read the threads about restoring dbx files but my problem is that
immediately after dragging some emails from Inbox to a personal folder, my
system froze. When I rebooted, the dragged emails have gone. My Inbox dbx
file looks large and I suspect the emails are there but marked internally for
deletion / hidden (I have not compacted for some days). How can I import or
restore a copy of this file so as to bring all emails into view, including
those marked to be deleted or hidden?
--
Geoff

Windows version? Did you have these messages in the Inbox the last time you
compacted? If so, and you are using XP/SP2 or SP3, have you checked the
Recycle Bin for bak files?

The Inbox size is irrelevant as it won't get smaller until you compact.
(Don't do it right now).

Does the personal folder have other messages in it or was this a new folder?

Have you checked Deleted Items?
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"Geoff" wrote in message
...
read the threads about restoring dbx files but my problem is that
immediately after dragging some emails from Inbox to a personal folder, my
system froze. When I rebooted, the dragged emails have gone. My Inbox
dbx
file looks large and I suspect the emails are there but marked internally
for
deletion / hidden (I have not compacted for some days). How can I import
or
restore a copy of this file so as to bring all emails into view, including
those marked to be deleted or hidden?
--
Geoff

If they were merely hidden, you just need to change your View, Current
View settings.

Do you have a backup copy of the file to restore? If you didn't make
one, but have a reasonably up to date OE6, then there may be an
Inbox.BAK file in your Recycle bin which OE made prior to the last
compacting that you did. If that exists and is sufficiently recent for
your needs, you can restore that.
- In the Recycle Bin select the Inbox.bak file and restore it. That
will put in your OE store folder
- In OE create a new folder, call it Inbox2 and access it. Do not put
any messages in it.
- Look at Tools, Options, Maintenance, Store Folder for the location of
the Store folder
- Close OE
- In Windows Explorer go to the OE Store folder, and locate the
Inbox2.dbx file. It should be about 59 KB with today's date on it. If
larger than that, you have the wrong file - STOP. If the right file
delete it.
- Rename Inbox.Bak to Inbox2.dbx
- Reopen OE and Inbox2 should have all the messages prior to the last
compact.

If the above doesn't help, you'll need to use some recovery utilities.
Take a look at:
DBXtract - http://www.oehelp.com/DBXtract/Default.aspx
DBXpress - http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx
DBXtend - http://www.oehelp.com/DBXtend/Default.aspx


--

Mike - http://pages.prodigy.net/michael_santovec/techhelp.htm



"Geoff" wrote in message
...
read the threads about restoring dbx files but my problem is that
immediately after dragging some emails from Inbox to a personal
folder, my
system froze. When I rebooted, the dragged emails have gone. My
Inbox dbx
file looks large and I suspect the emails are there but marked
internally for
deletion / hidden (I have not compacted for some days). How can I
import or
restore a copy of this file so as to bring all emails into view,
including
those marked to be deleted or hidden?
--
Geoff

"Geoff" wrote in message
...
read the threads about restoring dbx files but my problem is that
immediately after dragging some emails from Inbox to a personal folder, my
system froze. When I rebooted, the dragged emails have gone. My Inbox
dbx
file looks large and I suspect the emails are there but marked internally
for
deletion / hidden (I have not compacted for some days). How can I import
or
restore a copy of this file so as to bring all emails into view, including
those marked to be deleted or hidden?
--
Geoff

How big IS Inbox.dbx? If it's over 2 GB you have a (solvable) problem.

--
Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM
Do not reply with email

Hi Bruce, Michael, Frank.

Thanks for your help you guys - I really appreciate this contact and advice.

And thanks for your specific comments. I think they mostly duplicate
earlier comments on this type of issue and I have tried most of the
suggestions you offer. In reply I am using XP with SP3, up to date every
day. OE build is 6.00.2900.5512.
I would prefer to use a recovery tool that is free - my experience with
buying tools is tha you may not get the right one first time. I have already
tried OutlookExtract.exe (including DOS version) and WOE5Extract.exe and so
far have not recovered any emails in my Inbox.dbx which is 12MB in size.
Perhaps I m doing something wrong. I am locating the recovery exe file plus
a copy of my Inbox.dbx in a "C:\temp" sub-folder.
I estimate since my last Compact about a week back there could be 200+
emails there that were dragged elsewhere and (I presume) got internally
marked in the Inbox.dbx file as hidden / for compact deletion and do not show
today. The ones I need are those that arrived and disappeared yesterday, so
I will be able to identify them by date. Personally I am amazed that MS does
not provide a recovery tool similar to "Compact".
Is there an option using Import (I cannot get this to do the job myself - I
have tried to import a copied and renamed Inbox.dbx file)?

--
Geoff


"Bruce Hagen" wrote:

Windows version? Did you have these messages in the Inbox the last time you
compacted? If so, and you are using XP/SP2 or SP3, have you checked the
Recycle Bin for bak files?

The Inbox size is irrelevant as it won't get smaller until you compact.
(Don't do it right now).

Does the personal folder have other messages in it or was this a new folder?

Have you checked Deleted Items?
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"Geoff" wrote in message
...
read the threads about restoring dbx files but my problem is that
immediately after dragging some emails from Inbox to a personal folder, my
system froze. When I rebooted, the dragged emails have gone. My Inbox
dbx
file looks large and I suspect the emails are there but marked internally
for
deletion / hidden (I have not compacted for some days). How can I import
or
restore a copy of this file so as to bring all emails into view, including
those marked to be deleted or hidden?
--
Geoff

I have no experience with the tools you mention, so I can't comment whether
you are doing something wrong or not. Have you tried the tool on the folder
the messages were supposed to be dragged to? They may not be in the Inbox to
recover but rather another folder.

If they were dragged out of the Inbox, they are not still there marked for
deletion upon compacting, the space they took up is marked for deletion.

How did you copy the file you tried to import? If it does not have
Folders.dbx included with it, a normal import will fail.

How to restore individual dbx files:
http://www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx#imp1

As far as MS providing a recovery tool, do you know of any e-mail client
that does? Eudora, Pegasus, Thunderbird? That would be like buying a car
that came with insurance. It doesn't amaze me. What does amaze me is that so
many people never back up OE. I do it daily in about 15 seconds and three
mouse clicks using OEQB. (Freeware).

This freeware tool backs up everything in OE in seconds. Disregard what is
written in red. That is referring to a different program.

Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB):
http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx

These are the tools I usually recommend for recovery. The first is free.
Remember, we don't know for sure where the missing messages are.

Macallan Outlook Express Extraction:
http://www.insideoe.com/resources/tools.htm#macallan

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

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

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}.
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"Geoff" wrote in message
...
Hi Bruce, Michael, Frank.

Thanks for your help you guys - I really appreciate this contact and
advice.

And thanks for your specific comments. I think they mostly duplicate
earlier comments on this type of issue and I have tried most of the
suggestions you offer. In reply I am using XP with SP3, up to date every
day. OE build is 6.00.2900.5512.
I would prefer to use a recovery tool that is free - my experience with
buying tools is tha you may not get the right one first time. I have
already
tried OutlookExtract.exe (including DOS version) and WOE5Extract.exe and
so
far have not recovered any emails in my Inbox.dbx which is 12MB in size.
Perhaps I m doing something wrong. I am locating the recovery exe file
plus
a copy of my Inbox.dbx in a "C:\temp" sub-folder.
I estimate since my last Compact about a week back there could be 200+
emails there that were dragged elsewhere and (I presume) got internally
marked in the Inbox.dbx file as hidden / for compact deletion and do not
show
today. The ones I need are those that arrived and disappeared yesterday,
so
I will be able to identify them by date. Personally I am amazed that MS
does
not provide a recovery tool similar to "Compact".
Is there an option using Import (I cannot get this to do the job myself -
I
have tried to import a copied and renamed Inbox.dbx file)?

--
Geoff


"Bruce Hagen" wrote:

Windows version? Did you have these messages in the Inbox the last time
you
compacted? If so, and you are using XP/SP2 or SP3, have you checked the
Recycle Bin for bak files?

The Inbox size is irrelevant as it won't get smaller until you compact.
(Don't do it right now).

Does the personal folder have other messages in it or was this a new
folder?

Have you checked Deleted Items?
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"Geoff" wrote in message
...
read the threads about restoring dbx files but my problem is that
immediately after dragging some emails from Inbox to a personal folder,
my
system froze. When I rebooted, the dragged emails have gone. My Inbox
dbx
file looks large and I suspect the emails are there but marked
internally
for
deletion / hidden (I have not compacted for some days). How can I
import
or
restore a copy of this file so as to bring all emails into view,
including
those marked to be deleted or hidden?
--
Geoff

"Geoff" wrote in message
...
read the threads about restoring dbx files but my problem is that
immediately after dragging some emails from Inbox to a personal folder, my
system froze. When I rebooted, the dragged emails have gone. My Inbox
dbx
file looks large and I suspect the emails are there but marked internally
for
deletion / hidden (I have not compacted for some days). How can I import
or
restore a copy of this file so as to bring all emails into view, including
those marked to be deleted or hidden?
--
Geoff

"Bruce Hagen" wrote:

Windows version? Did you have these messages in the Inbox the last time you
compacted? If so, and you are using XP/SP2 or SP3, have you checked the
Recycle Bin for bak files?

The Inbox size is irrelevant as it won't get smaller until you compact.
(Don't do it right now).

Does the personal folder have other messages in it or was this a new folder?

Have you checked Deleted Items?
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"Geoff" wrote in message
...
read the threads about restoring dbx files but my problem is that
immediately after dragging some emails from Inbox to a personal folder, my
system froze. When I rebooted, the dragged emails have gone. My Inbox
dbx
file looks large and I suspect the emails are there but marked internally
for
deletion / hidden (I have not compacted for some days). How can I import
or
restore a copy of this file so as to bring all emails into view, including
those marked to be deleted or hidden?
--
Geoff

I have just encountered somewhat the same problem. As usual, periodically, I
responded to an OE6 pop-up window to "compact". I answered "yes" as I
normally do. After the compacting, i found I had lost 7 months of Inbox
mail. it was chopped directly out of the existing messages....I did not lose
all messages, just those from 2/1/08 to 9/10/08. I looked in the Recycle Bin
and "restored" a number of files that would seem to have been those messages
lost----but nothing has solved the problem. The messages are still
"missing". I've checked the View as has been suggested and the settings are
as recommended. At this point, I'm at a loss to understand "why" this
happened and "what" to do to recover all these messages--some had been read
and some had not been read. I am using XP SP3 and OE6. I am not very
"technical" on these types of situations so a "layman's explanation" or
suggestions for action would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

"Bruce Hagen" wrote:

Windows version? Did you have these messages in the Inbox the last time you
compacted? If so, and you are using XP/SP2 or SP3, have you checked the
Recycle Bin for bak files?

The Inbox size is irrelevant as it won't get smaller until you compact.
(Don't do it right now).

Does the personal folder have other messages in it or was this a new folder?

Have you checked Deleted Items?
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"Geoff" wrote in message
...
read the threads about restoring dbx files but my problem is that
immediately after dragging some emails from Inbox to a personal folder, my
system froze. When I rebooted, the dragged emails have gone. My Inbox
dbx
file looks large and I suspect the emails are there but marked internally
for
deletion / hidden (I have not compacted for some days). How can I import
or
restore a copy of this file so as to bring all emails into view, including
those marked to be deleted or hidden?
--
Geoff

Basically, it happend because you had 10lbs os *%#! in a 5lb bag. sorry

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 running XP/SP2, or SP3, and are fully patched, then you should
have a backup of your dbx files in the Recycle Bin, (or possibly the message
store), copied as bak files.

To restore a bak folder to the message store folder, first find the location
of the Message Store.

Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder will reveal the location of
your Outlook Express files. Write the location down and navigate to it in
Windows Explorer or, copy and paste it into Start | Run.

In WinXP, the .dbx files 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.

Close OE and then in Windows Explorer, click on the dbx file for the
missing, or empty, folder and drag it to the Desktop. It can be deleted
later once you have successfully restored the bak file. Minimize the Message
Store.

Open OE and, if the folder is missing, create a folder with the *exact* same
name as the bak file you want to restore but without the .bak. Eg: If the
file is Saved.bak, the new folder should be named Saved. Open the new folder
and then close OE. If the folder is there, but just empty, continue on to
the next step.

First, check if there is a bak file already in the message store. If there
is, and you removed the dbx file, go ahead and rename it to dbx.

If it isn't already in the message store, open the Recycle bin and right
click on the bak file for the folder in question and click Restore. Open the
message store back up and change the file extension from .bak to .dbx. Close
the message store and open OE. The messages should now be back in the
folder.

If the messages are successfully restored, you can go ahead and delete the
old dbx file that you moved to the Desktop.

If you do not have bak copies of your dbx files in the Recycle Bin, then:

DBXpress run in Extract From 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 to help avoid this 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.

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

And backup often.

Backup and Resto

http://www.insideoutlookexpress.com/backup/

And this good one click backup program.

Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB):

http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"usironhd" wrote in message
...
I have just encountered somewhat the same problem. As usual, periodically,
I
responded to an OE6 pop-up window to "compact". I answered "yes" as I
normally do. After the compacting, i found I had lost 7 months of Inbox
mail. it was chopped directly out of the existing messages....I did not
lose
all messages, just those from 2/1/08 to 9/10/08. I looked in the Recycle
Bin
and "restored" a number of files that would seem to have been those
messages
lost----but nothing has solved the problem. The messages are still
"missing". I've checked the View as has been suggested and the settings
are
as recommended. At this point, I'm at a loss to understand "why" this
happened and "what" to do to recover all these messages--some had been
read
and some had not been read. I am using XP SP3 and OE6. I am not very
"technical" on these types of situations so a "layman's explanation" or
suggestions for action would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

"Bruce Hagen" wrote:

Windows version? Did you have these messages in the Inbox the last time
you
compacted? If so, and you are using XP/SP2 or SP3, have you checked the
Recycle Bin for bak files?

The Inbox size is irrelevant as it won't get smaller until you compact.
(Don't do it right now).

Does the personal folder have other messages in it or was this a new
folder?

Have you checked Deleted Items?
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"Geoff" wrote in message
...
read the threads about restoring dbx files but my problem is that
immediately after dragging some emails from Inbox to a personal folder,
my
system froze. When I rebooted, the dragged emails have gone. My Inbox
dbx
file looks large and I suspect the emails are there but marked
internally
for
deletion / hidden (I have not compacted for some days). How can I
import
or
restore a copy of this file so as to bring all emails into view,
including
those marked to be deleted or hidden?
--
Geoff