Outlook Express Locked Folders

Can anyone help? I use Outlook Express 6 for emails, occasionaly OE will ask if you want your folders compacted to save disk space. I have used that facility many times and it sems to work, however last week it asked again and I click OK. Now the folders appear to hold no files at all, in Windows Explorer the folders (xxx.dbx) are still showing as large (one is 95MB) but the files are not readable. If I add a file I can see that but not the rest.

I have tried several pieces of sotware that claim to repair folders but without success. I need to get my emails back as they contain information I need. Can anyone point me in the right direction please?

 

Pete, Thanks for that, but I had already emptied my recycle box. I tried "Undelete for Windows" but it was unable to any find dbx file. It found only 11 files which I felt was a pretty poor effort as there are many more there I am sure. Maybe I should try another undelete program.