Assuming it's a WinXP SP2 or SP3 computer...

In WindowsXP, the OE user files (DBX and WAB) are marked as hidden by
default. To view these files in Windows Explorer, you must enable Show
Hidden Files and Folders via Start | Control Panel | Folder Options | View
(cf. http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tuto...torial62.html).

Why messages go missing:

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 section; Please note that you do NOT need to install KB923694 or
KB918766 if the computer is fully-patched at Windows Update!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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


Helen wrote:
I have a problem...

I have an elderly friend who has an aged computer and is not likely to
update as it mostly works fine so dont expect top performance from this
computer.

Yesterday I was helping her set up her new broadband service all went
well.

We then popped Gmail account and all the emails went to OE6 - they were
there and fine.

Did a few other things and then went back to OE to read email - it kept
saying the disc or memory was full and then a standard msg about unable to
initiate a .dll. Disc capacity is 50% and RAM is probably either 512K or
1M
(forgot to check)

I then did a search for the *.dbx files and tried to import to Outlook -
all
went well but nothing came in since 2003 - anything after that was
missing.
Same for Windows Live - nothing after 2003. (seems to me there must be
another OE Store file somewhere)

I have searched high and low for different Identity folders with *.dbx
files
in them. I could only find one lot and I have copied them to a disc and
come
home to try and import them with later programs - same thing nothing after
2003.

2 Questions
Am I looking for the wrong file extensions?

Is there a was of reinstalling OE6 so that it is repaired?

Helen