Re: "Compacting Files" wiped out my personal folders (OE6) and His

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

I found all my files by following the "Find Store Folder" at the following:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/community/columns/filecorruption.mspx
Thanks!
Now, how can I get some of the files back back (uncompact them?), see saved
e-mails within the DBX files, and move them back to OE6?


"PA Bear" wrote:

I received a popup that (I believe) said compacting messages would free up
disc space and improve performance. I did that. Now all my personal
folders
(in OE6) are gone

Why it happens:

http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/problems/bugs.htm#mailgone
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/community/columns/filecorruption.mspx

Recovering the missing data: http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx (#2 and #4)
and http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=918069 (Notes section under
Resolution)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DBXpress (faster, more powerful, with even greater functionality)
http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Avoiding Such Corruption in Future:

- Don't use Inbox or Sent Items to archive messages. Move them to local
folders created for this purpose.

- Empty Deleted Items folder daily.

- Disable Background Compacting [not available in SP2] and frequently
perform a manual compact of all OE folders while "working offline". More at
http://www.insideoe.com/files/maintain.htm

- WinXP SP2 only: Do not shut down your machine while Windows is
automatically compacting your message store.

- Your anti-virus application's email scanning feature can also cause such
corruption. Disable it. It provides no additional protection.

...when I click on "History" for previous websites
visited (Internet Explorer), there is nothing there.

Automatic Compacting did not cause the above.
--
OE-specific newsgroup:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlookexpress.general

~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE, OE, Security, Shell/User)


oldtimerkdr wrote:
I received a popup that (I believe) said compacting messages would free up
disc space and improve performance. I did that. Now all my personal
folders
(in OE6) are gone plus when I click on "History" for previous websites
visited (Internet Explorer), there is nothing there.
- I may have clicked on something else before the compacting process was
complete, because it starting acting screwy when I did
- I have done a "System Restore" to dates prior to the compacting and they
still aren't there


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: .dbx folder - does not show in OE6 window
    ... Just an FYI. Manually compacting all folders in the manner Gerry explained /does/ reset the registry counter back to zero. ... Fortunately, once the scan is complete, it offers the opportunity "Continue Anyway" which allows the user an opportunity to examine its' findings and copy specific Registry details to the clipboard. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6_outlookexpress)
  • Re: Compacting once a day - a series of beeps - not closing
    ... Is Windows Search installed? ... Frequently perform a manual compact of all OE folders while "working offline". ... Do not cancel Automatic Compacting, should it occur, and do not attempt to close OE via Task Manager or shutdown your machine if Automatic Compacting is taking place. ... open or close OE6. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6_outlookexpress)
  • Re: Where are Compacted OE Messages stored ???
    ... Now when you compact, a copy of your dbx files are sent to the Recycle Bin in the event that something should go wrong and messages, or entire folders, are lost when you are compacting. ... This new mandatory backup is something people have been asking for quite awhile as we spend a lot of time helping people getting their messages back, and they have to purchase a tool to recover messages. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6_outlookexpress)
  • Re: Lost Inbox Contents from Compacting Inbox
    ... Yes, as I wrote in the original post, My OE froze while compacting my Inbox, ... Why does OE insist on compacting folders when I close it?: ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6_outlookexpress)
  • Re: Problem Manually Compacting OE 6
    ... compacting all and I still get the directdb.dll error. ... create new folders, move the messages to them and then compact. ... General precautions for Outlook Express: ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6_outlookexpress)