After a few years of using Outlook Express I have run into a big problem.
Today I lost emails from my inbox from 9/7/06 - 9/10/06. I also cannot
receive any new emails. When I hit "send/receive" it does the normal routine,
it will state "15 new messages" but I cannot find them in my inbox. The last
date in my inbox is 9/7 and while it seems I am receiving new messages they
are not in my inbox for review.

PLEASE HELP

Kelley Burris

You probably have a corrupt Inbox due to bloating and lack of compacting.
First, move any messages that are in the Inbox to a local folder you create.

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 WinXP, Win2K & Win2K03, 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 | Tools | Folder
Options | View, or in Windows Explorer | Tools | Folder Options | View.

With OE closed, rename the Inbox.dbx to Inboxold.dbx. A new empty Inbox will
be created when you open OE.

To recover your missing messages that remain in Inboxold, you will need one
of these tools.

DBXtract:
http://www.oehelp.com/DBXtract/Default.aspx

DBXpress: {much faster for large files}
http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx

If you have compacted since this problem began, you will need to purchase
DBXpress and run it in disk mode.

Note that if you do not care about recovering the missing messages, don't
even rename the Inbox.dbx to Inboxold.dbx. As long as you have moved the
messages that are there now, the new Inbox will be corruption free.

Once you have all your messages back, and OE is working again, heed the
following, especially do the compacting.

General precautions for Outlook Express:

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

Turn off e-mail scanning in your anti-virus program. It is a redundant layer
of protection that eats up CPUs and causes a multitude of problems such as
time-outs and account setting changes. Your up-to-date A/V program will
continue to protect you sufficiently. For more, see:
http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3

In Tools | Options | Maintenance: Uncheck Compact messages in background and
leave it unchecked. {N/A if running XP/SP2}.

And backup often.

Backup & Resto
http://www.insideoutlookexpress.com/backup/
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"Kelley Burris" Kelley wrote in message
...
After a few years of using Outlook Express I have run into a big problem.
Today I lost emails from my inbox from 9/7/06 - 9/10/06. I also cannot
receive any new emails. When I hit "send/receive" it does the normal
routine,
it will state "15 new messages" but I cannot find them in my inbox. The
last
date in my inbox is 9/7 and while it seems I am receiving new messages
they
are not in my inbox for review.

PLEASE HELP

Kelley Burris