I am using Outlook Express 6.0. Today, for completely unkown reasons,
all my Inbox and Sent folder information disappeared. When I took a
look at the Outlook Express Store directory, the "old" Inbox.dbx and
Sent.dbx folders (as well as all other folders) had been replaced by
Inbox (1).dbx, etc., folders. Except that there is no Folders
(1).dbx, just the original Folders.dbx file. Outlook Express is now
using the versions with the (1).

I have tried almost everything I can think of to retrieve the data in
the old DBX files, but nothing seems to work:

-- rename Inbox.dbx to Inbox (1).dbx, etc. - OE uses Inbox.dbx, with
the old large file size, but no data shows up in OE when opened

-- copy the old DBX files to another directory and use the OE import
function - the import fails, as it says either the files contain no OE
data or are in use elsewhere. I am pretty sure the latter is not the
problem

Does anybody know what might have happened to cause this duplicate set
of new OE folders to get created and to be unable to open or import
the old folders? Is there some way to retrieve the old data and get
it back into OE?

Any assistance appreciated.

Thanks.

First thing before going any further , can you check your Recycle Bin and see what is in there. Post back for further info to try to solve your issue

--
Peter

Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.

wrote in message ups.com...
I am using Outlook Express 6.0. Today, for completely unkown reasons,
all my Inbox and Sent folder information disappeared. When I took a
look at the Outlook Express Store directory, the "old" Inbox.dbx and
Sent.dbx folders (as well as all other folders) had been replaced by
Inbox (1).dbx, etc., folders. Except that there is no Folders
(1).dbx, just the original Folders.dbx file. Outlook Express is now
using the versions with the (1).

I have tried almost everything I can think of to retrieve the data in
the old DBX files, but nothing seems to work:

-- rename Inbox.dbx to Inbox (1).dbx, etc. - OE uses Inbox.dbx, with
the old large file size, but no data shows up in OE when opened

-- copy the old DBX files to another directory and use the OE import
function - the import fails, as it says either the files contain no OE
data or are in use elsewhere. I am pretty sure the latter is not the
problem

Does anybody know what might have happened to cause this duplicate set
of new OE folders to get created and to be unable to open or import
the old folders? Is there some way to retrieve the old data and get
it back into OE?

Any assistance appreciated.

Thanks.

wrote in message
ups.com...
I am using Outlook Express 6.0. Today, for completely unkown reasons,
all my Inbox and Sent folder information disappeared. When I took a
look at the Outlook Express Store directory, the "old" Inbox.dbx and
Sent.dbx folders (as well as all other folders) had been replaced by
Inbox (1).dbx, etc., folders. Except that there is no Folders
(1).dbx, just the original Folders.dbx file. Outlook Express is now
using the versions with the (1).

I have tried almost everything I can think of to retrieve the data in
the old DBX files, but nothing seems to work:

-- rename Inbox.dbx to Inbox (1).dbx, etc. - OE uses Inbox.dbx, with
the old large file size, but no data shows up in OE when opened

-- copy the old DBX files to another directory and use the OE import
function - the import fails, as it says either the files contain no OE
data or are in use elsewhere. I am pretty sure the latter is not the
problem

Does anybody know what might have happened to cause this duplicate set
of new OE folders to get created and to be unable to open or import
the old folders? Is there some way to retrieve the old data and get
it back into OE?

Any assistance appreciated.

Thanks.


Create a new Windows Folder in My Documents named Inbox. Move the old
Inbox.dbx to it.
Create a new Windows Folder in My Documents named Sent Items. Move the old
Sent Items.dbx to it.
etc.
Get DBXtract or DBXpress (http://www.oehelp.com) and extract the contents of
these moved files to the Windows folder they are in.
Create new folders in OE (like Old Inbox, Old Sent Items, etc) and drag the
EML files to these new folders in OE.

In the future do not keep messages in the default mail folders. As soon as
they are read either delete them or move them to user created folders. Try
to keep each folder below 100 MB and compact often using File | Folder |
Compact All. Leave the computer alone until it is done compacting.

--
Frank Saunders, MS-MVP OE/WM
http://www.fjsmjs.com
Answer in newsgroup. Don't expect an answer to email.

Why it happens:

http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/probl...s.htm#mailgone
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/...orruption.mspx

Recovering the missing data: http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx (#2 and #4)
and http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=918069 (Notes section under
Resolution)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DBXpress (faster, more powerful, with even greater functionality)
http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Avoiding Such Corruption in Futu

- Don't use Inbox or Sent Items to archive messages. Move them to local
folders created for this purpose.

- Empty Deleted Items folder daily.

- Disable Background Compacting [not available in SP2] and frequently
perform a manual compact of all OE folders while "working offline". More at
http://www.insideoe.com/files/maintain.htm

- WinXP SP2 only: Do not shut down your machine while Windows is
automatically compacting your message store.

- Your anti-virus application's email scanning feature can also cause such
corruption. Disable it. It provides no additional protection.
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE, OE, Security, Shell/User)
AumHa VSOP & Admin; DTS-L.org

wrote:
I am using Outlook Express 6.0. Today, for completely unkown reasons,
all my Inbox and Sent folder information disappeared. When I took a
look at the Outlook Express Store directory, the "old" Inbox.dbx and
Sent.dbx folders (as well as all other folders) had been replaced by
Inbox (1).dbx, etc., folders. Except that there is no Folders
(1).dbx, just the original Folders.dbx file. Outlook Express is now
using the versions with the (1).

I have tried almost everything I can think of to retrieve the data in
the old DBX files, but nothing seems to work:

-- rename Inbox.dbx to Inbox (1).dbx, etc. - OE uses Inbox.dbx, with
the old large file size, but no data shows up in OE when opened

-- copy the old DBX files to another directory and use the OE import
function - the import fails, as it says either the files contain no OE
data or are in use elsewhere. I am pretty sure the latter is not the
problem

Does anybody know what might have happened to cause this duplicate set
of new OE folders to get created and to be unable to open or import
the old folders? Is there some way to retrieve the old data and get
it back into OE?

Any assistance appreciated.

Thanks.