finding lost e-mail OE 6

Hello All!

Quick (I hope) question:

I recently blew up my computer. (Yes, I should know by now that I should never, ever try to upgrade important operational files but every now & then I forget that every time I do I end up turning my computer into a paperweight.)

Anyway, I am slowly getting everything back up. However, I had important messages in my e-mail that I would like to get back. My problem is, I don't know how to find them.

The hard drive is full of "DIR000##" folders and "File00##.chk" files.

So, is there a file name I should be looking for? And what do I do when (if) I find it? Or, are they basically lost forever???

Thanks for any help!

Arthur

 

More details on what you did and what happen. If you reformatted, think you will be out of luck.

 

Deck--Do a Find for *.dbx files. If you find any, they will have the same names (in place of the *) as they had in OE, like Inbox, Sent Mail, etc..
Getting them back into OE takes a little juggling, so I will not post until you report you found the files. But you can read them right away using
http://chattanooga.net/~scochran/DBXtract.htm
or maybe just clicking on them will let you read.

 

Hi!

I did not format... just had major problems re-installing WIN 98 SE to "fix" what I messed up, which of course messed up everything else!

I did the search and found the .dbx files, so that is good (I hope!).

I will try later today to get them back to where I need them and will report back then. ( Hey, I gotta work... )

Arthur

 

deck--Hope you were able to restore things yourself, but if not here are three questions
1) In what folder did you find the .dbx files? They normally reside in C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express .
2) Do you have a folders.dbx file in the same place?
3) If you found the .dbx files in another folder, look in C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express. Do you have a second full set of .dbx files there including folders.dbx?

 

Hey Jim,

I haven't done it yet. I just grabbed the file and need to read the instructions first. I really don't want to mess this up.

The .dbx files are all in the same file: "C:\DIR00034\Identities\{a very long number here}\Microsoft\Outlook Express "

There is no other place where .dbx files are located. I figure that is because I have not yet run Outlook Express since I blew things up in the first place.

And yes, there is a Folders.dbx file.

Arthur

 

Which verion of SE are you using and how did you re-install ?

Both can make quite a differences in the results.

If you used the UPDATE $20 version of SE you may well be SOL. That requires 98 to be installed first. And once installed it has to be ( or mine did ) re-installed from within Windows and DOES NOT do a very good job.

The UPGRADE Version will re-install from DOS and does a much better job of repair.

I have put SE back in over itself many times and have not had any problems.

BillyBob

 

Hey Guys!

BillyBob - I have WIN 98 SE - not the upgrade version. I have it on my hard drive (in case my computer suddenly "needed" a file). The problem was I forgot to unplug everything from the computer before I tried to re-install. For some totally unexplained reason, I have to have everything connected to the computer un-connected before I try to load any operating system. When I forget (yes, I mess things up every now and then) I run into trouble. If I keep banging my head into the wall........ Well, I'm paying for it now!

Jim - I have grabbed the program and attempted to use it. It is working, but apparently I am not!

It does extract the files. But I don't seem to be able to move them.

I tried to extract them "direct" but that didn't work, either.

I made folders in OE first, but while they are listed in OE, I can NOT find them via "Explorer ", and tehy don't show up when I try to "Find" them, either.

Did I miss something????????

Arthur

 

deck--I am a little confused as to just where you are now. And I am not familiar with folders such as C:\DIR00034\Identities\{a very long number here}\Microsoft\Outlook Express.
Perhaps you have several users on your PC with separate OE accounts?
Anyway you can see from above that my OE folders are in C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express .
You may be able to find out where your OE thinks it is storing messages. Click OE Tools|Options|Maintenance tab|Store Folder. That is where your OE files should normally be. If not put them there. Create the folder if necessary. Or create the C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express folder and put them there. However, check both of these folders to see if you already have the folders and the .dbx files inside. You cannot put another Inbox.dbx there if one exists.
Another way is to use OE File|Import.
All the above assumes you still have the .dbx files.
BTW, the only purpose of that DBXtract program is to allow you to read .dbx files. It does not move them around.

 

Now that is a new one on me. I never removed anything to do a re-install ( overtop of existing ) In fact I never remove anything on a clean install other than a PCI Modem is same does exist But I do not have OE to content with either. A re-install may but it back but I take it right out.

I have WIN 98 SE - not the upgrade version

Does this mean to say that you have the FULL version.

But anyhow. Seing as how this involves OE you can count me out because I have not used it for years and it does not even exist on my machine(s). It is too much of a PITA when things go wrong.

BTW. Depending on which version of IE you had, you may have to re-install it also OE is part of it too. And IE and OE must be of the same version to work properly. Another reason I dumped OE ages ago.

BillyBob

 

Hey Jim,

The DIR000xx files were made by Windows when everything went wrong as I tried to fix what I messed up.

I will try and search out where things think they are...

Also, the web site page said that after I extracted the messages I could "drag them from a Windows Explorer folder into an Outlook Express mail folder. "

BillyBob - Yes full version. Also this computer has been a problem ever since I got it. The company I got it from I THOUGHT had a good rep but all I ever got was a bad attitude, which is too bad for them because I am looking for a new computer for a family member but THEY aren't getting any more business from me.

(Any ideas where great deals AND great service when needed can br found???)

Arthur

 

deck--Lordy, I was smart to suggest such a capable program!!
Now I have learned that DBXtract is even better than I thought.
But are you saying you still have not restored your email message files?
As I said, I really am not clear what the present situation is. If not good, some answers to the questions in my post earlier today would help.

 

Hey Jim,

I can GET them, they are there.

I just can't seem to PUT them where they need to go... or at least where I "think" they need to go! Therefore, I can't yet read them.

As for all the "DIR#####" folders (and the "chk#####" files) all over my hard drive, they are created by Windows when it checks the drive for errors before re-installing Windows. When things go wrong...

Arthur

 

deck--I am sorry to hear that you still cannot restore your email message files. (I am surprised that DBXtract does not allow you to read them, even if it won't move them. But that is a discussion for another day.)
It would be nice to know what OE thinks is the folder in which it stores OE messages (the Store Folder file--see earlier post for my question), but let's proceed as best I can in the absence of this info.
1) Launch OE. Create a new message folder and name it New. (Do you know how to create an OE message folder? You click on the word (Inbox, Sent Mail, etc. at the far left of the dark grey bar at the top of the OE message area. That bar will have your OE ID at the far right. That should produce a drop down list with Local Folder in the list. You then right click on Local Folder, and click New Folder.) Close OE. Open Windows (not Internet) Explorer. Open the file that contains your .dbx files. You should find the just created New.dbx file in there--unless OE is storing .dbx files in that Store Folder folder, and the present location of your .dbx files is a corruption. If the latter is the case, then move all the other .dbx files into the same folder (the Store Folder) as New.dbx. Now that all the .dbx files (including New.dbx) are together in the same folder, delete New.dbx. Rename one of the other .dbx files (let's say Inbox.dbx) to New.dbx. Now launch OE again. Click "whatever name" (Inbox, Sent Mail, etc.) to the left of dark grey bar to again get the drop down list containing Local Folder. If there is a + to the left of Local Folder click on it. That should produce an extended drop down list, containing a folder called New. Click on New. Do you see your email messages in your Inbox window? If yes, rename that New folder in the drop down list to Inbox. If there already is a folder named Inbox in the list and clicking on it does not display your Inbox messages, delete that folder from the drop down list, before Naming New to Inbox. Repeat all of the above for each of your .dbx files.
2) If that did not work, then read
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;270670
At the bottom are the instructions for restoring .dbx files.
3) If that does not work, click Start|Programs|Accessories|System Tools|System Information|Tools|Internet Explorer Repair Tool|Wait.
4) If that did not work, go to the DBXtract site and try some of the references in the top right column.
As you can see a key to restoring your OE program to working order is to determine what the Store Folder is. Then having a look for it and in it would also be helpful. Perhaps you have .dbx files there? Or if you have no Store Folder, even though OE thinks you do, I suggest that you create the Store Folder exactly where OE Tools|Options|Maintenance tab|click Store Folder button tells you it should be. Do this before you start on suggestion 1 above.
I have no clue what the DIR and CHK folders are all about. I personally suspect they are some sort of corruption and your .dbx files some how or other wound up in there. If we can get your OE back to operation, perhaps post the question about DIR/CHK in a separate thread.