"Lost" Emails

[BlueDiamond]

Had a computer disaster in the last few days when I tried to install Windows XP Professional. To cut a long story short, I had to call a computer tech to come and sort out the mess the programme made of my hard drive. The solution eventually was to delete XP, leaving the previously installed '98 in place. That went well with apparently no loss of my valuable graphics files and only a few minor hiccups to deal with.

After the technician left, I went back online and fired up Outlook Express. I noticed that the programme seemed to "think" I was a new client and produced "welcome" messages and instructions and suchlike stuff. My address book remains intact but all me email messages in their files that I had set up appear to have completely disappeared. Does anyone know if I can do anything to recover them?

Answers should be in words of one syllable or less because I am a gold medal techno-retard. :(

[BOAC]

Documents and Folders/?'YOUR PROFILE'?/Local Settings/Applcation Data/Identities - if your 'tecchie' did the proper job they will still be there.

If they are in W98 they should be in the 'windows'/Application Data/Identities folder.

In Outlook Express you can click on Tools/Options/Maintenance and change your store folder to the one you just found - or just 'import' the emails from it.

Good luck!! Sorry about the multiple syllables:D

[Saab Dastard]

Search for *.dbx files. And *.pst for good measure.

[BlueDiamond]

Thanks guys. "Searching" doesn't seem to have worked so I might have to consult that techie person again. :(

[Churchill Polar Bear]

Have you made sure you searched in all your hard disks (especially C: ) and not just in "My documents" ?

[BlueDiamond]

I don't keep anything in the My Documents file, CPB ... well, a few pictures but certainly nothing else. It was the entire C drive that was checked. But why would emails go anywhere else other than Outlook Express? I set up sub-files under "inbox" and "sent items" and that was where I put all the ones I wanted to keep after I had read them ... that's just a simple drag & drop thing; highlight the email, drag it over to the left column and drop in the appropriate file. It is all these sub files and their contents that have gone missing.

[Mornington Crescent]

Hi BD,

dbx files are in a hidden folder. So you need to set your search to look in hidden folders or set your folder options to show hidden folders.

MC

[BlueDiamond]

The search was set to "All files and folders" ... should it be set to something else? That wouldn't include hidden files?

[BOAC]

BD - still puzzled too! What folders DO you have in 'Application Data' in the W98 OS folder?

[Saab Dastard]

In the XP search menu, on the LHS, there's "More Advanced Options". opening that allows you to check boxes for "Search System Folders", Search hidden files and folders".

MS Nannyism!! :yuk: Another fine example of!

Alternatively, go to a command prompt, get to the root of C, then dir *.dbx /s.

Repeat for any other drives.

SD

[anotherglassofwine]

Outlook can be a bit messy when trying to point the App to a mail location. I had a similar problem on my home PC and eventually found a registry setting thats was overwriting /?'YOUR PROFILE'?/Local Settings/Application Data/Identities (as boac mentioned). The setting "key" was called "store root" and it was pointing to an incorrect location on my harddrive (creating a new inbox with Welcome mail every time I logged on)- once I changed the path in here to where my mailbox actually was I had no more problems and picked up all my old mails.
HOWEVER, I would not recommend you go messing around in the Registry if you are a non techie type, but perhaps you could mention it to the guy who did the restore in the first place. Might just point him in the right direction if other advice above fails. (he should really sort this for you for nothing if you had paid him in the first place!)
AGOW

[BlueDiamond]

Actually the tech guy did a wonderful job considering the damage XP did. It has now been successfully uninstalled with the only lasting problem being the emails.

What folders DO you have in 'Application Data' in the W98 OS folder?
... go to a command prompt, get to the root of C, then dir *.dbx /s.
Sorry, guys, I have absolutely no idea what those instructions mean. :(

[Meeb]

Hi there BlueDiamond, I had exactly the same problem a few months ago and although the good people of PPRuNe land tried their best I could still not recover my lost emails.... :(

After much :ugh: and :eek: followed by :\ ... came :D ....

This is what I used... http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx
It is well worth the US$25 I can tell you, works a treat!

If you do use it, let me know how you go.

Oops... Moderators... did not mean to advertise... := I have NO connection with the software chappie other than a satisfied customer... :)

[BlueDiamond]

Thanks for that, Meeb. The techie is coming back tomorrow and I'll show him that link ... it may be something he doesn't know about.

[Saab Dastard]

Bluey,

Start,
Run,
Command (as you are Win 98).

Then, at the command prompt (>), type:

cd\

(press enter) - this gets you to root of the C: drive (C : \ > )

Now to search for any files with the file extension .DBX, type:

dir *.dbx /s

(press enter) - the /s is important, as it forces the search to look in all subdirectories.

Once you have found (and noted) the location of any dbx files, do the same for *.pst, and if you have another hard disk (e.g. D drive), type

D:

to change to the D: drive, and follow the above procedure, (substituting D for C).

SD

[BlueDiamond]

Tried both of those instructions, SD and it came back with "file not found" which is a bit odd as I know there are at least some emails there ... the ones that have come in since this happened. One is very puzzled. :confused: :(

[BlueDiamond]

Well, the technician has examined the hard drive and those emails are definitely gone. At least it was no worse than that and all my graphics things have remained intact. The tech has set up a back-up system for me on the other drive so all the important stuff will now be copied to that. One is not impressed though ... a lot of the stuff that XP deleted was stuff I needed. :(

Thanks for your help everyone, it was much appreciated.

[Saab Dastard]

BD, commiserations on your experience.

If I may hi-jack the thread in a good cause -

Folks,

The moral of the story is:

Always back up your data before attempting a system upgrade.

Of course, one should be regularly backing up important stuff, but an OS upgrade deserves one all of its own.

The SD recommended OS upgrade method? Buy a new HD (you might as well, the old one was too small anyway).

Remove old disk, put in new, then do a clean install of new OS. Now either insert old disk as a second drive, or better still, buy an external USB disk enclosure for it - that way you have all your original data available to transfer AND you have a painless backup AND you have an ongoing backup mechanism!

No charge, the advice is free (so you can't sue me :p ).

SD

[Andu]

One of the handiest tips I have ever come across I got in the help pages of a UK computer magazine some years ago. In two relatively simple steps, (if you're an Outlook Express user), you can move both your message store and your address book into a directory where they can be easily backed up, and therefore are not as likely to be lost if the (inevitable) blue screen of death one day visits you.

I've moved the storage folders for both my OE messages and the OE Address Book into a sub-directory of my 'My Documents' folder.

First, create the new folder in your My Documents folder and then two sub-directories within it. (For obvious reasons, I call the folder 'OE Express', and the two sub-directories, 'Messages' and 'Address Book'.)

Moving the message store from its existing position is simplicity itself.

Open OE, go to Tools/Options/Maintenance and click on 'Store Folder'. Click on 'Change' and navigate your way to the new 'Messages' folder you've just created.

Click 'OK' / 'OK' (It will offer you the option of transferring your existing messages to the new store. Say 'yes'.)

Done
....

Moving the Address Book is a little more involved, but still not difficult.

Start/Run type 'regedit'

Click youur way down to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/WAV/WAB4/WAB file name.
(Just in case you screw things up, it's a god idea, [but not absolutely necessary], to make a backup of your existing Address Book before proceeding. From the Registry Menu, select 'Export Registry File' and save the WAB file to your Desktop. Call it OLDWAB or whatever. If things go wrong, you'll be able to restore it simply by double clicking on the file.)

Back to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/WAV/WAB4/WAB file name, in the right pane double click 'Default' and enter the new path of your WAB. (e.g. C: \My Documents\OE Express\Address Book\[your user name from the WAB file].wab) [I find the easiest way to do this is to amend the existing string rather than writing it all out afresh.]

Close the Registry Editor and it's done.

If you want to prove you've got it right, open OE, make an amendment to your Address Book, the go to My Documents, open the .wab file that's in your My Documents folder and see if the amendment appears in it. If it doesn't, you've not written the string in correctly.

....

I have a small program to make backups of my My Documents folder in one step. I do this, if not daily, then three or so times a week, and with your emails and Address Book part of the 'My Documents' folder, they get backed up in the same single step. It's Freeware, but a registered copy costs all of $15.00, and it's so handy, I sent the man the money.

Go to www.fileware.com and download the free FileSynch program. This has saved me on mor than one occasion when I've had a major crash.


I've never tried it, but I think users of Outlook could do something similar to move their message store and address book, although the steps would be somewhat different, as Outlook stores its messages differently to OE.