harris wrote:
I have been reading some of the posts that already exist in this group and
am now aware of some of the problems that can occur when compacting. Some
of the solutions are a bit over my head therefore anyone who is kind
enough
to answer this please bare this in mind.

Recently I was prompted to "Compact" my emails / Folders in Outlook
Express
6. Afterwards I experienced the following problems.

1) My sub folders all became main folders under the local folders.
2) Some folders are missing from the local folders list, however they do
appear to exist as .dbx files.
3) All of my recent emails in my "Sent Items" folder are missing.
4) My link to this discussion group (Outlook Express 6) has disappeared.

Can anyone explain why these problems have occurred and more importantly
how
can I overcome them? I have used a "System Restore" to a point before I
compacted when everything was ok, but this did not help.