Help - Deleted a folder in Outlook Express - Can I get it back??

Tao81

Silly me! I've managed to deleted an important folder full of emails in Outlook Express 6 whilst I was fiddling around when I shouldn't have been!! Is there any way back does anyone know please?

Thanks in anticipation of your reply:o

needaspirin

In OE Local Folders there is a Deleted Items bin. Click on it to see if your folder is still in there. If so just drag it into your Local Folder again

Chippy_Minton

If it's in the Deleted Items folder just move it back. Otherwise Click Tools - Options - Maintenance - Store Folder. Open the folder shown in Windows Explorer. If the deleted folder file is there (e.g. myFolder.dbx), move it to another folder (e.g. My Documents\OErecover), then in OE click File - Import - Messages - select OE 6 - Import mail from an OE6 store directory and browse to where you moved it to.

Tao81

Hello needaspirin
Good thinking batman/woman!
I thought of this one too, was the first place I went frantically looking to try and drag and drop back into inbox folders.
Deleted items only contains singular emails I have deleted from inbox, can only assume it doesn't put folders into this box just gets rid of them once you click yes for 'are you sure you want to delete xxxxx' !!!!!!!! What a plonker? wish I'd backed up outlook files!!:mad: Lost whole folder of some very important emails there, I have, Hufffff?!!!:o

Tao81

Chippy_Minton wrote: »

If it's in the Deleted Items folder just move it back. Otherwise Click Tools - Options - Maintenance - Store Folder. Open the folder shown in Windows Explorer. If the deleted folder file is there (e.g. myFolder.dbx), move it to another folder (e.g. My Documents\OErecover), then in OE click File - Import - Messages - select OE 6 - Import mail from an OE6 store directory and browse to where you moved it to.

Thanks for instructions.
Have followed them and found the offending .dbx file moved it to mydocuments\OErecover folder, gone to OE clicked file - import - messages - selected OE6 as program wish to import from - clicked import from OE6 store directory - browsed and found OErecover folder in my documents containing the appropriate .dbx file but get message

"no items found in folder or programme open that requires the file" (can't think of anything requiring this file that is open?!!!)
Feel like a doughnut!!!! What can I be doing wrong? Any ideas?

needaspirin

Right I’ve just had a go to see if it works and it does!

Make a search for the name of the folder that you deleted. It should be found in Documents and settings\***Your log on\Application Data\Identities\!!****Numbers}\Microsoft\Outlook Express. It should still be there as a dbx file.
With OE closed down, cut and paste the file to your desktop.
Start OE and create a new file of the same name.
Close OE and copy and paste the original dbx file over the new one that you will find at the end of the long path above.
Open OE and all your emails should be in the newly created file.

Chippy_Minton

Tao81 wrote: »

..... but get message

"no items found in folder or programme open that requires the file" (can't think of anything requiring this file that is open?!!!)

Ah, okay you also need Folders.dbx in the OErecover folder. First, in OE create a new folder with exactly the same name as the one you deleted. Then close OE and copy the Folders.dbx file from the OE store folder to the OErecover folder.

Then do the import messages again. This time you shouldn't get the error message. Choose the Selected folders option. In the list of folders, the OE folder you just created should be listed. Click that and then click Next and it should import the emails.

Or follow the method by needaspirin, which basically does the same thing.

Tao81

needaspirin wrote: »

Right I’ve just had a go to see if it works and it does!

Make a search for the name of the folder that you deleted. It should be found in Documents and settings\***Your log on\Application Data\Identities\!!****Numbers}\Microsoft\Outlook Express. It should still be there as a dbx file.
With OE closed down, cut and paste the file to your desktop.
Start OE and create a new file of the same name.
Close OE and copy and paste the original dbx file over the new one that you will find at the end of the long path above.
Open OE and all your emails should be in the newly created file.

Think I'll have to resign myself to having lost these emails, they seem to have disappeared into the ether, never to be seen on my screen again!!

Tried the above, just have empty folders when re-open OE:eek:

I'm using windows 98 maybe that's why I can't retrieve this way??
Even Chippy_Minton's suggestion didn't work for me....Ho, Hum!!!!
Thanks for trying to help me though much appreciated. Always seem to have go myself tied up with OE for some reason, never liked fiddling to much with it, so why did I meddle with it this afternoon???????:o

Tao81

Chippy my friend you are GENIUS!! :kisses3:

Placing the Folder.dbx along with the deleted folder into the mydocuments\OErecover worked a treat:j:beer: ........I don't know what gender you are? but if you are male, I'm so happy I'd offer to have your babies right now!!

I was getting so tired of this 'mess' and just about willing to quit because my teenage (13yr old) daughter's currently feeling like her throat's been cut, she's so hungry, the poor thing has been waiting that long for her evening meal to be cooked!!, when I decided to try your last suggestion......WhooWeee. I'm so chuffed. THANKS A MILLION for your patience and commitment in solving my problem for me.

Was beginning to feel really frustrated too, for wasting so long on this! Proves how wrong you can be and by keeping the faith that your fellow MSEr's are kind enough to keep coming back with their infinite knowledge and wisdom to see you through, is all it takes.

YOU'RE ALL BRILLIANT! :iloveyou: HOPE I CAN DO THE SAME FOR YOU ONE DAY?!:D (but it will have to be in another domain, 'cos you can tell how dumb I can be where it comes to computers!!!!!!!!!!!!!:o

Take Care Peops TTFN xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

needaspirin

Sorry to hear that Tao81. Are you sure that your dbx file is not lurking somewhere in the system? If you have created a new one it will be only 75k but your old one will be much bigger.

Just saw that you have cracked it!!! Congratulations !!!

scheming_gypsy

Tao81 wrote: »

Hello needaspirin
Good thinking batman/woman!
I thought of this one too, was the first place I went frantically looking to try and drag and drop back into inbox folders.
Deleted items only contains singular emails I have deleted from inbox, can only assume it doesn't put folders into this box just gets rid of them once you click yes for 'are you sure you want to delete xxxxx' !!!!!!!! What a plonker? wish I'd backed up outlook files!!:mad: Lost whole folder of some very important emails there, I have, Hufffff?!!!:o

Even though you've sussed it when you delete a folder it goes into your deleted items. You can't see it when you click on the deleted items as its a folder. To the left of the deleted items bin you'll see a little + sign. That means the folder can be expanded, if you click the + sign it'll expand the tree for the deleted items and you'll see the deleted folder.