huge .dbx files, OE6

I had a problem where I was getting an msimn.exe error whenever I sent an email.

I did a search of this site and found a fix:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q288085

I fixed the problem but noticed the sent.dbx folder is 44meg even though I only 5 emails in the sent email folder, my deleted folder is empty but the .dbx showed 47 meg.

What's going on?

Thanks
Will

 

Are you compacting regularly???(or at all??)
Biggest reason for folder corruption is "improper" compaction.
See here Inside OE--maintain

 

I use Outlook on my computer and (as far as I know) don't have to compact my folders.

The problem was with my son's email account on the other computer, I'll read that link and see if I can figure it out, thanks JW.

Why does MS do this? When we delete emails why do they still hide in the .dbx file? Seems kinda weird¿
Will

 

Why MS does what ever they do I really have no idea But DBX files are a strange world unto themselves..or so say the experts ie.Dr. Steve Cochran author of DBXTract...A tool used to "recover" messages from those <i>empty</I> DBX folders. Useful tool sooner or later if you use OE a lot..Check it out HERE
AS far as OP goes I'm pretty confident compacrtion will take care of you.

 

What I would do, is close down Outlook Express, and find and delete both sent items.dbx and deleted items.dbx.

As soon as you relaunch Outlook Express brand new folders are automatically created, and they will be slimmed down no end.

Good luck,

 

Okay Tony, but this won't delete any emails my son has saved will it?

Are .dbx files tied directly to the folders he has or are they seperate altogether? If they're seperate, couln't I just delete all the .dbx files?

Thanks guys
Will

 

The dbx files are the folders.

Just move the few e-mails you want to preserve to another folder.
You can even create a new temporary folder to hold those.

Then close down OE, start by deleting the two that seem to bother you the most, and relaunch OE.

Then ove the messages back into your newly created folders.