deleted identities - help
 

Please see my original query at the bottom of this message. Then you can see
the solution that Dguess MVP offered. It's not working for me so I thought I
should go into more detail about my issue.

I mistakenly changed my identity when I was changing my mail server. First,
I was in Outlook Express and in the file menu I went to manage Identities.
Then I deleted my Identity. This also deleted the email and address book of
another user on the same computer. Then I went back to manage identities. I
set up the new identity with the same name as I had before. After I put in
the new mail server info and started up again, the Outlook Express started
completely fresh with no history for either user.

I did then follow the protocol to locate the .dbx files. In my lost
identity, I had created several subfolders in my inbox. None of those
subfolders nor the dates I created them came up in the search. I also didn't
see anything related to our address books. I did find some old .dbx files
that I didn't need. I also found the .dbx files that were just set up for
the new identity. I did make sure to show all hidden folders in the search.

I decided to experiment with one of the .dbx folders I found. When I tried
to import into OE, after I specified the folder location, it gave an error
that there was nothing in the folder to acquire (even though I see a .dbx
file that is 18,000kb when I go back to look.)

Any ideas?

Dguess MVP offered the following solution, but it's not happening.

If all you did was delete the Identity, then the messages are still there on
the hard drive. OE does not delete the message stores (intentionally).

Tools | Options | Maintenance tab
Press the Store Folders button.
Note the location of the current Identity's message stores (DBX files).
Press OK to back out of all that.

Now, if you don't have the files visible, you'll have to unhide them. If
they already are, skip this part.
Open Windows Explorer.
Tools | Folder Options | Views tab
Select "Show all files and folders"
Uncheck "Hide file extensions for known file types"
Press APLLY then OK


Now, search for Inbox.dbx

This search should show more than one folder with a Inbox.dbx file in it.

From the Store Folders dialog, find the Inbox.dbx file that was shown in the
current Identity's store folder.

Any other Inbox.dbx file will be the ones from any deleted Identity. Now,
make a note of the folder they are in as these are the ones you will import
into the current Identity or a new one.

If you want them in the current Identity:

File | Import | Messages | Microsoft Outlook Express 6
Select "Import mail from an OE6 store directory"
Press OK
Now press BROWSE and navigate to the folder you found above that was the
deleted Identity.
Select it to highlight it then press OK

Finish up the import.


If you want them in another Identity, create it, then do the import from
above.





"cal" wrote in message
...
I mistakenly deleted my outlook express identities when I changed my mail
server.
After deleting, I added a new identity with the same name as the old one.
Now I am hoping to recover my old identity (emails and address book). It
is
not listed in my Norton protected recycle bin. I never made any back
ups.
I used the search funtion to look for DBX files but didn't see my
organized mail folders (except the new one). Is there anything I can do
to recover the data?

--
dmcc

Was this post


--
dmcc

deleted identities - help
 

If you want to view the contents of a dbx file, follow the instructions for
Single Folder:
http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/backup/partial.htm
--
Ron Sommer


"cal" wrote in message
...
Please see my original query at the bottom of this message. Then you can
see
the solution that Dguess MVP offered. It's not working for me so I
thought I
should go into more detail about my issue.

I mistakenly changed my identity when I was changing my mail server.
First,
I was in Outlook Express and in the file menu I went to manage Identities.
Then I deleted my Identity. This also deleted the email and address book
of
another user on the same computer. Then I went back to manage identities.
I
set up the new identity with the same name as I had before. After I put
in
the new mail server info and started up again, the Outlook Express started
completely fresh with no history for either user.

I did then follow the protocol to locate the .dbx files. In my lost
identity, I had created several subfolders in my inbox. None of those
subfolders nor the dates I created them came up in the search. I also
didn't
see anything related to our address books. I did find some old .dbx files
that I didn't need. I also found the .dbx files that were just set up for
the new identity. I did make sure to show all hidden folders in the
search.

I decided to experiment with one of the .dbx folders I found. When I
tried
to import into OE, after I specified the folder location, it gave an error
that there was nothing in the folder to acquire (even though I see a .dbx
file that is 18,000kb when I go back to look.)

Any ideas?

Dguess MVP offered the following solution, but it's not happening.

If all you did was delete the Identity, then the messages are still there
on
the hard drive. OE does not delete the message stores (intentionally).

Tools | Options | Maintenance tab
Press the Store Folders button.
Note the location of the current Identity's message stores (DBX files).
Press OK to back out of all that.

Now, if you don't have the files visible, you'll have to unhide them. If
they already are, skip this part.
Open Windows Explorer.
Tools | Folder Options | Views tab
Select "Show all files and folders"
Uncheck "Hide file extensions for known file types"
Press APLLY then OK


Now, search for Inbox.dbx

This search should show more than one folder with a Inbox.dbx file in it.

From the Store Folders dialog, find the Inbox.dbx file that was shown in
the
current Identity's store folder.

Any other Inbox.dbx file will be the ones from any deleted Identity. Now,
make a note of the folder they are in as these are the ones you will
import
into the current Identity or a new one.

If you want them in the current Identity:

File | Import | Messages | Microsoft Outlook Express 6
Select "Import mail from an OE6 store directory"
Press OK
Now press BROWSE and navigate to the folder you found above that was the
deleted Identity.
Select it to highlight it then press OK

Finish up the import.


If you want them in another Identity, create it, then do the import from
above.





"cal" wrote in message
...
I mistakenly deleted my outlook express identities when I changed my mail
server.
After deleting, I added a new identity with the same name as the old
one.
Now I am hoping to recover my old identity (emails and address book).
It
is
not listed in my Norton protected recycle bin. I never made any back
ups.
I used the search funtion to look for DBX files but didn't see my
organized mail folders (except the new one). Is there anything I can do
to recover the data?

--
dmcc

Was this post


--
dmcc