I used to back up OE by accessing the store folder in Documents and Settings
and Right Click | Send To | My Documents and back up everything there.
Essentially, this is what you did, but in my case it was only temporary, and
you can get your messages back this way.

Nothing else will be saved, such as Rules, for instance. To back up
everything, see these links.

Backup & Resto

http://www.insideoutlookexpress.com/backup/

http://www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx

Backing up and Cloning your OE Identities:
http://www.insideoutlookexpress.com/backup/clone.htm
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"jaygreg" wrote in message
...
That's what I expected... lost. And you're right, Bruce. There's really
nothing there of significant value. But your comment sparks another
question: Unless you physically save messages to an OE user created
folder and back it
up, a re-install will remove everything.

I read how to change the location of that Folders.dbx and did so. I moved
it from the Windows directory and put it in a folder located at My
Documents | My Files | Program Critical Files | Outlook Express. My
intention is to rotinely back up the My Documents directory. Assuming
another forced reformat in the future, will this enable me to reinstall
OE, point the program to this file, and continue where I left off? I'm not
sure I saw anything that works like Outlook where I can simply set the
program to point to another location for a .pst file but maybe I'm wrong.
If there's another step I should be taking - like exporting or using some
backup routine for OE rather than just changing the location to a user
created folder - please fill me in.

Thanks for your help.

"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
Even if you could get the old Folders.dbx back, it would not contain
anything of use.

OE only mirrors what is on the server for Hotmail and newsgroups. You
will have to set them both back up and re-download messages from each.

Unless you physically save messages to an OE user created folder and back
it up, a re-install will remove everything.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"jaygreg" wrote in message
...
This concerns recoving mail folders and messages, local IMAP and Hotmail
folders and messages, and all of your subscribed newsgroups and messages
from an image file (Acronis) taken after a hard drive infection. The
machine
has been scrubbed, reformated, and Windows XP Professional installed.
Outlook 2003 was the main email software but Hotmail and forum messages
were
read and stored in OE6.

I just read a brief overview of the file system (
http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/files....htm#userfiles ) but can't
determine if it's possible to surgically remove a copy of that
folder.dbx
from the image file, paste it to a different location, and somehow get
OE6
to read it. Frankly... I think I'm just out off luck. Would appreciate
comments from someone with more insite on these OE files.