[lost emails after compacting]

Prior to compacting the files, a copy is created and sent to the Recycle Bin. Unless you have emptied it, there should be a number of files with the *.bak extension.

Highlight them all (ctrl+click on each one) and hit ctrl+c.

Open Windows Explorer and navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Local Settings\Application Data \Identities\{GUID}\Microsoft\Outlook Express where {GUID} is a unique alphanumeric number.

Click in the right hand pane and hit ctrl+v.

Change the extension for the existing files from *.dbx to e.g. *.xyz and change the extension for the copied files from *.bak to *.dbx. When you have verified that the restore went well, delete the *.xyz files.

Christer

EDITED: I did not remember that the files created and sent to the Recycle Bin have the extension *.bak and I edited my post to correct my mistake. (Thanks to PeteC for the PM!)

 

PeteC also directed me to how to restore a .BAK file where it is indicated that you need to move and recreate the files in the store location prior to restoring from the Recycle Bin. I don't think that is necessary if you restore ALL OF the *.bak files and not an individual file only. If all of them are restored, the file Folders.bak is also restored and the information in that file is "synchronised" with the other files (number and names).

(I have found out that if a file, e.g. a user created "Important.dbx ", is deleted in Windows Explorer, the next time Outlook Express is opened, it gets recreated because the information in Folders.dbx says that it should be there. If the file is deleted from within Outlook Express, it stays deleted since Folders.dbx was updated.)

Christer