Hi All,

Pretty sure that all I did was choose Compact under
ToolsOptionsMaintenanceClean Up, but what has happened is that I have
lost all my folder structures under Inbox and my Newsgroups have changed
massively and now only list a few of what I had and are listing some of what
I unsubscribed to ages ago.

Searching for *dbx identifies some of the groups that I have lost even
though they are not appearing in OE.

Basically its a mess!

What is most important to me really I suppose, is my saved email messages,
which still seem to be there even though the folder structure has changed.

Would be nice to know what I might have done, but is there any way of easily
recovering the situation or is a couple of hours sorting it all out?

Cheers.
Bill.

Tools | Options | Maintenance | Clean Up Now is for newsgroups and should
not have changed your user created folder structure. What you describe
sounds more like you deleted Folders.dbx from the message store.

Consequences of deleting Folders.dbx:
http://www.insideoe.com/files/store.htm#deldbx

Although your file structure has changed, do you still have your e-mail
messages in their respective folders? The folders can be easily dragged back
where you want them, but you will have to resubscribe to newsgroups.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"Bill" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

Pretty sure that all I did was choose Compact under
ToolsOptionsMaintenanceClean Up, but what has happened is that I have
lost all my folder structures under Inbox and my Newsgroups have changed
massively and now only list a few of what I had and are listing some of
what
I unsubscribed to ages ago.

Searching for *dbx identifies some of the groups that I have lost even
though they are not appearing in OE.

Basically its a mess!

What is most important to me really I suppose, is my saved email messages,
which still seem to be there even though the folder structure has changed.

Would be nice to know what I might have done, but is there any way of
easily
recovering the situation or is a couple of hours sorting it all out?

Cheers.
Bill.

Bill wrote:
Hi All,

Pretty sure that all I did was choose Compact under
ToolsOptionsMaintenanceClean Up, but what has happened is that I
have lost all my folder structures under Inbox and my Newsgroups have
changed massively and now only list a few of what I had and are
listing some of what I unsubscribed to ages ago.

Searching for *dbx identifies some of the groups that I have lost even
though they are not appearing in OE.

Basically its a mess!

What is most important to me really I suppose, is my saved email
messages, which still seem to be there even though the folder
structure has changed.

Would be nice to know what I might have done, but is there any way of
easily recovering the situation or is a couple of hours sorting it
all out?

Cheers.
Bill.

Sounds like you're using XP. Also sounds like you stepped on the compact
process somehow with another app or interrupeted it yourself. Never do
anything else while compact is in process.
If you're up to date with hotfixes etc., your missing stuff should be
sitting in the recycle bin. If not, it's likely gone.

HTH

Pop`

--
--
How to Post a newsgroup
question effectively:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q555375

Thanks Bruce,

BTW using another device for this reply - problem is on a w2k PC. Looking at
the dbx files I have some that are the same name but with (1) appended to
the filename. Which dbx should I use? Is there anyway to inspect the dbx
file?

Cheers.
Bill.


"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
Tools | Options | Maintenance | Clean Up Now is for newsgroups and should
not have changed your user created folder structure. What you describe
sounds more like you deleted Folders.dbx from the message store.

Consequences of deleting Folders.dbx:
http://www.insideoe.com/files/store.htm#deldbx

Although your file structure has changed, do you still have your e-mail
messages in their respective folders? The folders can be easily dragged
back where you want them, but you will have to resubscribe to newsgroups.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"Bill" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

Pretty sure that all I did was choose Compact under
ToolsOptionsMaintenanceClean Up, but what has happened is that I have
lost all my folder structures under Inbox and my Newsgroups have changed
massively and now only list a few of what I had and are listing some of
what
I unsubscribed to ages ago.

Searching for *dbx identifies some of the groups that I have lost even
though they are not appearing in OE.

Basically its a mess!

What is most important to me really I suppose, is my saved email
messages,
which still seem to be there even though the folder structure has
changed.

Would be nice to know what I might have done, but is there any way of
easily
recovering the situation or is a couple of hours sorting it all out?

Cheers.
Bill.

Sounds like you're using XP. Also sounds like you stepped on the compact
process somehow with another app or interrupeted it yourself. Never do
anything else while compact is in process.
If you're up to date with hotfixes etc., your missing stuff should be
sitting in the recycle bin. If not, it's likely gone.

HTH

Pop`

--
--
How to Post a newsgroup
question effectively:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q555375


Its a W2K PC. Nothing in the recycle bin! Up to date with all the fixes etc.
I may well have done something else while compact was running!!!

Cheers.
Bill.

The dbx folders with a (1) after them should be the ones you are using now.
If you put the cursor over the file, you will see the date it was created or
modified. If they are indeed the newer ones, you can delete the older ones.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"Bill" wrote in message
...
Thanks Bruce,

BTW using another device for this reply - problem is on a w2k PC. Looking
at the dbx files I have some that are the same name but with (1) appended
to the filename. Which dbx should I use? Is there anyway to inspect the
dbx file?

Cheers.
Bill.


"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
Tools | Options | Maintenance | Clean Up Now is for newsgroups and should
not have changed your user created folder structure. What you describe
sounds more like you deleted Folders.dbx from the message store.

Consequences of deleting Folders.dbx:
http://www.insideoe.com/files/store.htm#deldbx

Although your file structure has changed, do you still have your e-mail
messages in their respective folders? The folders can be easily dragged
back where you want them, but you will have to resubscribe to newsgroups.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"Bill" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

Pretty sure that all I did was choose Compact under
ToolsOptionsMaintenanceClean Up, but what has happened is that I have
lost all my folder structures under Inbox and my Newsgroups have changed
massively and now only list a few of what I had and are listing some of
what
I unsubscribed to ages ago.

Searching for *dbx identifies some of the groups that I have lost even
though they are not appearing in OE.

Basically its a mess!

What is most important to me really I suppose, is my saved email
messages,
which still seem to be there even though the folder structure has
changed.

Would be nice to know what I might have done, but is there any way of
easily
recovering the situation or is a couple of hours sorting it all out?

Cheers.
Bill.

Before you do this, are any of these files for mail folders? You didn't say
if you were missing any messages. If you are, they may be in the older dbx
files.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
The dbx folders with a (1) after them should be the ones you are using
now. If you put the cursor over the file, you will see the date it was
created or modified. If they are indeed the newer ones, you can delete the
older ones.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"Bill" wrote in message
...
Thanks Bruce,

BTW using another device for this reply - problem is on a w2k PC. Looking
at the dbx files I have some that are the same name but with (1) appended
to the filename. Which dbx should I use? Is there anyway to inspect the
dbx file?

Cheers.
Bill.


"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
Tools | Options | Maintenance | Clean Up Now is for newsgroups and
should not have changed your user created folder structure. What you
describe sounds more like you deleted Folders.dbx from the message
store.

Consequences of deleting Folders.dbx:
http://www.insideoe.com/files/store.htm#deldbx

Although your file structure has changed, do you still have your e-mail
messages in their respective folders? The folders can be easily dragged
back where you want them, but you will have to resubscribe to
newsgroups.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"Bill" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

Pretty sure that all I did was choose Compact under
ToolsOptionsMaintenanceClean Up, but what has happened is that I
have
lost all my folder structures under Inbox and my Newsgroups have
changed
massively and now only list a few of what I had and are listing some of
what
I unsubscribed to ages ago.

Searching for *dbx identifies some of the groups that I have lost even
though they are not appearing in OE.

Basically its a mess!

What is most important to me really I suppose, is my saved email
messages,
which still seem to be there even though the folder structure has
changed.

Would be nice to know what I might have done, but is there any way of
easily
recovering the situation or is a couple of hours sorting it all out?

Cheers.
Bill.

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).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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 http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.org/

Bill wrote:
Hi All,

Pretty sure that all I did was choose Compact under
ToolsOptionsMaintenanceClean Up, but what has happened is that I have
lost all my folder structures under Inbox and my Newsgroups have changed
massively and now only list a few of what I had and are listing some of
what
I unsubscribed to ages ago.

Searching for *dbx identifies some of the groups that I have lost even
though they are not appearing in OE.

Basically its a mess!

What is most important to me really I suppose, is my saved email messages,
which still seem to be there even though the folder structure has changed.

Would be nice to know what I might have done, but is there any way of
easily
recovering the situation or is a couple of hours sorting it all out?

Cheers.
Bill.

"Bill" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

Pretty sure that all I did was choose Compact under
ToolsOptionsMaintenanceClean Up, but what has happened is that I have
lost all my folder structures under Inbox and my Newsgroups have changed
massively and now only list a few of what I had and are listing some of
what
I unsubscribed to ages ago.

Searching for *dbx identifies some of the groups that I have lost even
though they are not appearing in OE.

Basically its a mess!

What is most important to me really I suppose, is my saved email messages,
which still seem to be there even though the folder structure has changed.

Would be nice to know what I might have done, but is there any way of
easily
recovering the situation or is a couple of hours sorting it all out?

Cheers.
Bill.

"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
Tools | Options | Maintenance | Clean Up Now is for newsgroups and should
not have changed your user created folder structure. What you describe
sounds more like you deleted Folders.dbx from the message store.

Consequences of deleting Folders.dbx:
http://www.insideoe.com/files/store.htm#deldbx

Although your file structure has changed, do you still have your e-mail
messages in their respective folders? The folders can be easily dragged
back where you want them, but you will have to resubscribe to newsgroups.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"Bill" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

Pretty sure that all I did was choose Compact under
ToolsOptionsMaintenanceClean Up, but what has happened is that I have
lost all my folder structures under Inbox and my Newsgroups have changed
massively and now only list a few of what I had and are listing some of
what
I unsubscribed to ages ago.

Searching for *dbx identifies some of the groups that I have lost even
though they are not appearing in OE.

Basically its a mess!

What is most important to me really I suppose, is my saved email
messages,
which still seem to be there even though the folder structure has
changed.

Would be nice to know what I might have done, but is there any way of
easily
recovering the situation or is a couple of hours sorting it all out?

Cheers.
Bill.