Cannot Delete Email from Inbox
 

Hi:

I have a friend who is using Outlook Express 6 and now cannot Delete any
email from his Inbox..He can move mail to the Sent Items Folder, but not
move mail to the Deleted Items folder.

Is there any simple solution to this problem? I read I thought somewhere
one time where you could delete the Inbox.dbx file, Reboot, and Open Outlook
Express and Windows would rebuild the Inbox. But I am not at all sure about
this procedure and would like confirmation if this is the fix for this
problem. If not, what is the appropriate solution?

Thanks

Cannot Delete Email from Inbox
 

It's probably a damaged Deleted Items folder rather than the Inbox.

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 WindowsXP, 2K & 3K, the OE user files (DBX and WAB) are by default marked
as hidden. To view these files in Explorer, you must enable Show Hidden
Files and Folders under Start | Control Panel | Folder Options | View.

With OE closed, find the DBX file for the folder in question {Deleted
Items.dbx} and delete it. A new one will be created automatically when you
open OE.

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.

In Tools | Options | Maintenance: Uncheck Compact messages in background and
leave it unchecked. {N/A if running XP/SP2}.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS MVP - Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"ColTom2" wrote in message
...
Hi:

I have a friend who is using Outlook Express 6 and now cannot Delete any
email from his Inbox..He can move mail to the Sent Items Folder, but not
move mail to the Deleted Items folder.

Is there any simple solution to this problem? I read I thought somewhere
one time where you could delete the Inbox.dbx file, Reboot, and Open
Outlook Express and Windows would rebuild the Inbox. But I am not at all
sure about this procedure and would like confirmation if this is the fix
for this problem. If not, what is the appropriate solution?

Thanks

Cannot Delete Email from Inbox
 

Hi Bruce:

Thanks so much for your timely and informative reply!



"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
It's probably a damaged Deleted Items folder rather than the Inbox.

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 WindowsXP, 2K & 3K, the OE user files (DBX and WAB) are by default
marked as hidden. To view these files in Explorer, you must enable Show
Hidden Files and Folders under Start | Control Panel | Folder Options |
View.

With OE closed, find the DBX file for the folder in question {Deleted
Items.dbx} and delete it. A new one will be created automatically when
you open OE.

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.

In Tools | Options | Maintenance: Uncheck Compact messages in background
and leave it unchecked. {N/A if running XP/SP2}.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS MVP - Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"ColTom2" wrote in message
...
Hi:

I have a friend who is using Outlook Express 6 and now cannot Delete any
email from his Inbox..He can move mail to the Sent Items Folder, but not
move mail to the Deleted Items folder.

Is there any simple solution to this problem? I read I thought somewhere
one time where you could delete the Inbox.dbx file, Reboot, and Open
Outlook Express and Windows would rebuild the Inbox. But I am not at all
sure about this procedure and would like confirmation if this is the fix
for this problem. If not, what is the appropriate solution?

Thanks

Cannot Delete Email from Inbox
 

You're welcome.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS MVP - Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"ColTom2" wrote in message
...
Hi Bruce:

Thanks so much for your timely and informative reply!



"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
It's probably a damaged Deleted Items folder rather than the Inbox.

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 WindowsXP, 2K & 3K, the OE user files (DBX and WAB) are by default
marked as hidden. To view these files in Explorer, you must enable Show
Hidden Files and Folders under Start | Control Panel | Folder Options |
View.

With OE closed, find the DBX file for the folder in question {Deleted
Items.dbx} and delete it. A new one will be created automatically when
you open OE.

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.

In Tools | Options | Maintenance: Uncheck Compact messages in background
and leave it unchecked. {N/A if running XP/SP2}.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS MVP - Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

"ColTom2" wrote in message
...
Hi:

I have a friend who is using Outlook Express 6 and now cannot Delete
any email from his Inbox..He can move mail to the Sent Items Folder, but
not move mail to the Deleted Items folder.

Is there any simple solution to this problem? I read I thought
somewhere one time where you could delete the Inbox.dbx file, Reboot,
and Open Outlook Express and Windows would rebuild the Inbox. But I am
not at all sure about this procedure and would like confirmation if this
is the fix for this problem. If not, what is the appropriate solution?

Thanks