Sorry if this has been discussed, I've searched for answers without success.
The problem - Outlook Express does a cleanup/compact routine every so often
which does whatever it does whenever it does and I haven't paid much
attention to it because I assume it truncates old messages. But today after
a cleanup, all my messages from June 25 until today are GONE.
Unbelievable!!! If this process isn't so darn annoying in itself, it now
deletes new messages??? Anyway, I know where the .dbx folder is for my
identity, but don't know if this is any help. My question is - how do I
retrieve these messages? Also, is there a way to stop this extremely
annoying task of automatic cleanup? Thanks in advance.

The two most common reasons for what you describe is disruption of the
compacting process, (never touch anything until it's finished), and bloated
folders. More on that below.

Why does OE insist on compacting folders when I close it?:
http://www.insideoe.com/faqs/why.htm#compact

Why Mail Disappears:
http://www.insideoe.com/problems/bugs.htm#mailgone

About File Corruption:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/...orruption.mspx

Recovery tools:

If you are using a fully patched version of XP/SP2, see:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918069/en-us

If not:

DBXpress run in Disk Mode is the best chance to recover messages:
http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx

And see:
http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#4

A general warning if you don't want to lose your messages in the futu

Do not archive mail in default OE folders. They will eventually become
corrupted. 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.

And backup often.

Backup and Resto

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

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

http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx
--
Bruce Hagen
MS MVP - Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"G. Silber" wrote in message
. ..
Sorry if this has been discussed, I've searched for answers without
success. The problem - Outlook Express does a cleanup/compact routine
every so often which does whatever it does whenever it does and I haven't
paid much attention to it because I assume it truncates old messages. But
today after a cleanup, all my messages from June 25 until today are GONE.
Unbelievable!!! If this process isn't so darn annoying in itself, it now
deletes new messages??? Anyway, I know where the .dbx folder is for my
identity, but don't know if this is any help. My question is - how do I
retrieve these messages? Also, is there a way to stop this extremely
annoying task of automatic cleanup? Thanks in advance.

There is a patch that addresses this issue. See
www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#2

Also see point 4 for message recovery techniques. Your only recourse may be
the extract from disk feature of DBXpress.

steve

"G. Silber" wrote in message
. ..
Sorry if this has been discussed, I've searched for answers without
success. The problem - Outlook Express does a cleanup/compact routine
every so often which does whatever it does whenever it does and I haven't
paid much attention to it because I assume it truncates old messages. But
today after a cleanup, all my messages from June 25 until today are GONE.
Unbelievable!!! If this process isn't so darn annoying in itself, it now
deletes new messages??? Anyway, I know where the .dbx folder is for my
identity, but don't know if this is any help. My question is - how do I
retrieve these messages? Also, is there a way to stop this extremely
annoying task of automatic cleanup? Thanks in advance.

I found a program called OE Mail Recovery, and what it did was extract all
known .dbx files into it's email form. Unfortunately my deleted e-mails by
the cleanup/compression utility were not in any folders that the program
uncovered. Does dbexpress or dbextract work the same? At this point I may
just consider it a loss and download the patch which backs up deleted files
by the utility. I also know how to reset the utility counter back to zero in
the registry so the next time the program wants to run, I will cancel and
then reset the counter.

"Steve Cochran" wrote in message
...
There is a patch that addresses this issue. See
www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#2

Also see point 4 for message recovery techniques. Your only recourse may
be the extract from disk feature of DBXpress.

steve

"G. Silber" wrote in message
. ..
Sorry if this has been discussed, I've searched for answers without
success. The problem - Outlook Express does a cleanup/compact routine
every so often which does whatever it does whenever it does and I haven't
paid much attention to it because I assume it truncates old messages. But
today after a cleanup, all my messages from June 25 until today are GONE.
Unbelievable!!! If this process isn't so darn annoying in itself, it now
deletes new messages??? Anyway, I know where the .dbx folder is for my
identity, but don't know if this is any help. My question is - how do I
retrieve these messages? Also, is there a way to stop this extremely
annoying task of automatic cleanup? Thanks in advance.

DBXpress run in Disk Mode is the best chance to recover messages:
http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx

AFAIK, it is the only program that can read from your HDD rather than the
dbx file, which is needed after compacting has been done.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS MVP - Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"G. Silber" wrote in message
. ..
I found a program called OE Mail Recovery, and what it did was extract all
known .dbx files into it's email form. Unfortunately my deleted e-mails by
the cleanup/compression utility were not in any folders that the program
uncovered. Does dbexpress or dbextract work the same? At this point I may
just consider it a loss and download the patch which backs up deleted files
by the utility. I also know how to reset the utility counter back to zero
in the registry so the next time the program wants to run, I will cancel
and then reset the counter.

"Steve Cochran" wrote in message
...
There is a patch that addresses this issue. See
www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#2

Also see point 4 for message recovery techniques. Your only recourse may
be the extract from disk feature of DBXpress.

steve

"G. Silber" wrote in message
. ..
Sorry if this has been discussed, I've searched for answers without
success. The problem - Outlook Express does a cleanup/compact routine
every so often which does whatever it does whenever it does and I
haven't paid much attention to it because I assume it truncates old
messages. But today after a cleanup, all my messages from June 25 until
today are GONE. Unbelievable!!! If this process isn't so darn annoying
in itself, it now deletes new messages??? Anyway, I know where the .dbx
folder is for my identity, but don't know if this is any help. My
question is - how do I retrieve these messages? Also, is there a way to
stop this extremely annoying task of automatic cleanup? Thanks in
advance.

I'd like to use dbexpress but don't want to pay $25 with the possibility I
may not be able to recover the messages. Sounds like the way to go, and do
appreciate your replies. Thanks!


"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
DBXpress run in Disk Mode is the best chance to recover messages:
http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx

AFAIK, it is the only program that can read from your HDD rather than the
dbx file, which is needed after compacting has been done.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS MVP - Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"G. Silber" wrote in message
. ..
I found a program called OE Mail Recovery, and what it did was extract all
known .dbx files into it's email form. Unfortunately my deleted e-mails by
the cleanup/compression utility were not in any folders that the program
uncovered. Does dbexpress or dbextract work the same? At this point I may
just consider it a loss and download the patch which backs up deleted
files by the utility. I also know how to reset the utility counter back to
zero in the registry so the next time the program wants to run, I will
cancel and then reset the counter.

"Steve Cochran" wrote in message
...
There is a patch that addresses this issue. See
www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#2

Also see point 4 for message recovery techniques. Your only recourse
may be the extract from disk feature of DBXpress.

steve

"G. Silber" wrote in message
. ..
Sorry if this has been discussed, I've searched for answers without
success. The problem - Outlook Express does a cleanup/compact routine
every so often which does whatever it does whenever it does and I
haven't paid much attention to it because I assume it truncates old
messages. But today after a cleanup, all my messages from June 25 until
today are GONE. Unbelievable!!! If this process isn't so darn annoying
in itself, it now deletes new messages??? Anyway, I know where the .dbx
folder is for my identity, but don't know if this is any help. My
question is - how do I retrieve these messages? Also, is there a way to
stop this extremely annoying task of automatic cleanup? Thanks in
advance.

Sorry, but I'm just one individual trying to make a living, and I can't
afford to give the program away or conditionally sell it.

It is the only program that has a chance of recovering the messages.

steve

"G. Silber" wrote in message
...
I'd like to use dbexpress but don't want to pay $25 with the possibility I
may not be able to recover the messages. Sounds like the way to go, and do
appreciate your replies. Thanks!


"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
DBXpress run in Disk Mode is the best chance to recover messages:
http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx

AFAIK, it is the only program that can read from your HDD rather than the
dbx file, which is needed after compacting has been done.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS MVP - Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"G. Silber" wrote in message
. ..
I found a program called OE Mail Recovery, and what it did was extract
all known .dbx files into it's email form. Unfortunately my deleted
e-mails by the cleanup/compression utility were not in any folders that
the program uncovered. Does dbexpress or dbextract work the same? At this
point I may just consider it a loss and download the patch which backs up
deleted files by the utility. I also know how to reset the utility
counter back to zero in the registry so the next time the program wants
to run, I will cancel and then reset the counter.

"Steve Cochran" wrote in message
...
There is a patch that addresses this issue. See
www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#2

Also see point 4 for message recovery techniques. Your only recourse
may be the extract from disk feature of DBXpress.

steve

"G. Silber" wrote in message
. ..
Sorry if this has been discussed, I've searched for answers without
success. The problem - Outlook Express does a cleanup/compact routine
every so often which does whatever it does whenever it does and I
haven't paid much attention to it because I assume it truncates old
messages. But today after a cleanup, all my messages from June 25
until today are GONE. Unbelievable!!! If this process isn't so darn
annoying in itself, it now deletes new messages??? Anyway, I know
where the .dbx folder is for my identity, but don't know if this is
any help. My question is - how do I retrieve these messages? Also, is
there a way to stop this extremely annoying task of automatic cleanup?
Thanks in advance.