Make sure no programs are running including OE when you delete the dbx file,
and then reboot before you open OE.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS MVP - Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"Shirley" wrote in message
4.196...
I turned off my system before it completed the shutdown process. Now the
Deleted Items folder is gone from Outlook Express and I can't delete any
messages.

I deleted the .dbx file and re-opened OE but it did not create a new
Deleted Items folder. Is re-installing OE the only solution? If so, how
do I back up the existing folders and my message rules so I don't have to
recreate them?

Thanks for any suggestions.