Inbox contents simply vanished

March 26, 2008

In OE 6, Windows 98, the entire contents of the Inbox just vanished after

restarting computer. There were about 4 weeks of e-mail in there.

Other folders do not seem to be affected.

I looked in the Outlook Express folder on my hard drive, and the Inbox file

at this address:

C:\WINDOWS\Application

Data\Identities\{9226D728-E116-11DA-8D61-00045A5FABE0}\Microsoft\Outlook

Express

was down to something like 130 KB, containing just a lot of unreadable code.

I normally move Inbox contents to other folders regularly to keep Inbox from

getting too large.

I've never seen anything like this. The contents of a huge file simply

vanishing.

March 26, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

Are there any .dbx files in c:\recycled?

March 26, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

C:\Recyled is completely empty.

I use Norton Protected Recyle Bin, and it is also completely empty, which is

odd, because it's been a while since I emptied it.

"Fan924" <a924fan@yahoo.com> wrote in message

news:346949bc-b4e2-4730-84c4-5d88a80ba66c@e10g2000prf.googlegroups.com...

> Are there any .dbx files in c:\recycled?

March 26, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

Outlook Express can lose folders. Sort you Outlook Express folder by

date. All the file dates should be the same. Any old dates on a .dbx

file is a email folder that it lost track of.

March 26, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

Do a search on: inbox.dbx If found, note the location as it may have

gotten moved

--

Regards

Ron Badour

MS MVP 1997 - 2008

"Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

news:eLNm3YwjIHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> In OE 6, Windows 98, the entire contents of the Inbox just vanished after

> restarting computer. There were about 4 weeks of e-mail in there.

>

> Other folders do not seem to be affected.

>

> I looked in the Outlook Express folder on my hard drive, and the Inbox

> file

> at this address:

>

> C:\WINDOWS\Application

> Data\Identities\{9226D728-E116-11DA-8D61-00045A5FABE0}\Microsoft\Outlook

> Express

>

> was down to something like 130 KB, containing just a lot of unreadable

> code.

>

> I normally move Inbox contents to other folders regularly to keep Inbox

> from

> getting too large.

>

> I've never seen anything like this. The contents of a huge file simply

> vanishing.

>

March 26, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

The folders are all dated today except for a bunch of "Search folder.dbx"

which are very small and cleanup.log which is very amall.

"Fan924" <a924fan@yahoo.com> wrote in message

news:cd7d269d-53da-4aa1-a4b6-66cd9dd6bafd@s19g2000prg.googlegroups.com...

> Outlook Express can lose folders. Sort you Outlook Express folder by

> date. All the file dates should be the same. Any old dates on a .dbx

> file is a email folder that it lost track of.

March 26, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

There are two inbox.dbx in the present OE folder, they are both very tiny, a

couple of hundred kb. There is one other inbox.dbx in another folder. That

inbox.dbx is of large size around 100 mb, but that's the OE folder of the

previous Identity that I haven't actively used for a couple of years. (I

created the present Identity on the suggestion of a tech support person who

said my main identity had become corrupted.) The old identity is located

here:

C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express

It's just gone. The inbox with four weeks of e-mail is gone.

Larry

"Ron Badour" <Sorry@NoAddress.com> wrote in message

news:%23Ci60W0jIHA.1184@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> Do a search on: inbox.dbx If found, note the location as it may have

> gotten moved

>

> --

> Regards

>

> Ron Badour

> MS MVP 1997 - 2008

>

> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

> news:eLNm3YwjIHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> > In OE 6, Windows 98, the entire contents of the Inbox just vanished

after

> > restarting computer. There were about 4 weeks of e-mail in there.

> >

> > Other folders do not seem to be affected.

> >

> > I looked in the Outlook Express folder on my hard drive, and the Inbox

> > file

> > at this address:

> >

> > C:\WINDOWS\Application

> > Data\Identities\{9226D728-E116-11DA-8D61-00045A5FABE0}\Microsoft\Outlook

> > Express

> >

> > was down to something like 130 KB, containing just a lot of unreadable

> > code.

> >

> > I normally move Inbox contents to other folders regularly to keep Inbox

> > from

> > getting too large.

> >

> > I've never seen anything like this. The contents of a huge file simply

> > vanishing.

> >

>

March 26, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

While in the Inbox, View | Current View. Is Show All Messages checked and

nothing else?

If that is the case, and the Inbox.dbx file is empty, (130KB is essentially

empty), In Tools | Options | Maintenance, is: Compact messages in background

checked? If so, OE was probably compacting the message store when you shut

OE down, causing the loss of messages. (Why this option was removed with

XP?SP2).

Should this be the case, DBXpress run in Extract From Disk Mode has the best

chance to recover messages:

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}.

And backup often.

Backup & Restore:

http://www.insideoe.com/backup/

This is a great two click program:

Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB)

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

--

Bruce Hagen

MS-MVP Outlook Express

Imperial Beach, CA

"Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

news:eLNm3YwjIHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> In OE 6, Windows 98, the entire contents of the Inbox just vanished after

> restarting computer. There were about 4 weeks of e-mail in there.

>

> Other folders do not seem to be affected.

>

> I looked in the Outlook Express folder on my hard drive, and the Inbox

> file

> at this address:

>

> C:\WINDOWS\Application

> Data\Identities\{9226D728-E116-11DA-8D61-00045A5FABE0}\Microsoft\Outlook

> Express

>

> was down to something like 130 KB, containing just a lot of unreadable

> code.

>

> I normally move Inbox contents to other folders regularly to keep Inbox

> from

> getting too large.

>

> I've never seen anything like this. The contents of a huge file simply

> vanishing.

>

March 26, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

Yes, Show All Messages is checked and nothing else is checked.

The way this happened was: my computer froze last night and I restarted it

by pressing the external restart button on the tower, which I regularly do

when the computer freezes, which happens fairly frequently (Win 98!). But

there was no compacting of OE going on at the time.

And yes, I regularly follow all those steps for OE maintenance. I allow up

to a month of messages in Inbox and Sent box, keeping older messages in my

own custom folders.

But it's still a mystery how this happened. I have never had a saved file

on the hard drive simply become empty. Could it indicate a hard drive

failure?

Larry

"Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

news:ertRD50jIHA.6092@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> While in the Inbox, View | Current View. Is Show All Messages checked and

> nothing else?

>

> If that is the case, and the Inbox.dbx file is empty, (130KB is

essentially

> empty), In Tools | Options | Maintenance, is: Compact messages in

background

> checked? If so, OE was probably compacting the message store when you shut

> OE down, causing the loss of messages. (Why this option was removed with

> XP?SP2).

>

> Should this be the case, DBXpress run in Extract From Disk Mode has the

best

> chance to recover messages:

> 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}.

>

> And backup often.

>

> Backup & Restore:

> http://www.insideoe.com/backup/

>

> This is a great two click program:

>

> Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB)

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

> --

> Bruce Hagen

> MS-MVP Outlook Express

> Imperial Beach, CA

>

> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

> news:eLNm3YwjIHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> > In OE 6, Windows 98, the entire contents of the Inbox just vanished

after

> > restarting computer. There were about 4 weeks of e-mail in there.

> >

> > Other folders do not seem to be affected.

> >

> > I looked in the Outlook Express folder on my hard drive, and the Inbox

> > file

> > at this address:

> >

> > C:\WINDOWS\Application

> > Data\Identities\{9226D728-E116-11DA-8D61-00045A5FABE0}\Microsoft\Outlook

> > Express

> >

> > was down to something like 130 KB, containing just a lot of unreadable

> > code.

> >

> > I normally move Inbox contents to other folders regularly to keep Inbox

> > from

> > getting too large.

> >

> > I've never seen anything like this. The contents of a huge file simply

> > vanishing.

> >

>

March 26, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

If background compacting was not checked, how often do you compact manually?

Moving or deleting messages does not retrieve wasted space until you

compact.

Bloated folders and interrupting compacting are the two most common reasons

for losing messages, but other things can cause it as well, such as e-mail

scanning.

Bottom line is that you should backup OE daily if you value your messages.

At this point, the reason is moot. If you are sure background compacting was

not involved, then any of these programs may retrieve your messages.

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

--

Bruce Hagen

MS-MVP Outlook Express

Imperial Beach, CA

"Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

news:OjxxpB2jIHA.6084@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> Yes, Show All Messages is checked and nothing else is checked.

>

> The way this happened was: my computer froze last night and I restarted

> it

> by pressing the external restart button on the tower, which I regularly do

> when the computer freezes, which happens fairly frequently (Win 98!). But

> there was no compacting of OE going on at the time.

>

> And yes, I regularly follow all those steps for OE maintenance. I allow

> up

> to a month of messages in Inbox and Sent box, keeping older messages in my

> own custom folders.

>

> But it's still a mystery how this happened. I have never had a saved file

> on the hard drive simply become empty. Could it indicate a hard drive

> failure?

>

> Larry

>

> "Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

> news:ertRD50jIHA.6092@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>> While in the Inbox, View | Current View. Is Show All Messages checked and

>> nothing else?

>>

>> If that is the case, and the Inbox.dbx file is empty, (130KB is

> essentially

>> empty), In Tools | Options | Maintenance, is: Compact messages in

> background

>> checked? If so, OE was probably compacting the message store when you

>> shut

>> OE down, causing the loss of messages. (Why this option was removed with

>> XP?SP2).

>>

>> Should this be the case, DBXpress run in Extract From Disk Mode has the

> best

>> chance to recover messages:

>> 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}.

>>

>> And backup often.

>>

>> Backup & Restore:

>> http://www.insideoe.com/backup/

>>

>> This is a great two click program:

>>

>> Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB)

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

>> --

>> Bruce Hagen

>> MS-MVP Outlook Express

>> Imperial Beach, CA

>>

>> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

>> news:eLNm3YwjIHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>> > In OE 6, Windows 98, the entire contents of the Inbox just vanished

> after

>> > restarting computer. There were about 4 weeks of e-mail in there.

>> >

>> > Other folders do not seem to be affected.

>> >

>> > I looked in the Outlook Express folder on my hard drive, and the Inbox

>> > file

>> > at this address:

>> >

>> > C:\WINDOWS\Application

>> > Data\Identities\{9226D728-E116-11DA-8D61-00045A5FABE0}\Microsoft\Outlook

>> > Express

>> >

>> > was down to something like 130 KB, containing just a lot of unreadable

>> > code.

>> >

>> > I normally move Inbox contents to other folders regularly to keep Inbox

>> > from

>> > getting too large.

>> >

>> > I've never seen anything like this. The contents of a huge file simply

>> > vanishing.

>> >

>>

>

March 26, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

I compact manually every few weeks, usually after I've moved stuff from the

Inbox and Sent folder into my custom folders.

> Bottom line is that you should backup OE daily if you value your

messages.

This is news to me. I've never heard of saved files on a computer hard

drive simply vanishing, short of a hard drive failure.

I will check out the programs you recommend. Thank you.

Larry

"Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

news:%23Eq4HH2jIHA.1188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> If background compacting was not checked, how often do you compact

manually?

> Moving or deleting messages does not retrieve wasted space until you

> compact.

>

> Bloated folders and interrupting compacting are the two most common

reasons

> for losing messages, but other things can cause it as well, such as e-mail

> scanning.

>

> Bottom line is that you should backup OE daily if you value your messages.

>

> At this point, the reason is moot. If you are sure background compacting

was

> not involved, then any of these programs may retrieve your messages.

>

> 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

> --

> Bruce Hagen

> MS-MVP Outlook Express

> Imperial Beach, CA

>

> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

> news:OjxxpB2jIHA.6084@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> > Yes, Show All Messages is checked and nothing else is checked.

> >

> > The way this happened was: my computer froze last night and I restarted

> > it

> > by pressing the external restart button on the tower, which I regularly

do

> > when the computer freezes, which happens fairly frequently (Win 98!).

But

> > there was no compacting of OE going on at the time.

> >

> > And yes, I regularly follow all those steps for OE maintenance. I allow

> > up

> > to a month of messages in Inbox and Sent box, keeping older messages in

my

> > own custom folders.

> >

> > But it's still a mystery how this happened. I have never had a saved

file

> > on the hard drive simply become empty. Could it indicate a hard drive

> > failure?

> >

> > Larry

> >

> > "Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

> > news:ertRD50jIHA.6092@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> >> While in the Inbox, View | Current View. Is Show All Messages checked

and

> >> nothing else?

> >>

> >> If that is the case, and the Inbox.dbx file is empty, (130KB is

> > essentially

> >> empty), In Tools | Options | Maintenance, is: Compact messages in

> > background

> >> checked? If so, OE was probably compacting the message store when you

> >> shut

> >> OE down, causing the loss of messages. (Why this option was removed

with

> >> XP?SP2).

> >>

> >> Should this be the case, DBXpress run in Extract From Disk Mode has the

> > best

> >> chance to recover messages:

> >> 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}.

> >>

> >> And backup often.

> >>

> >> Backup & Restore:

> >> http://www.insideoe.com/backup/

> >>

> >> This is a great two click program:

> >>

> >> Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB)

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

> >> --

> >> Bruce Hagen

> >> MS-MVP Outlook Express

> >> Imperial Beach, CA

> >>

> >> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

> >> news:eLNm3YwjIHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> >> > In OE 6, Windows 98, the entire contents of the Inbox just vanished

> > after

> >> > restarting computer. There were about 4 weeks of e-mail in there.

> >> >

> >> > Other folders do not seem to be affected.

> >> >

> >> > I looked in the Outlook Express folder on my hard drive, and the

Inbox

> >> > file

> >> > at this address:

> >> >

> >> > C:\WINDOWS\Application

> >> >

Data\Identities\{9226D728-E116-11DA-8D61-00045A5FABE0}\Microsoft\Outlook

> >> > Express

> >> >

> >> > was down to something like 130 KB, containing just a lot of

unreadable

> >> > code.

> >> >

> >> > I normally move Inbox contents to other folders regularly to keep

Inbox

> >> > from

> >> > getting too large.

> >> >

> >> > I've never seen anything like this. The contents of a huge file

simply

> >> > vanishing.

> >> >

> >>

> >

>

March 26, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

Why it happens:

http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/problems/bugs.htm#mailgone

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/community/columns/filecorruption.mspx

Avoiding Such Corruption in Future (Win9x):

- 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 and frequently perform a manual compact of

all OE folders while "working offline". More at

http://www.insideoe.com/files/maintain.htm

- Disable email scanning by your anti-virus application. It can cause

corruption (i.e., loss of messages), it provides no additional protection,

and even Symantec says it's not necessary:

<QP>

Disabling Email Scanning does not leave you unprotected against viruses that

are distributed as email attachments. Norton AntiVirus Auto-Protect scans

incoming files as they are saved to your hard drive, including email and

email attachments. Email Scanning is just another layer on top of this. To

make sure that Auto-Protect is providing the maximum protection, keep

Auto-Protect enabled and run LiveUpdate regularly to ensure that you have

the most recent virus definitions.

</QP>

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nav.nsf/docid/2002111812533106

--

~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)

MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002

AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net

DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

Larry wrote:

> ... But it's still a mystery how this happened.

March 26, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

OE's dbx file structure is very fragile and has been prone to corruption

from its conception. In Windows Mail in Vista, the file structure was

replaced and each message is saved as its own eml file. Unfortunately, while

they fixed that issue, they screwed up numerous other things, and Windows

Mail is all but being abandoned already.

--

Bruce Hagen

MS-MVP Outlook Express

Imperial Beach, CA

"Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

news:uoC7gl2jIHA.4664@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>I compact manually every few weeks, usually after I've moved stuff from the

> Inbox and Sent folder into my custom folders.

>

> > Bottom line is that you should backup OE daily if you value your

> messages.

>

> This is news to me. I've never heard of saved files on a computer hard

> drive simply vanishing, short of a hard drive failure.

>

> I will check out the programs you recommend. Thank you.

>

> Larry

>

> "Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

> news:%23Eq4HH2jIHA.1188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>> If background compacting was not checked, how often do you compact

> manually?

>> Moving or deleting messages does not retrieve wasted space until you

>> compact.

>>

>> Bloated folders and interrupting compacting are the two most common

> reasons

>> for losing messages, but other things can cause it as well, such as

>> e-mail

>> scanning.

>>

>> Bottom line is that you should backup OE daily if you value your

>> messages.

>>

>> At this point, the reason is moot. If you are sure background compacting

> was

>> not involved, then any of these programs may retrieve your messages.

>>

>> 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

>> --

>> Bruce Hagen

>> MS-MVP Outlook Express

>> Imperial Beach, CA

>>

>> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

>> news:OjxxpB2jIHA.6084@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>> > Yes, Show All Messages is checked and nothing else is checked.

>> >

>> > The way this happened was: my computer froze last night and I

>> > restarted

>> > it

>> > by pressing the external restart button on the tower, which I regularly

> do

>> > when the computer freezes, which happens fairly frequently (Win 98!).

> But

>> > there was no compacting of OE going on at the time.

>> >

>> > And yes, I regularly follow all those steps for OE maintenance. I

>> > allow

>> > up

>> > to a month of messages in Inbox and Sent box, keeping older messages in

> my

>> > own custom folders.

>> >

>> > But it's still a mystery how this happened. I have never had a saved

> file

>> > on the hard drive simply become empty. Could it indicate a hard drive

>> > failure?

>> >

>> > Larry

>> >

>> > "Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

>> > news:ertRD50jIHA.6092@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>> >> While in the Inbox, View | Current View. Is Show All Messages checked

> and

>> >> nothing else?

>> >>

>> >> If that is the case, and the Inbox.dbx file is empty, (130KB is

>> > essentially

>> >> empty), In Tools | Options | Maintenance, is: Compact messages in

>> > background

>> >> checked? If so, OE was probably compacting the message store when you

>> >> shut

>> >> OE down, causing the loss of messages. (Why this option was removed

> with

>> >> XP?SP2).

>> >>

>> >> Should this be the case, DBXpress run in Extract From Disk Mode has

>> >> the

>> > best

>> >> chance to recover messages:

>> >> 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}.

>> >>

>> >> And backup often.

>> >>

>> >> Backup & Restore:

>> >> http://www.insideoe.com/backup/

>> >>

>> >> This is a great two click program:

>> >>

>> >> Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB)

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

>> >> --

>> >> Bruce Hagen

>> >> MS-MVP Outlook Express

>> >> Imperial Beach, CA

>> >>

>> >> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

>> >> news:eLNm3YwjIHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>> >> > In OE 6, Windows 98, the entire contents of the Inbox just vanished

>> > after

>> >> > restarting computer. There were about 4 weeks of e-mail in there.

>> >> >

>> >> > Other folders do not seem to be affected.

>> >> >

>> >> > I looked in the Outlook Express folder on my hard drive, and the

> Inbox

>> >> > file

>> >> > at this address:

>> >> >

>> >> > C:\WINDOWS\Application

>> >> >

> Data\Identities\{9226D728-E116-11DA-8D61-00045A5FABE0}\Microsoft\Outlook

>> >> > Express

>> >> >

>> >> > was down to something like 130 KB, containing just a lot of

> unreadable

>> >> > code.

>> >> >

>> >> > I normally move Inbox contents to other folders regularly to keep

> Inbox

>> >> > from

>> >> > getting too large.

>> >> >

>> >> > I've never seen anything like this. The contents of a huge file

> simply

>> >> > vanishing.

>> >> >

>> >>

>> >

>>

>

March 27, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

I downloaded the Macallan Outlook Express Extraction and it doesn't offer

any instructions or anything. There's no indication of how to go about

fixing a damaged .dbx file.

The Inbox.dbx is currently working normally, that is, further e-mail I've

received is my Inbox. Does that mean the Inbox.dbx is working correctly on

some e-mails, while the older e-mails in it are corrupted? What actually

happens to the .dbx file when the Outlook Express Extraction is run on it?

Another odd thing. When I click on any .dbx file in the Outlook Express

folder, even the smaller ones, I'm prompted to open it with WordPad instead

of NotePad. Then when I open it, it's nothing but squares. No legible

characters. As I remember from the past, when I would open a .dbx file I

would see all the e-mail messages that were in the folder represented by

that file.

However, in the OE application itself, all my folders (except for the

disappeared messages from the Inbox) are operating normally.

"Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

news:uoC7gl2jIHA.4664@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> I compact manually every few weeks, usually after I've moved stuff from

the

> Inbox and Sent folder into my custom folders.

>

> > Bottom line is that you should backup OE daily if you value your

> messages.

>

> This is news to me. I've never heard of saved files on a computer hard

> drive simply vanishing, short of a hard drive failure.

>

> I will check out the programs you recommend. Thank you.

>

> Larry

>

> "Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

> news:%23Eq4HH2jIHA.1188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> > If background compacting was not checked, how often do you compact

> manually?

> > Moving or deleting messages does not retrieve wasted space until you

> > compact.

> >

> > Bloated folders and interrupting compacting are the two most common

> reasons

> > for losing messages, but other things can cause it as well, such as

e-mail

> > scanning.

> >

> > Bottom line is that you should backup OE daily if you value your

messages.

> >

> > At this point, the reason is moot. If you are sure background compacting

> was

> > not involved, then any of these programs may retrieve your messages.

> >

> > 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

> > --

> > Bruce Hagen

> > MS-MVP Outlook Express

> > Imperial Beach, CA

> >

> > "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

> > news:OjxxpB2jIHA.6084@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> > > Yes, Show All Messages is checked and nothing else is checked.

> > >

> > > The way this happened was: my computer froze last night and I

restarted

> > > it

> > > by pressing the external restart button on the tower, which I

regularly

> do

> > > when the computer freezes, which happens fairly frequently (Win 98!).

> But

> > > there was no compacting of OE going on at the time.

> > >

> > > And yes, I regularly follow all those steps for OE maintenance. I

allow

> > > up

> > > to a month of messages in Inbox and Sent box, keeping older messages

in

> my

> > > own custom folders.

> > >

> > > But it's still a mystery how this happened. I have never had a saved

> file

> > > on the hard drive simply become empty. Could it indicate a hard drive

> > > failure?

> > >

> > > Larry

> > >

> > > "Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

> > > news:ertRD50jIHA.6092@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> > >> While in the Inbox, View | Current View. Is Show All Messages checked

> and

> > >> nothing else?

> > >>

> > >> If that is the case, and the Inbox.dbx file is empty, (130KB is

> > > essentially

> > >> empty), In Tools | Options | Maintenance, is: Compact messages in

> > > background

> > >> checked? If so, OE was probably compacting the message store when you

> > >> shut

> > >> OE down, causing the loss of messages. (Why this option was removed

> with

> > >> XP?SP2).

> > >>

> > >> Should this be the case, DBXpress run in Extract From Disk Mode has

the

> > > best

> > >> chance to recover messages:

> > >> 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}.

> > >>

> > >> And backup often.

> > >>

> > >> Backup & Restore:

> > >> http://www.insideoe.com/backup/

> > >>

> > >> This is a great two click program:

> > >>

> > >> Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB)

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

> > >> --

> > >> Bruce Hagen

> > >> MS-MVP Outlook Express

> > >> Imperial Beach, CA

> > >>

> > >> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

> > >> news:eLNm3YwjIHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> > >> > In OE 6, Windows 98, the entire contents of the Inbox just vanished

> > > after

> > >> > restarting computer. There were about 4 weeks of e-mail in there.

> > >> >

> > >> > Other folders do not seem to be affected.

> > >> >

> > >> > I looked in the Outlook Express folder on my hard drive, and the

> Inbox

> > >> > file

> > >> > at this address:

> > >> >

> > >> > C:\WINDOWS\Application

> > >> >

> Data\Identities\{9226D728-E116-11DA-8D61-00045A5FABE0}\Microsoft\Outlook

> > >> > Express

> > >> >

> > >> > was down to something like 130 KB, containing just a lot of

> unreadable

> > >> > code.

> > >> >

> > >> > I normally move Inbox contents to other folders regularly to keep

> Inbox

> > >> > from

> > >> > getting too large.

> > >> >

> > >> > I've never seen anything like this. The contents of a huge file

> simply

> > >> > vanishing.

> > >> >

> > >>

> > >

> >

>

March 27, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

I just went back through all your posts. How large is this Inbox? An empty

Inbox is 59KB. I noted that you mentioned "small", "a couple hundred KB". I

don't know how much mail constitutes 4 weeks worth, but unless they are all

text, a couple hundred KB isn't very much.

I can't help with instructions for Macallan. What do you have in the message

store right now? An Inbox.dbx with the missing messages, and a new

Inbox(1).dbx that you are currently using? Or do you only have one

Inbox.dbx? If only one, that is a whole new ball game, and one you're likely

to lose.

From what I remember reading here in the past, I believe you need to close

OE and then rename the old Inbox to say, Inboxold.dbx. Then drag it to the

desktop and work on it there, but this just fragmented memories.

If you click on a dbx file to open, only Outlook Express can read it. With

Notepad, you will see somewhat meaningless letters and numbers. If they are

all zeros, I believe the file is empty. WordPad is not meant to open them at

all.

--

Bruce Hagen

MS-MVP Outlook Express

Imperial Beach, CA

"Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

news:Ot0kOT6jIHA.944@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>

> I downloaded the Macallan Outlook Express Extraction and it doesn't offer

> any instructions or anything. There's no indication of how to go about

> fixing a damaged .dbx file.

>

> The Inbox.dbx is currently working normally, that is, further e-mail I've

> received is my Inbox. Does that mean the Inbox.dbx is working correctly

> on

> some e-mails, while the older e-mails in it are corrupted? What actually

> happens to the .dbx file when the Outlook Express Extraction is run on it?

>

> Another odd thing. When I click on any .dbx file in the Outlook Express

> folder, even the smaller ones, I'm prompted to open it with WordPad

> instead

> of NotePad. Then when I open it, it's nothing but squares. No legible

> characters. As I remember from the past, when I would open a .dbx file I

> would see all the e-mail messages that were in the folder represented by

> that file.

>

> However, in the OE application itself, all my folders (except for the

> disappeared messages from the Inbox) are operating normally.

>

> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

> news:uoC7gl2jIHA.4664@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>> I compact manually every few weeks, usually after I've moved stuff from

> the

>> Inbox and Sent folder into my custom folders.

>>

>> > Bottom line is that you should backup OE daily if you value your

>> messages.

>>

>> This is news to me. I've never heard of saved files on a computer hard

>> drive simply vanishing, short of a hard drive failure.

>>

>> I will check out the programs you recommend. Thank you.

>>

>> Larry

>>

>> "Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

>> news:%23Eq4HH2jIHA.1188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>> > If background compacting was not checked, how often do you compact

>> manually?

>> > Moving or deleting messages does not retrieve wasted space until you

>> > compact.

>> >

>> > Bloated folders and interrupting compacting are the two most common

>> reasons

>> > for losing messages, but other things can cause it as well, such as

> e-mail

>> > scanning.

>> >

>> > Bottom line is that you should backup OE daily if you value your

> messages.

>> >

>> > At this point, the reason is moot. If you are sure background

>> > compacting

>> was

>> > not involved, then any of these programs may retrieve your messages.

>> >

>> > 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

>> > --

>> > Bruce Hagen

>> > MS-MVP Outlook Express

>> > Imperial Beach, CA

>> >

>> > "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

>> > news:OjxxpB2jIHA.6084@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>> > > Yes, Show All Messages is checked and nothing else is checked.

>> > >

>> > > The way this happened was: my computer froze last night and I

> restarted

>> > > it

>> > > by pressing the external restart button on the tower, which I

> regularly

>> do

>> > > when the computer freezes, which happens fairly frequently (Win 98!).

>> But

>> > > there was no compacting of OE going on at the time.

>> > >

>> > > And yes, I regularly follow all those steps for OE maintenance. I

> allow

>> > > up

>> > > to a month of messages in Inbox and Sent box, keeping older messages

> in

>> my

>> > > own custom folders.

>> > >

>> > > But it's still a mystery how this happened. I have never had a saved

>> file

>> > > on the hard drive simply become empty. Could it indicate a hard

>> > > drive

>> > > failure?

>> > >

>> > > Larry

>> > >

>> > > "Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

>> > > news:ertRD50jIHA.6092@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>> > >> While in the Inbox, View | Current View. Is Show All Messages

>> > >> checked

>> and

>> > >> nothing else?

>> > >>

>> > >> If that is the case, and the Inbox.dbx file is empty, (130KB is

>> > > essentially

>> > >> empty), In Tools | Options | Maintenance, is: Compact messages in

>> > > background

>> > >> checked? If so, OE was probably compacting the message store when

>> > >> you

>> > >> shut

>> > >> OE down, causing the loss of messages. (Why this option was removed

>> with

>> > >> XP?SP2).

>> > >>

>> > >> Should this be the case, DBXpress run in Extract From Disk Mode has

> the

>> > > best

>> > >> chance to recover messages:

>> > >> 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}.

>> > >>

>> > >> And backup often.

>> > >>

>> > >> Backup & Restore:

>> > >> http://www.insideoe.com/backup/

>> > >>

>> > >> This is a great two click program:

>> > >>

>> > >> Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB)

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

>> > >> --

>> > >> Bruce Hagen

>> > >> MS-MVP Outlook Express

>> > >> Imperial Beach, CA

>> > >>

>> > >> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

>> > >> news:eLNm3YwjIHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>> > >> > In OE 6, Windows 98, the entire contents of the Inbox just

>> > >> > vanished

>> > > after

>> > >> > restarting computer. There were about 4 weeks of e-mail in there.

>> > >> >

>> > >> > Other folders do not seem to be affected.

>> > >> >

>> > >> > I looked in the Outlook Express folder on my hard drive, and the

>> Inbox

>> > >> > file

>> > >> > at this address:

>> > >> >

>> > >> > C:\WINDOWS\Application

>> > >> >

>> Data\Identities\{9226D728-E116-11DA-8D61-00045A5FABE0}\Microsoft\Outlook

>> > >> > Express

>> > >> >

>> > >> > was down to something like 130 KB, containing just a lot of

>> unreadable

>> > >> > code.

>> > >> >

>> > >> > I normally move Inbox contents to other folders regularly to keep

>> Inbox

>> > >> > from

>> > >> > getting too large.

>> > >> >

>> > >> > I've never seen anything like this. The contents of a huge file

>> simply

>> > >> > vanishing.

>> > >> >

>> > >>

>> > >

>> >

>>

>

March 27, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

You can get Outlook Express.dbx viewers. Just google it for several

options, some freeware.

"Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

news:OVppJq6jIHA.4076@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

I just went back through all your posts. How large is this Inbox? An empty

Inbox is 59KB. I noted that you mentioned "small", "a couple hundred KB". I

don't know how much mail constitutes 4 weeks worth, but unless they are all

text, a couple hundred KB isn't very much.

I can't help with instructions for Macallan. What do you have in the message

store right now? An Inbox.dbx with the missing messages, and a new

Inbox(1).dbx that you are currently using? Or do you only have one

Inbox.dbx? If only one, that is a whole new ball game, and one you're likely

to lose.

From what I remember reading here in the past, I believe you need to close

OE and then rename the old Inbox to say, Inboxold.dbx. Then drag it to the

desktop and work on it there, but this just fragmented memories.

If you click on a dbx file to open, only Outlook Express can read it. With

Notepad, you will see somewhat meaningless letters and numbers. If they are

all zeros, I believe the file is empty. WordPad is not meant to open them at

all.

--

Bruce Hagen

MS-MVP Outlook Express

Imperial Beach, CA

"Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

news:Ot0kOT6jIHA.944@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>

> I downloaded the Macallan Outlook Express Extraction and it doesn't offer

> any instructions or anything. There's no indication of how to go about

> fixing a damaged .dbx file.

>

> The Inbox.dbx is currently working normally, that is, further e-mail I've

> received is my Inbox. Does that mean the Inbox.dbx is working correctly

> on

> some e-mails, while the older e-mails in it are corrupted? What actually

> happens to the .dbx file when the Outlook Express Extraction is run on it?

>

> Another odd thing. When I click on any .dbx file in the Outlook Express

> folder, even the smaller ones, I'm prompted to open it with WordPad

> instead

> of NotePad. Then when I open it, it's nothing but squares. No legible

> characters. As I remember from the past, when I would open a .dbx file I

> would see all the e-mail messages that were in the folder represented by

> that file.

>

> However, in the OE application itself, all my folders (except for the

> disappeared messages from the Inbox) are operating normally.

>

> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

> news:uoC7gl2jIHA.4664@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>> I compact manually every few weeks, usually after I've moved stuff from

> the

>> Inbox and Sent folder into my custom folders.

>>

>> > Bottom line is that you should backup OE daily if you value your

>> messages.

>>

>> This is news to me. I've never heard of saved files on a computer hard

>> drive simply vanishing, short of a hard drive failure.

>>

>> I will check out the programs you recommend. Thank you.

>>

>> Larry

>>

>> "Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

>> news:%23Eq4HH2jIHA.1188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>> > If background compacting was not checked, how often do you compact

>> manually?

>> > Moving or deleting messages does not retrieve wasted space until you

>> > compact.

>> >

>> > Bloated folders and interrupting compacting are the two most common

>> reasons

>> > for losing messages, but other things can cause it as well, such as

> e-mail

>> > scanning.

>> >

>> > Bottom line is that you should backup OE daily if you value your

> messages.

>> >

>> > At this point, the reason is moot. If you are sure background

>> > compacting

>> was

>> > not involved, then any of these programs may retrieve your messages.

>> >

>> > 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

>> > --

>> > Bruce Hagen

>> > MS-MVP Outlook Express

>> > Imperial Beach, CA

>> >

>> > "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

>> > news:OjxxpB2jIHA.6084@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>> > > Yes, Show All Messages is checked and nothing else is checked.

>> > >

>> > > The way this happened was: my computer froze last night and I

> restarted

>> > > it

>> > > by pressing the external restart button on the tower, which I

> regularly

>> do

>> > > when the computer freezes, which happens fairly frequently (Win 98!).

>> But

>> > > there was no compacting of OE going on at the time.

>> > >

>> > > And yes, I regularly follow all those steps for OE maintenance. I

> allow

>> > > up

>> > > to a month of messages in Inbox and Sent box, keeping older messages

> in

>> my

>> > > own custom folders.

>> > >

>> > > But it's still a mystery how this happened. I have never had a saved

>> file

>> > > on the hard drive simply become empty. Could it indicate a hard

>> > > drive

>> > > failure?

>> > >

>> > > Larry

>> > >

>> > > "Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

>> > > news:ertRD50jIHA.6092@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>> > >> While in the Inbox, View | Current View. Is Show All Messages

>> > >> checked

>> and

>> > >> nothing else?

>> > >>

>> > >> If that is the case, and the Inbox.dbx file is empty, (130KB is

>> > > essentially

>> > >> empty), In Tools | Options | Maintenance, is: Compact messages in

>> > > background

>> > >> checked? If so, OE was probably compacting the message store when

>> > >> you

>> > >> shut

>> > >> OE down, causing the loss of messages. (Why this option was removed

>> with

>> > >> XP?SP2).

>> > >>

>> > >> Should this be the case, DBXpress run in Extract From Disk Mode has

> the

>> > > best

>> > >> chance to recover messages:

>> > >> 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}.

>> > >>

>> > >> And backup often.

>> > >>

>> > >> Backup & Restore:

>> > >> http://www.insideoe.com/backup/

>> > >>

>> > >> This is a great two click program:

>> > >>

>> > >> Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB)

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

>> > >> --

>> > >> Bruce Hagen

>> > >> MS-MVP Outlook Express

>> > >> Imperial Beach, CA

>> > >>

>> > >> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

>> > >> news:eLNm3YwjIHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>> > >> > In OE 6, Windows 98, the entire contents of the Inbox just

>> > >> > vanished

>> > > after

>> > >> > restarting computer. There were about 4 weeks of e-mail in there.

>> > >> >

>> > >> > Other folders do not seem to be affected.

>> > >> >

>> > >> > I looked in the Outlook Express folder on my hard drive, and the

>> Inbox

>> > >> > file

>> > >> > at this address:

>> > >> >

>> > >> > C:\WINDOWS\Application

>> > >> >

>> Data\Identities\{9226D728-E116-11DA-8D61-00045A5FABE0}\Microsoft\Outlook

>> > >> > Express

>> > >> >

>> > >> > was down to something like 130 KB, containing just a lot of

>> unreadable

>> > >> > code.

>> > >> >

>> > >> > I normally move Inbox contents to other folders regularly to keep

>> Inbox

>> > >> > from

>> > >> > getting too large.

>> > >> >

>> > >> > I've never seen anything like this. The contents of a huge file

>> simply

>> > >> > vanishing.

>> > >> >

>> > >>

>> > >

>> >

>>

>

March 27, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

Strange things going on (see below), but I think the problem may be

solvable.

1. The Inbox, prior to the problem, would have been around 80 or 90 MB. As

I said, my procedure is to let it build up for a few weeks and then move a

lot of it into a custom folder. But after the problem occurred, the Inbox

was 130 KB. After I received e-mails since this morning, it went up to

about 400 KB.

2. But here's the strange thing: just now I looked again, and the only

Inbox.dbx in the OE folder has 1.24 MB!!! So somehow it's returned.

3. Yet the Inbox in the OE application is still just the e-mails received

since this morning.

4. When I click on a .dbx file (no matter how small), I get a message

saying "this is too large to open with NOtepad. Open with Wordpad?" When I

say yes, it opens in Wordpad, and the top of the file is just box

characters, but if I scroll down a ways, there is e-mails, html code and so

on.

5. However, if I do the same with Inbox.dbx, all it seems to show is

today's handful of e-mails, rather than the vast store of e-mails from the

last month. Yet the file has 1.24 MB.

"Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

news:OVppJq6jIHA.4076@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> I just went back through all your posts. How large is this Inbox? An empty

> Inbox is 59KB. I noted that you mentioned "small", "a couple hundred KB".

I

> don't know how much mail constitutes 4 weeks worth, but unless they are

all

> text, a couple hundred KB isn't very much.

>

> I can't help with instructions for Macallan. What do you have in the

message

> store right now? An Inbox.dbx with the missing messages, and a new

> Inbox(1).dbx that you are currently using? Or do you only have one

> Inbox.dbx? If only one, that is a whole new ball game, and one you're

likely

> to lose.

>

> From what I remember reading here in the past, I believe you need to close

> OE and then rename the old Inbox to say, Inboxold.dbx. Then drag it to the

> desktop and work on it there, but this just fragmented memories.

>

> If you click on a dbx file to open, only Outlook Express can read it. With

> Notepad, you will see somewhat meaningless letters and numbers. If they

are

> all zeros, I believe the file is empty. WordPad is not meant to open them

at

> all.

> --

> Bruce Hagen

> MS-MVP Outlook Express

> Imperial Beach, CA

>

> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

> news:Ot0kOT6jIHA.944@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> >

> > I downloaded the Macallan Outlook Express Extraction and it doesn't

offer

> > any instructions or anything. There's no indication of how to go about

> > fixing a damaged .dbx file.

> >

> > The Inbox.dbx is currently working normally, that is, further e-mail

I've

> > received is my Inbox. Does that mean the Inbox.dbx is working correctly

> > on

> > some e-mails, while the older e-mails in it are corrupted? What

actually

> > happens to the .dbx file when the Outlook Express Extraction is run on

it?

> >

> > Another odd thing. When I click on any .dbx file in the Outlook Express

> > folder, even the smaller ones, I'm prompted to open it with WordPad

> > instead

> > of NotePad. Then when I open it, it's nothing but squares. No legible

> > characters. As I remember from the past, when I would open a .dbx file

I

> > would see all the e-mail messages that were in the folder represented by

> > that file.

> >

> > However, in the OE application itself, all my folders (except for the

> > disappeared messages from the Inbox) are operating normally.

> >

> > "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

> > news:uoC7gl2jIHA.4664@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> >> I compact manually every few weeks, usually after I've moved stuff from

> > the

> >> Inbox and Sent folder into my custom folders.

> >>

> >> > Bottom line is that you should backup OE daily if you value your

> >> messages.

> >>

> >> This is news to me. I've never heard of saved files on a computer hard

> >> drive simply vanishing, short of a hard drive failure.

> >>

> >> I will check out the programs you recommend. Thank you.

> >>

> >> Larry

> >>

> >> "Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

> >> news:%23Eq4HH2jIHA.1188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> >> > If background compacting was not checked, how often do you compact

> >> manually?

> >> > Moving or deleting messages does not retrieve wasted space until you

> >> > compact.

> >> >

> >> > Bloated folders and interrupting compacting are the two most common

> >> reasons

> >> > for losing messages, but other things can cause it as well, such as

> > e-mail

> >> > scanning.

> >> >

> >> > Bottom line is that you should backup OE daily if you value your

> > messages.

> >> >

> >> > At this point, the reason is moot. If you are sure background

> >> > compacting

> >> was

> >> > not involved, then any of these programs may retrieve your messages.

> >> >

> >> > 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

> >> > --

> >> > Bruce Hagen

> >> > MS-MVP Outlook Express

> >> > Imperial Beach, CA

> >> >

> >> > "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

> >> > news:OjxxpB2jIHA.6084@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> >> > > Yes, Show All Messages is checked and nothing else is checked.

> >> > >

> >> > > The way this happened was: my computer froze last night and I

> > restarted

> >> > > it

> >> > > by pressing the external restart button on the tower, which I

> > regularly

> >> do

> >> > > when the computer freezes, which happens fairly frequently (Win

98!).

> >> But

> >> > > there was no compacting of OE going on at the time.

> >> > >

> >> > > And yes, I regularly follow all those steps for OE maintenance. I

> > allow

> >> > > up

> >> > > to a month of messages in Inbox and Sent box, keeping older

messages

> > in

> >> my

> >> > > own custom folders.

> >> > >

> >> > > But it's still a mystery how this happened. I have never had a

saved

> >> file

> >> > > on the hard drive simply become empty. Could it indicate a hard

> >> > > drive

> >> > > failure?

> >> > >

> >> > > Larry

> >> > >

> >> > > "Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

> >> > > news:ertRD50jIHA.6092@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> >> > >> While in the Inbox, View | Current View. Is Show All Messages

> >> > >> checked

> >> and

> >> > >> nothing else?

> >> > >>

> >> > >> If that is the case, and the Inbox.dbx file is empty, (130KB is

> >> > > essentially

> >> > >> empty), In Tools | Options | Maintenance, is: Compact messages in

> >> > > background

> >> > >> checked? If so, OE was probably compacting the message store when

> >> > >> you

> >> > >> shut

> >> > >> OE down, causing the loss of messages. (Why this option was

removed

> >> with

> >> > >> XP?SP2).

> >> > >>

> >> > >> Should this be the case, DBXpress run in Extract From Disk Mode

has

> > the

> >> > > best

> >> > >> chance to recover messages:

> >> > >> 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}.

> >> > >>

> >> > >> And backup often.

> >> > >>

> >> > >> Backup & Restore:

> >> > >> http://www.insideoe.com/backup/

> >> > >>

> >> > >> This is a great two click program:

> >> > >>

> >> > >> Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB)

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

> >> > >> --

> >> > >> Bruce Hagen

> >> > >> MS-MVP Outlook Express

> >> > >> Imperial Beach, CA

> >> > >>

> >> > >> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

> >> > >> news:eLNm3YwjIHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> >> > >> > In OE 6, Windows 98, the entire contents of the Inbox just

> >> > >> > vanished

> >> > > after

> >> > >> > restarting computer. There were about 4 weeks of e-mail in

there.

> >> > >> >

> >> > >> > Other folders do not seem to be affected.

> >> > >> >

> >> > >> > I looked in the Outlook Express folder on my hard drive, and the

> >> Inbox

> >> > >> > file

> >> > >> > at this address:

> >> > >> >

> >> > >> > C:\WINDOWS\Application

> >> > >> >

> >>

Data\Identities\{9226D728-E116-11DA-8D61-00045A5FABE0}\Microsoft\Outlook

> >> > >> > Express

> >> > >> >

> >> > >> > was down to something like 130 KB, containing just a lot of

> >> unreadable

> >> > >> > code.

> >> > >> >

> >> > >> > I normally move Inbox contents to other folders regularly to

keep

> >> Inbox

> >> > >> > from

> >> > >> > getting too large.

> >> > >> >

> >> > >> > I've never seen anything like this. The contents of a huge file

> >> simply

> >> > >> > vanishing.

> >> > >> >

> >> > >>

> >> > >

> >> >

> >>

> >

>

March 27, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

This gets stranger by the moment and is truly unique. (Unless you are

looking in message store folders for two different identities). I have never

seen the size of a dbx file get small, and then large again to the extent

you say. If it was me, this is what I would do.

Create a new folder and move all your existing Inbox mail to it so you at

least don't lose that.

Close OE and in Windows Explorer, drag the Inbox.dbx file to the Desktop.

Rename the Inbox.dbx file on the Desktop to Saved Mail.dbx. A new, empty

Inbox will be created when you open OE.

Open OE and create a folder called Saved Mail. Open the new folder and then

close OE. (You must do this). Go back to Windows Explorer and expand the

path to the Message Store folder for your OE identity, but don't open it.

Click on the Desktop and drag the file from the Desktop in the right hand

pane to the OE store folder in the left pane. Prompt - "Do you want to

overwrite......."? Click Yes.

Do the messages appear in the Saved Mail folder? If not, drag it back out of

the message store to the Desktop for safe keeping while we figure out where

to go next.

--

Bruce Hagen

MS-MVP Outlook Express

Imperial Beach, CA

"Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

news:eEDiT87jIHA.3400@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>

> Strange things going on (see below), but I think the problem may be

> solvable.

>

> 1. The Inbox, prior to the problem, would have been around 80 or 90 MB.

> As

> I said, my procedure is to let it build up for a few weeks and then move a

> lot of it into a custom folder. But after the problem occurred, the Inbox

> was 130 KB. After I received e-mails since this morning, it went up to

> about 400 KB.

>

> 2. But here's the strange thing: just now I looked again, and the only

> Inbox.dbx in the OE folder has 1.24 MB!!! So somehow it's returned.

>

> 3. Yet the Inbox in the OE application is still just the e-mails received

> since this morning.

>

> 4. When I click on a .dbx file (no matter how small), I get a message

> saying "this is too large to open with NOtepad. Open with Wordpad?" When

> I

> say yes, it opens in Wordpad, and the top of the file is just box

> characters, but if I scroll down a ways, there is e-mails, html code and

> so

> on.

>

> 5. However, if I do the same with Inbox.dbx, all it seems to show is

> today's handful of e-mails, rather than the vast store of e-mails from the

> last month. Yet the file has 1.24 MB.

>

> "Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

> news:OVppJq6jIHA.4076@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>> I just went back through all your posts. How large is this Inbox? An

>> empty

>> Inbox is 59KB. I noted that you mentioned "small", "a couple hundred KB".

> I

>> don't know how much mail constitutes 4 weeks worth, but unless they are

> all

>> text, a couple hundred KB isn't very much.

>>

>> I can't help with instructions for Macallan. What do you have in the

> message

>> store right now? An Inbox.dbx with the missing messages, and a new

>> Inbox(1).dbx that you are currently using? Or do you only have one

>> Inbox.dbx? If only one, that is a whole new ball game, and one you're

> likely

>> to lose.

>>

>> From what I remember reading here in the past, I believe you need to

>> close

>> OE and then rename the old Inbox to say, Inboxold.dbx. Then drag it to

>> the

>> desktop and work on it there, but this just fragmented memories.

>>

>> If you click on a dbx file to open, only Outlook Express can read it.

>> With

>> Notepad, you will see somewhat meaningless letters and numbers. If they

> are

>> all zeros, I believe the file is empty. WordPad is not meant to open them

> at

>> all.

>> --

>> Bruce Hagen

>> MS-MVP Outlook Express

>> Imperial Beach, CA

>>

>> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

>> news:Ot0kOT6jIHA.944@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

>> >

>> > I downloaded the Macallan Outlook Express Extraction and it doesn't

> offer

>> > any instructions or anything. There's no indication of how to go about

>> > fixing a damaged .dbx file.

>> >

>> > The Inbox.dbx is currently working normally, that is, further e-mail

> I've

>> > received is my Inbox. Does that mean the Inbox.dbx is working

>> > correctly

>> > on

>> > some e-mails, while the older e-mails in it are corrupted? What

> actually

>> > happens to the .dbx file when the Outlook Express Extraction is run on

> it?

>> >

>> > Another odd thing. When I click on any .dbx file in the Outlook

>> > Express

>> > folder, even the smaller ones, I'm prompted to open it with WordPad

>> > instead

>> > of NotePad. Then when I open it, it's nothing but squares. No legible

>> > characters. As I remember from the past, when I would open a .dbx file

> I

>> > would see all the e-mail messages that were in the folder represented

>> > by

>> > that file.

>> >

>> > However, in the OE application itself, all my folders (except for the

>> > disappeared messages from the Inbox) are operating normally.

>> >

>> > "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

>> > news:uoC7gl2jIHA.4664@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>> >> I compact manually every few weeks, usually after I've moved stuff

>> >> from

>> > the

>> >> Inbox and Sent folder into my custom folders.

>> >>

>> >> > Bottom line is that you should backup OE daily if you value your

>> >> messages.

>> >>

>> >> This is news to me. I've never heard of saved files on a computer

>> >> hard

>> >> drive simply vanishing, short of a hard drive failure.

>> >>

>> >> I will check out the programs you recommend. Thank you.

>> >>

>> >> Larry

>> >>

>> >> "Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

>> >> news:%23Eq4HH2jIHA.1188@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>> >> > If background compacting was not checked, how often do you compact

>> >> manually?

>> >> > Moving or deleting messages does not retrieve wasted space until you

>> >> > compact.

>> >> >

>> >> > Bloated folders and interrupting compacting are the two most common

>> >> reasons

>> >> > for losing messages, but other things can cause it as well, such as

>> > e-mail

>> >> > scanning.

>> >> >

>> >> > Bottom line is that you should backup OE daily if you value your

>> > messages.

>> >> >

>> >> > At this point, the reason is moot. If you are sure background

>> >> > compacting

>> >> was

>> >> > not involved, then any of these programs may retrieve your messages.

>> >> >

>> >> > 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

>> >> > --

>> >> > Bruce Hagen

>> >> > MS-MVP Outlook Express

>> >> > Imperial Beach, CA

>> >> >

>> >> > "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

>> >> > news:OjxxpB2jIHA.6084@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>> >> > > Yes, Show All Messages is checked and nothing else is checked.

>> >> > >

>> >> > > The way this happened was: my computer froze last night and I

>> > restarted

>> >> > > it

>> >> > > by pressing the external restart button on the tower, which I

>> > regularly

>> >> do

>> >> > > when the computer freezes, which happens fairly frequently (Win

> 98!).

>> >> But

>> >> > > there was no compacting of OE going on at the time.

>> >> > >

>> >> > > And yes, I regularly follow all those steps for OE maintenance. I

>> > allow

>> >> > > up

>> >> > > to a month of messages in Inbox and Sent box, keeping older

> messages

>> > in

>> >> my

>> >> > > own custom folders.

>> >> > >

>> >> > > But it's still a mystery how this happened. I have never had a

> saved

>> >> file

>> >> > > on the hard drive simply become empty. Could it indicate a hard

>> >> > > drive

>> >> > > failure?

>> >> > >

>> >> > > Larry

>> >> > >

>> >> > > "Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

>> >> > > news:ertRD50jIHA.6092@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>> >> > >> While in the Inbox, View | Current View. Is Show All Messages

>> >> > >> checked

>> >> and

>> >> > >> nothing else?

>> >> > >>

>> >> > >> If that is the case, and the Inbox.dbx file is empty, (130KB is

>> >> > > essentially

>> >> > >> empty), In Tools | Options | Maintenance, is: Compact messages in

>> >> > > background

>> >> > >> checked? If so, OE was probably compacting the message store when

>> >> > >> you

>> >> > >> shut

>> >> > >> OE down, causing the loss of messages. (Why this option was

> removed

>> >> with

>> >> > >> XP?SP2).

>> >> > >>

>> >> > >> Should this be the case, DBXpress run in Extract From Disk Mode

> has

>> > the

>> >> > > best

>> >> > >> chance to recover messages:

>> >> > >> 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}.

>> >> > >>

>> >> > >> And backup often.

>> >> > >>

>> >> > >> Backup & Restore:

>> >> > >> http://www.insideoe.com/backup/

>> >> > >>

>> >> > >> This is a great two click program:

>> >> > >>

>> >> > >> Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB)

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

>> >> > >> --

>> >> > >> Bruce Hagen

>> >> > >> MS-MVP Outlook Express

>> >> > >> Imperial Beach, CA

>> >> > >>

>> >> > >> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

>> >> > >> news:eLNm3YwjIHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>> >> > >> > In OE 6, Windows 98, the entire contents of the Inbox just

>> >> > >> > vanished

>> >> > > after

>> >> > >> > restarting computer. There were about 4 weeks of e-mail in

> there.

>> >> > >> >

>> >> > >> > Other folders do not seem to be affected.

>> >> > >> >

>> >> > >> > I looked in the Outlook Express folder on my hard drive, and

>> >> > >> > the

>> >> Inbox

>> >> > >> > file

>> >> > >> > at this address:

>> >> > >> >

>> >> > >> > C:\WINDOWS\Application

>> >> > >> >

>> >>

> Data\Identities\{9226D728-E116-11DA-8D61-00045A5FABE0}\Microsoft\Outlook

>> >> > >> > Express

>> >> > >> >

>> >> > >> > was down to something like 130 KB, containing just a lot of

>> >> unreadable

>> >> > >> > code.

>> >> > >> >

>> >> > >> > I normally move Inbox contents to other folders regularly to

> keep

>> >> Inbox

>> >> > >> > from

>> >> > >> > getting too large.

>> >> > >> >

>> >> > >> > I've never seen anything like this. The contents of a huge

>> >> > >> > file

>> >> simply

>> >> > >> > vanishing.

>> >> > >> >

>> >> > >>

>> >> > >

>> >> >

>> >>

>> >

>>

>

March 27, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

Bruce,

I've done all the steps.

Nothing appears in the Saved Mail folder. Also, when I open Saved Mail.dbx,

it's the same as before: even though the file is 1.24 MB, there are just

the e-mails from yesterday.

I've moved the Saved Mail.dbx back to Desktop.

Until tomorrow.

Many thanks for your help.

Larry

"Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

news:eBNpaJ8jIHA.5820@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> This gets stranger by the moment and is truly unique. (Unless you are

> looking in message store folders for two different identities). I have

never

> seen the size of a dbx file get small, and then large again to the extent

> you say. If it was me, this is what I would do.

>

> Create a new folder and move all your existing Inbox mail to it so you at

> least don't lose that.

>

> Close OE and in Windows Explorer, drag the Inbox.dbx file to the Desktop.

> Rename the Inbox.dbx file on the Desktop to Saved Mail.dbx. A new, empty

> Inbox will be created when you open OE.

>

> Open OE and create a folder called Saved Mail. Open the new folder and

then

> close OE. (You must do this). Go back to Windows Explorer and expand the

> path to the Message Store folder for your OE identity, but don't open it.

> Click on the Desktop and drag the file from the Desktop in the right hand

> pane to the OE store folder in the left pane. Prompt - "Do you want to

> overwrite......."? Click Yes.

>

> Do the messages appear in the Saved Mail folder? If not, drag it back out

of

> the message store to the Desktop for safe keeping while we figure out

where

> to go next.

> --

> Bruce Hagen

> MS-MVP Outlook Express

> Imperial Beach, CA

>

> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

> news:eEDiT87jIHA.3400@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> >

> > Strange things going on (see below), but I think the problem may be

> > solvable.

> >

> > 1. The Inbox, prior to the problem, would have been around 80 or 90 MB.

> > As

> > I said, my procedure is to let it build up for a few weeks and then move

a

> > lot of it into a custom folder. But after the problem occurred, the

Inbox

> > was 130 KB. After I received e-mails since this morning, it went up to

> > about 400 KB.

> >

> > 2. But here's the strange thing: just now I looked again, and the only

> > Inbox.dbx in the OE folder has 1.24 MB!!! So somehow it's returned.

> >

> > 3. Yet the Inbox in the OE application is still just the e-mails

received

> > since this morning.

> >

> > 4. When I click on a .dbx file (no matter how small), I get a message

> > saying "this is too large to open with NOtepad. Open with Wordpad?"

When

> > I

> > say yes, it opens in Wordpad, and the top of the file is just box

> > characters, but if I scroll down a ways, there is e-mails, html code and

> > so

> > on.

> >

> > 5. However, if I do the same with Inbox.dbx, all it seems to show is

> > today's handful of e-mails, rather than the vast store of e-mails from

the

> > last month. Yet the file has 1.24 MB.

> >

March 27, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

> I haven't been following this thread but this confuses me. How did you

determine the size of it when it was 400KB? And when it was 1.24 MB?

By seeing the size of the Inbox.dbx file in Windows Explorer.

> > 2. Get any of the many programs to extract messages from .dbx files and

run

> it

I did try OE Extract and it doesn't do anything and provides no

instructions, so I guess one of the nonfreeware apps is next.

"dadiOH" <someone@fuggetit.com> wrote in message

news:eGJ5QW$jIHA.4120@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

> Larry wrote:

> > Strange things going on (see below), but I think the problem may be

> > solvable.

> >

> > 1. The Inbox, prior to the problem, would have been around 80 or 90

> > MB. As I said, my procedure is to let it build up for a few weeks

> > and then move a lot of it into a custom folder. But after the

> > problem occurred, the Inbox was 130 KB. After I received e-mails

> > since this morning, it went up to about 400 KB.

> >

> > 2. But here's the strange thing: just now I looked again, and the

> > only Inbox.dbx in the OE folder has 1.24 MB!!! So somehow it's

> > returned.

>

> I haven't been following this thread but this confuses me. How did you

> determine the size of it when it was 400KB? And when it was 1.24 MB?

> ________________

>

> > 3. Yet the Inbox in the OE application is still just the e-mails

> > received since this morning.

>

> Because it is screwed up. That is, whatever methodology used to determine

> messages start/end and/or count is wrong. Like a file that has its EOF in

> the wrong place/

> __________________

>

> This is what I'd do...

>

> 1. Save a copy of Inbox.dbx somewhere

>

> 2. Get any of the many programs to extract messages from .dbx files and

run

> it

>

> 3. If it is successful in getting your messages, save them as MAIL (

i.e.,

> *.eml - separate, discrete messages) in a folder on your desktop.

>

> If not successful, forget what follows.

>

> 4. Delete Inbox.dbx using Explorer

>

> 5. Open OE and display its Inbox - which should now be empty

>

> 6. Select all the recovered email messages in your temporary desktop

folder

> and drag them to the OE pane where they would normally be displayed.

>

> 7. Close OE

>

> dadiOH

>

March 27, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

Try MiTeC OEView.

--

MEB http://peoplescounsel.orgfree.com

--

_________

"Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

news:erUy0yAkIHA.6032@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

| > I haven't been following this thread but this confuses me. How did you

| determine the size of it when it was 400KB? And when it was 1.24 MB?

|

| By seeing the size of the Inbox.dbx file in Windows Explorer.

|

| > > 2. Get any of the many programs to extract messages from .dbx files

and

| run

| > it

|

| I did try OE Extract and it doesn't do anything and provides no

| instructions, so I guess one of the nonfreeware apps is next.

|

| "dadiOH" <someone@fuggetit.com> wrote in message

| news:eGJ5QW$jIHA.4120@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

| > Larry wrote:

| > > Strange things going on (see below), but I think the problem may be

| > > solvable.

| > >

| > > 1. The Inbox, prior to the problem, would have been around 80 or 90

| > > MB. As I said, my procedure is to let it build up for a few weeks

| > > and then move a lot of it into a custom folder. But after the

| > > problem occurred, the Inbox was 130 KB. After I received e-mails

| > > since this morning, it went up to about 400 KB.

| > >

| > > 2. But here's the strange thing: just now I looked again, and the

| > > only Inbox.dbx in the OE folder has 1.24 MB!!! So somehow it's

| > > returned.

| >

| > I haven't been following this thread but this confuses me. How did you

| > determine the size of it when it was 400KB? And when it was 1.24 MB?

| > ________________

| >

| > > 3. Yet the Inbox in the OE application is still just the e-mails

| > > received since this morning.

| >

| > Because it is screwed up. That is, whatever methodology used to

determine

| > messages start/end and/or count is wrong. Like a file that has its EOF

in

| > the wrong place/

| > __________________

| >

| > This is what I'd do...

| >

| > 1. Save a copy of Inbox.dbx somewhere

| >

| > 2. Get any of the many programs to extract messages from .dbx files and

| run

| > it

| >

| > 3. If it is successful in getting your messages, save them as MAIL (

| i.e.,

| > *.eml - separate, discrete messages) in a folder on your desktop.

| >

| > If not successful, forget what follows.

| >

| > 4. Delete Inbox.dbx using Explorer

| >

| > 5. Open OE and display its Inbox - which should now be empty

| >

| > 6. Select all the recovered email messages in your temporary desktop

| folder

| > and drag them to the OE pane where they would normally be displayed.

| >

| > 7. Close OE

| >

| > dadiOH

| >

|

March 27, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

Your only choice now is to find instructions for Macallan and run it on this

Saved Mail folder. Also remember that if you delete all messages from a

folder, the size won't change until you compact, so it is possible that

there is nothing in this folder to extract. If that is the case, only

DBXpress run in Extract From Disk mode has a chance as it reads directly

from the HDD and does not depend on the message being in the dbx file.

I'm sorry I can't be more encouraging. I would say you have been very lucky

up until now. You are going to have to start keeping OE neater, and back it

up reguarly. When I open my Inbox, I read the mail and then either delete it

or move it. The Inbox and Sent Items are the folders most likely to see

corruption as they are accessed the most.

Also, you had 120MB, + or - in the Inbox for what you say was about one

month. That's a lot. My entire Outlook Express message store is only 231MB

right now and I haven't compacted in a few days.

I'll leave for now with my previous warning, but if you have any more

questions, please do post back.

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}.

And backup often.

Backup & Restore:

http://www.insideoe.com/backup/

This is a great two click program:

Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB)

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

--

Bruce Hagen

MS-MVP Outlook Express

Imperial Beach, CA

"Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

news:eOp0Ou8jIHA.1184@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>

> Bruce,

>

> I've done all the steps.

>

> Nothing appears in the Saved Mail folder. Also, when I open Saved

> Mail.dbx,

> it's the same as before: even though the file is 1.24 MB, there are just

> the e-mails from yesterday.

>

> I've moved the Saved Mail.dbx back to Desktop.

>

> Until tomorrow.

>

> Many thanks for your help.

>

> Larry

>

> "Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@mymail.invalid> wrote in message

> news:eBNpaJ8jIHA.5820@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

>> This gets stranger by the moment and is truly unique. (Unless you are

>> looking in message store folders for two different identities). I have

> never

>> seen the size of a dbx file get small, and then large again to the extent

>> you say. If it was me, this is what I would do.

>>

>> Create a new folder and move all your existing Inbox mail to it so you at

>> least don't lose that.

>>

>> Close OE and in Windows Explorer, drag the Inbox.dbx file to the Desktop.

>> Rename the Inbox.dbx file on the Desktop to Saved Mail.dbx. A new, empty

>> Inbox will be created when you open OE.

>>

>> Open OE and create a folder called Saved Mail. Open the new folder and

> then

>> close OE. (You must do this). Go back to Windows Explorer and expand the

>> path to the Message Store folder for your OE identity, but don't open it.

>> Click on the Desktop and drag the file from the Desktop in the right hand

>> pane to the OE store folder in the left pane. Prompt - "Do you want to

>> overwrite......."? Click Yes.

>>

>> Do the messages appear in the Saved Mail folder? If not, drag it back out

> of

>> the message store to the Desktop for safe keeping while we figure out

> where

>> to go next.

>> --

>> Bruce Hagen

>> MS-MVP Outlook Express

>> Imperial Beach, CA

>>

>> "Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

>> news:eEDiT87jIHA.3400@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>> >

>> > Strange things going on (see below), but I think the problem may be

>> > solvable.

>> >

>> > 1. The Inbox, prior to the problem, would have been around 80 or 90 MB.

>> > As

>> > I said, my procedure is to let it build up for a few weeks and then

>> > move

> a

>> > lot of it into a custom folder. But after the problem occurred, the

> Inbox

>> > was 130 KB. After I received e-mails since this morning, it went up to

>> > about 400 KB.

>> >

>> > 2. But here's the strange thing: just now I looked again, and the

>> > only

>> > Inbox.dbx in the OE folder has 1.24 MB!!! So somehow it's returned.

>> >

>> > 3. Yet the Inbox in the OE application is still just the e-mails

> received

>> > since this morning.

>> >

>> > 4. When I click on a .dbx file (no matter how small), I get a message

>> > saying "this is too large to open with NOtepad. Open with Wordpad?"

> When

>> > I

>> > say yes, it opens in Wordpad, and the top of the file is just box

>> > characters, but if I scroll down a ways, there is e-mails, html code

>> > and

>> > so

>> > on.

>> >

>> > 5. However, if I do the same with Inbox.dbx, all it seems to show is

>> > today's handful of e-mails, rather than the vast store of e-mails from

> the

>> > last month. Yet the file has 1.24 MB.

>> >

>

March 27, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

Larry wrote:

> Strange things going on (see below), but I think the problem may be

> solvable.

>

> 1. The Inbox, prior to the problem, would have been around 80 or 90

> MB. As I said, my procedure is to let it build up for a few weeks

> and then move a lot of it into a custom folder. But after the

> problem occurred, the Inbox was 130 KB. After I received e-mails

> since this morning, it went up to about 400 KB.

>

> 2. But here's the strange thing: just now I looked again, and the

> only Inbox.dbx in the OE folder has 1.24 MB!!! So somehow it's

> returned.

I haven't been following this thread but this confuses me. How did you

determine the size of it when it was 400KB? And when it was 1.24 MB?

________________

> 3. Yet the Inbox in the OE application is still just the e-mails

> received since this morning.

Because it is screwed up. That is, whatever methodology used to determine

messages start/end and/or count is wrong. Like a file that has its EOF in

the wrong place/

__________________

This is what I'd do...

1. Save a copy of Inbox.dbx somewhere

2. Get any of the many programs to extract messages from .dbx files and run

it

3. If it is successful in getting your messages, save them as MAIL ( i.e.,

*.eml - separate, discrete messages) in a folder on your desktop.

If not successful, forget what follows.

4. Delete Inbox.dbx using Explorer

5. Open OE and display its Inbox - which should now be empty

6. Select all the recovered email messages in your temporary desktop folder

and drag them to the OE pane where they would normally be displayed.

7. Close OE

dadiOH

March 27, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

I don't understand why you can't believe that "yesterday's" email can't be

1.24 MB. Any messages with images embedded or attached?

--

Gary S. Terhune

MS-MVP Shell/User

http://www.grystmill.com

"Larry" <larry328NOSPAM@att.net> wrote in message

news:erUy0yAkIHA.6032@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

>> I haven't been following this thread but this confuses me. How did you

> determine the size of it when it was 400KB? And when it was 1.24 MB?

>

> By seeing the size of the Inbox.dbx file in Windows Explorer.

>

>> > 2. Get any of the many programs to extract messages from .dbx files

>> and

> run

>> it

>

> I did try OE Extract and it doesn't do anything and provides no

> instructions, so I guess one of the nonfreeware apps is next.

>

> "dadiOH" <someone@fuggetit.com> wrote in message

> news:eGJ5QW$jIHA.4120@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl...

>> Larry wrote:

>> > Strange things going on (see below), but I think the problem may be

>> > solvable.

>> >

>> > 1. The Inbox, prior to the problem, would have been around 80 or 90

>> > MB. As I said, my procedure is to let it build up for a few weeks

>> > and then move a lot of it into a custom folder. But after the

>> > problem occurred, the Inbox was 130 KB. After I received e-mails

>> > since this morning, it went up to about 400 KB.

>> >

>> > 2. But here's the strange thing: just now I looked again, and the

>> > only Inbox.dbx in the OE folder has 1.24 MB!!! So somehow it's

>> > returned.

>>

>> I haven't been following this thread but this confuses me. How did you

>> determine the size of it when it was 400KB? And when it was 1.24 MB?

>> ________________

>>

>> > 3. Yet the Inbox in the OE application is still just the e-mails

>> > received since this morning.

>>

>> Because it is screwed up. That is, whatever methodology used to

>> determine

>> messages start/end and/or count is wrong. Like a file that has its EOF

>> in

>> the wrong place/

>> __________________

>>

>> This is what I'd do...

>>

>> 1. Save a copy of Inbox.dbx somewhere

>>

>> 2. Get any of the many programs to extract messages from .dbx files and

> run

>> it

>>

>> 3. If it is successful in getting your messages, save them as MAIL (

> i.e.,

>> *.eml - separate, discrete messages) in a folder on your desktop.

>>

>> If not successful, forget what follows.

>>

>> 4. Delete Inbox.dbx using Explorer

>>

>> 5. Open OE and display its Inbox - which should now be empty

>>

>> 6. Select all the recovered email messages in your temporary desktop

> folder

>> and drag them to the OE pane where they would normally be displayed.

>>

>> 7. Close OE

>>

>> dadiOH

>>

>

March 27, 2008

Re: Inbox contents simply vanished

In article <eLNm3YwjIHA.1204@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl>,

larry328NOSPAM@att.net says...

> In OE 6, Windows 98, the entire contents of the Inbox just vanished after

> restarting computer. There were about 4 weeks of e-mail in there.

>

> Other folders do not seem to be affected.

>

> I looked in the Outlook Express folder on my hard drive, and the Inbox file

> at this address:

>

> C:\WINDOWS\Application

> Data\Identities\{9226D728-E116-11DA-8D61-00045A5FABE0}\Microsoft\Outlook

> Express

>

> was down to something like 130 KB, containing just a lot of unreadable code.

>

> I normally move Inbox contents to other folders regularly to keep Inbox from

> getting too large.

>

> I've never seen anything like this. The contents of a huge file simply

> vanishing.

>

Larry, Try Thunderbird Mailclient as a means of solving your

MS mail problems.

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/thunderbird/

Casey

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