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How to really mess up OE

Discussion in 'Internet Explorer & Microsoft Edge' started by Johanna, 2004/09/23.

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  1. 2004/09/23
    Johanna

    Johanna Inactive Alumni Thread Starter

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    First, change your message store from the default. (Maint tab under Tools>Options) Then create all your message rules, and new folders. Looks nice, huh?

    Now, take the folder you stored the DBX files in and drag it to another location in WE. Open OE. WHAM! All of your email is gone, and the server is now dumping everything it has stored on it. All your message rules are broken (You can repair them by individually clicking on every red X) Your Inbox is now FULL, and you've lost stuff like "sent" items.

    You are staring at the screen in disbelief. Go to File, Import and import your messages back from wherever you moved your DBX files to. Now you have duplicates of every message the server dumped. All the messages the server dumps are in bold, indicating that they are unread, which they are NOT. Deep breath. No bad words. Find the aspirin.

    Use the "find" feature to start sorting your mail. For example, I belong to a yahoo group that generates a lot of mail. I typed a keyword from the subject line, it found 300 and some messages. Control a (select all) right click "Move to folder" and continue. After you get your inbox sorted, go through every file and delete the duplicates. (Hold down the control key for multiple selections, then use the kb "delete ") Then each folder must be checked for dupes. If you run into a folder of messages that are already read, control a (select all) right click "mark as read" will take them out of the unread status.

    Your "new" message store has been created, but it's not where you dragged the "old" store. I deleted the old store and changed the new store from within OE. Then I went to the server and dumped all the messages, for good measure. (I leave a copy of messages on the server until they are deleted from deleted items).

    One quirk about OE. It was never designed for "storage" of emails. It can act weird if it gets too full. Some time ago, I bought DBXpress for archiving and recovery. It is worth every penny, and works exactly as advertised. If you absolutely positively want to keep an email, save it to your hard drive OUTSIDE of OE.

    Remember where your OE message store is and DO NOT move it in WE. Ever. LOL :D :eek:

    Johanna
     
    Johanna,
    #1
  2. 2004/09/23
    Christer

    Christer Geek Member Staff

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    Johanna,
    that was beautifully complicated!

    I have moved the most important user folders (My documents, Favorites, Address book and E-mail storage location) to other than the default location on several installations but as You know, I don't leave a copy of e-mails on the server. That should, however not make it any different.

    1) Unplug any intenet connection.

    2) The easiest way to make a backup of everything E-mail related is to, in Windows Explorer, do a search for *.dbx. This will take You to the E-mail storage location. Copy its contents to a different location, e.g. "D:\BackUp - E-mail ". Next, create a new "E-mail" folder in the desired location, e.g. "D:\E-mail ".

    3) Open OE and close the "no connection dialog box ".

    4) Go to Tools > Options > Maintenance > Folder > Change and browse to the newly created folder.

    5) When told that the new location will be activated by closing and reopening OE ...... ;) ...... don't believe it. It has failed me on a few occasions and I always restart the computer.

    6) Check the new location, which should contain the moved files. Check the old location, which should be empty.

    7) If it is a reinstall, move the contents of the newly created E-mail storage location to the BackUp location to a subfolder named "Original ". Copy the previously BackedUp folders to the new E-mail storage location.
    (It may happen on a current installation that the new location contains empty *.dbx files but it should contain the moved *.dbx files. That's one reason for backing up prior to moving.)

    8) Open OE and enjoy.

    9) If the joy isn't 100% and You have the red crosses in the message rules, redirect each rule to the intended storage folder.
    (I haven't found out under which circumstances this may happen. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.)

    10) Plug the internet connection back in and ...... :eek: ...... cross Your fingers.

    Christer
     
    Christer,
    #2


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