-=PCTechTalk=- Re: Outlook Express Error Message

Hi Don,
    I've found that regaining access to a lost folder is a little more 
involved.  I've found that the most foolproof (and we all know what THAT 
means      lol) way is to open up Windows Explorer and physically Move the 
affected DBX file out of the Store folder (just send it to the Store's 
parent folder temporarily).  Then, from inside OE, create a folder using the 
same exact name (minus the .DBX part").  Click directly on the new folder 
and OE will create an empty DBX file in OE's Store folder (back in Windows 
Explorer) using that folder's name.  It should also be the exact same 
filename as the DBX file you Moved in the earlier step.  If it's not, you 
made a mistake somewhere.  If it is, close OE, Move the saved DBX file back 
to the Store folder and answer Yes when asked if you want to replace the one 
that's there.  When you open up OE, your old messages will be available in 
that new OE folder you created.  Feel free to Move it wherever you like 
within OE's tree structure.

    The reason this works better than the instructions you found is because 
OE can go as far as removing all of the messages in the original file if 
it's not done right.  As an example, one problem occurs when there is more 
than one folder using the same name.  In Windows Explorer, you'll easily see 
that one file uses the name given (for example, "Holding.dbx") while the 
remaining ones using the same name are numbered ("Holding (2).dbx" "Holding 
(3).dbx" "Holding (4).dbx", etc.).  Name your unused DBX file wrong and it 
would simply create another munbered file instead of using the precise 
filename + .DBX you would expect.  The result would be that none of the 
messages appear even though you followed the instructions to the letter. 
I'll also add that it's not always easy to determine which of a numbered 
series of files is not being used.  If it's been a while since you last 
compacted the folders within OE< you'll be able to tell by the Last Accessed 
date shown in the file's Property sheet.  If you just finished Compacting 
them, they'll all show the same date and you'll need to find another method. 
I simply locate each and remove the last letter from the filename used 
within OE.  The DBX files that change their names accordingly ("Holdin 
(2).dbx" "Holdin (3).dbx" "Holdin (4).dbx", etc.).  When you've done them 
all, the one that's still called "Holding (x).dbx" (where x can be any 
number) is the one that's not working right.  Now, you'll have to go back 
and fix all of the names inside OE and then create a new folder that's 
actually called "Holding (x).dbx" (where x represents the number you found 
on the unused DBX file above).

    I know this makes those instructions much more complicated than they 
should have to be, but it's the clearest way to OE bliss that I've found 
over the years.  Luckily, you'll only be called on to go through something 
like this once in a few blue moons.        :O)

Peace,
GMan

"The only dumb questions are the ones that are never asked!"

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Wilcox" <dwilcox3@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 7:58 PM
Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- Re: Outlook Express Error Message
...
>
> To regain the messages in any message dbx file, simply create a folder in
> Outlook Express with the exact same name.  OE will use it instead of
> creating a new folder.
>
> Don 


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