Try working offline and see if you can move all the other messages you wish
to save to a local folder you create. Then:

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 Windows XP, 2K & 3K, 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 |
View.

With OE closed, find the DBX file for the folder in question {Inbox.dbx} and
delete it. A new, empty one will be created automatically when you open OE.

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: FileWork Offline (or double click Working Online in the Status
Bar). File | Folder | Compact all folders. Don't touch anything until the
compacting is completed.

In Tools | Options | Maintenance: Uncheck Compact messages in background and
leave it unchecked. {N/A if running XP/SP2}.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS MVP - Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"Jill" wrote in message
...
I have narrowed it down to two emails that must be corrupt. These are both
at
the bottom of the inbox. When I start OE it therefore "lands" on the
corrupt
email and crashes. I have to find a way to delete these two emails but it
seems impossible!