[jch02140]

Hi,

I am using Windows 2000 Professional version. I was trying to compress the Outlook Express folders but I got a popup error message that says not enough disk space. I looked at my C: and I still got around 20GB worth of space left out of 120GB. I decided to try again but then I noticed 2 years worth of emails are missing after I reopen the email program.

I tried...

- using various outlook express recovery programs to try and recover missing emails but nothings comes out.
- looking at the recycled bin, hoping to find any *.dbx files but none
- looking at the folder path of Outlook Exprss storing all the email folders for any <folder_name>(1).dbx or something similar but only the original dbxfiles present.

I am wondering if it is still possible to recover the lost emails? Are they gone forever?

I wanted to use System Restore but Win2000 doesn't seems to present that option...

Best Regards,

[eddie5659]

Hiya and welcome to Tech Support Guy

Do you have Mcafee installed? If not, its okay. Its just that some inbox problems have been caused by Mcafee.

Either way, see if this helps:

In Outlook Express, go to Tools | Options | Maintenance

And look for the location of the Store Folder.

Then, close Outlook Express.

Open Windows Explorer, and navigate to the Store Folder.

You should see Inbox.dbx and an Inbox.bak files.

Rename the Inbox.dbx file to Inboxold.dbx (right-click and select Rename).

Rename the Inbox.bak to Inbox.dbx

Close Windows Explorer, and see if that has worked in Outlook Express.

------------

If you can't see anything, you may need to unhide the folder. To do that, click on Tools | Folder Options. View tab. Select Show Hidden Files and Folders.

You may also need to Unselect this option, Hide Extensions for Known File Types.

Apply and OK.


Regards

eddie

[jch02140]

Hi Eddie,

Thanks for the reply.

My PC doesn't have Mcafee installed.
Also, I tried looking into the storage folder of my outlook express program...
but there aren't any *.bak files....

I tried to uncheck the hide system files and folders but nothing shows up...
Does that mean I have no way to recover the lsot emails? :|

[eddie5659]

using various outlook express recovery programs to try and recover missing emails but nothings comes out.

Can you tell me which programs you've tried?

Also, which version of Outlook Express is it?

eddie

[jch02140]

I tried Recovery Toolbox for Outlook Express, Stellar Phoenix Outlook Express Recovery and OE-Mail Recovery.

The version of Outlook express installed is 6.00.2800.1106

[eddie5659]

I've found this whilst looking in the newsgroups, it may work for you:

How to retrieve missing emails after compaction.

(this requires you to be able to see hidden files and file extensions.
Method: Open My Computer, click Tools menu, Folder options, Views tab, Click
Show Hidden files, untick hide extensions for known file types, click OK)

1. Open Outlook Express
2. Create a new mailbox eg. Damagedinbox (right click on Local folders,
choose New Folder)
3. Close Outlook Express
4. Go to the folder location for the Inbox, somewhere in the hidden folder.
For me the folder is here C:\Documents and Settings\Matt\Local
Settings\Application
Data\Identities\{4585D85C-62DB-482E-93D4-DFE0635E6935}\Microsoft\Outlook
Express
5. Delete the file Damagedinbox.dbx
6. Rename the file Inbox.bak to DamagedInbox.dbx
7. Open Outlook Express, and look in the folder Damagedinbox and you should
see all your missing emails.

http://www.microsoft.com/communities...en&cr=US&sloc=

[eddie5659]

You may want to move the emails you have at the moment in the Inbox, to another folder, just in case before you attempt the above, whilst in Outlook Express

[jch02140]

I can't seem to locate any other dbx files other than those in the outlook express path (with showing hidden files/folders option checked). I would guess the emails are lost...

Thanks for the help guys...

[eddie5659]

I'll ask a few others, and see if they have any ideas.

Back soon

eddie

[TheOutcaste]

Couple of long shot ideas, but it's not looking too good. I'm assuming you've searched the drive for both *.bak and *.dbx and haven't found anything.

You might try some data recovery software. First one that comes to mind is GetDataBack from Runtime. It's free to try to see if it will work. It's the only program that was able to recover some of my files from a damaged hard drive several years ago.
Whatever the error was when compressing the database, Windows may have forgotten to unallocate the space used by the original file, or any temp files it was using, so they may be there but just not listed in the Directory so you can find them. Recovery Software may be able to find something in this case fairly easy.
If you've run chkdsk though, one of the things it "fixes" is space marked as allocated but not part of a file in any of the directories. It doesn't delete the data, but marks the cluster as available for use.

If the space was unallocated, it may have already been overwritten if you've continued using the drive, especially if a defrag has been done, or you've installed much software.

Another option that might recover some of the text is to use something line Runtime's DiskExplorer to search for email addresses or other bits of text you remember from any of the lost emails in the free space on the drive.
NTFS uses 4096 byte clusters, that's room for 700-800 words, enough for 2-3 short messages including headers. FAT32 clusters would be 32 KB on a 120 GB drive.
Problem is there may be multiple copies of emails you already have that you'd have to wade through, unless you have fairly unique phrases to search for, and you may only find pieces of longer messages with none of the headers, so no info for who sent it or when.
Long and tedious, but sounds like you've tried all the usual methods.

Free recovery applications:

Check Elvandil's list of software here

1 - Recover Files
2 - Recuva
3 - Restoration
4 - Free Undelete (NTFS only)
5 - Softperfect File Recovery
6 - Undelete Plus
7 - PCI File Recovery
8 - DriveRescue (direct download link)
9 - Ultimate Data Recovery
10 - Disk Investigator

Commercial recovery applications:

GetdataBack
O&O DiskRecovery
R-Studio
Stellar Phoenix

[eddie5659]

Thanks Outcaste

[EAFiedler]

I would also like to point out that the process where .bak files were created and placed in the Recycle Bin started with the Cumulative Security Update for Outlook Express. Since you are using Windows 2000, were you able to apply that update?



I empathize with your predicament, I have been through it myself and it is a hard lump to swallow as it did not end well.
Definitely try all the free tools that you have been given.
I have purchased DBXpress to reclaim messages from .dbx files. I have also attempted to reclaim messages from .dbx files that another member on this board had, though, it was not successful. The .dbx files were too corrupted for DBXpress to read them.

If you are interested, I will make that same offer to you, but there is no guarantee of recovery.



As a preventative measure, you should consider turning off background compaction in Outlook Express:
Tools > Options > Maintenance tab
Repeat for each Identity that you have or create in the future.

There is a free backup program you can use here:
http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx

[EAFiedler]

Originally Posted by EAFiedler

The .dbx files were too corrupted for DBXpress to read them.

I am going to rephrase the above statement, to: The .dbx files were simply empty so there was nothing for DBXpress to recover.
Before Steve Cochran sends me an e-mail.

As stated earlier, DBXpress is not free, but installed on your hard drive, it should be able to search for .dbx and .dbt files.
http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx

[Ed999]

Many bizarre behaviors in Outlook Express are caused by small errors in the file “Folders.dbx.” This file is the master index of the message store folder and damaged entries there can create all sorts of fun, such as the wrong message or folder being displayed. When you compact all folders you are also updating this master index.

The Store Folder is usually located deep within the Documents and Settings folder in Windows 2000 and is by default marked as a hidden folder. This makes it tricky to find your Store Folder in Windows Explorer, but there is a very good reason for this. One source of DBX corruption is trying to open and edit a DBX file yourself.

You have severe file corruption. Read this, it might help you (especially the section headed "Recovering from Corruption"): http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/community/columns/filecorruption.mspx

This page of recovery tools might also be of some use to you: http://www.insideoe.com/resources/tools.htm