can't find my email messages from Nov 9 to Dec 16

[Guest]

When asked if I wanted to compress my files to get more space, I clicked yes.
The next day when I restarted my computer I noticed that about 2000 emails from Nov 9, 2006 to Dec. 16 were all missing.
I clicked on restore to get the missing files back. However, all that did was restore everything that was in my Recycle bin, but not those 2000 emails.
Some of them were very important, such as forms from sites I had signed up on.
Some I hadn't read yet about meetings coming up for the holidays and other holiday messages.
What happened to these messages and why?
Why are all the messages before Nov 9 still there?
How can I retrieve them? .... thanks.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

When asked if I wanted to compress my files to get more space, I clicked
yes.
The next day when I restarted my computer I noticed that about 2000 emails
from Nov 9, 2006 to Dec. 16 were all missing.
I clicked on restore to get the missing files back. However, all that did
was restore everything that was in my Recycle bin, but not those 2000
emails.
Some of them were very important, such as forms from sites I had signed up
on.
Some I hadn't read yet about meetings coming up for the holidays and other
holiday messages.
What happened to these messages and why?
Why are all the messages before Nov 9 still there?
How can I retrieve them? .... thanks.
================

what is the email client you are using, if any?

That's pretty relevant information.

HTH
-pk

 

[Yves Leclerc]

This sounds like Outlook Express. It generally asks to compress the folder
space periodically. However, it is not supposed to erase emails that were not
already marked for deletion. These emails must have accidentally placed in
the "Deleted" folder???

 

[Gerry Cornell]

Outlook Express comprises any number of dbx folders. One for each
newsgroup, an inbox, a sent items, a deleted items, a folders index and
any number of user created local folders. You need to compact all
Outlook Express folders regularly especially as you are downloading
newsgroup messages.

The easiest way to do this is to place the cursor on Outlook Express in
the Folder List, select File, Work Offline followed by File, Folder,
Compact All.

It sounds like you are allowing Compacting to take place or you are
trying to use Outlook Express whilst compacting is in progress. This
can lead to e.g. a number of corrupted files.

Is there any evidence of folder corruption? Using Windows XP you
need to enable show hidden files. Start, Control Panel, Folder
Options, View, Advanced Settings. Next enter Windows Explorer.
Using Tools, Find, Files and Folders search your C drive with
"inbo*.dbx" without quotes as the search criteria and see if you can
find more than one folder. Note the date / time stamp on the files
and the older folder will contain your missing messages. The
original inbox will appear as inbox. dbx. The next as inbox (01) dbx,
then inbox (02) dbx etc. The file extension can also appear as .dbt
i.e. a temporary folder.

http://www.insideoe.com/problems/bugs.htm#mailgone


--

Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England

Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



When asked if I wanted to compress my files to get more space, I clicked
yes.
The next day when I restarted my computer I noticed that about 2000
emails from Nov 9, 2006 to Dec. 16 were all missing.
I clicked on restore to get the missing files back. However, all that
did was restore everything that was in my Recycle bin, but not those
2000 emails.
Some of them were very important, such as forms from sites I had signed
up on.
Some I hadn't read yet about meetings coming up for the holidays and
other holiday messages.
What happened to these messages and why?
Why are all the messages before Nov 9 still there?
How can I retrieve them? .... thanks.