Hi

I wonder if anyone can help me.

I access my messages using Outlook Express and a pop up message appeared
saying my messages could be compacted. I accidently hit the OK button,
instead of the cancel button, and now the contents of some of my folders have
disappeared. I have found them in a hidden folder but is there any way to
restore them to their original folders in OE? If not, can you advise how to
read them where they are as when I try to open them, it tells me that
"windows cannot open this file"-it is a .dbx file and I can either open it
manually or use the web service to find the appropriate program. Neither of
these options work at the moment.

My OE is XP2.

Please help as it is driving me mad!!!

Thanks very much.

You selected OK which you should have, but then you interrupted the
compacting process causing this problem. Standard reply:

The two most common reasons for what you describe is disruption of the
compacting process, (never touch anything until it's finished), or 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~

"manxman" wrote in message
...
Hi

I wonder if anyone can help me.

I access my messages using Outlook Express and a pop up message appeared
saying my messages could be compacted. I accidently hit the OK button,
instead of the cancel button, and now the contents of some of my folders
have
disappeared. I have found them in a hidden folder but is there any way to
restore them to their original folders in OE? If not, can you advise how
to
read them where they are as when I try to open them, it tells me that
"windows cannot open this file"-it is a .dbx file and I can either open it
manually or use the web service to find the appropriate program. Neither
of
these options work at the moment.

My OE is XP2.

Please help as it is driving me mad!!!

Thanks very much.