Right -
1) You do NOT use Adobe to open these folders - they are Outlook Express folders.
2) Have you followed THIS from Spurlash's link?
Find this folder - it will be in your Documents and Settings Folder under the relevant username folders.
Windows\Application Data\Identities\hexadecimal_string\Microsoft\Outlook Express
'hexadecimal_sString' means something like
{83281ABB-FA7E-4DA0-867C-2089360CBB7C}Then just copy the WHOLE (yellow) folder with that name to another location as a backup.Do not try to open it, read it or eat it. When that is done, come back and PLEASE tell us what is in the Outlook Express Deleted folder?
I do not understand anything you say your wife did with the 'LAN and ADSL connections' - whatever it was, as far as I know it should not/cannot affect the Outlook Express files.