Missing OE folders after XP backup/re-install/restore backup files

[Guest]

I have had a series of problems after performing a XP pro back-up (all user
files), full re-install of XP, and a restore of all backed up files. The
re-build was only perfomed due to a generally slow running system.

I have fixed the 1st problem - after restoring all user data, I could not
access My Documents (or any folder in my Documents and Setting folder). All
other users folder access were OK. After correcting settings in all: folders/
properties/ security/ advanced/ owner (including checking the "Replace owner
on subcontainers and object" box), normal service appeared to be restored.

Then I found my second problem - missing additional OE personal folders and
empty default personal folders.

I searched the PC for all *.dbx files (including all hidden files) and
cannot find the missing .dbx files which were last accessed yesterday. The
newest .dbx files found are the ones loaded in OE and are 9 months old.

Any advice please will be gratefully received (Except: "if it is working,
however slowly, leave it alone

regards

dsb

 

[Alec S.]

I have had a series of problems after performing a XP pro back-up (all user
files), full re-install of XP, and a restore of all backed up files. The
re-build was only perfomed due to a generally slow running system.

Then I found my second problem - missing additional OE personal folders and
empty default personal folders.

I searched the PC for all *.dbx files (including all hidden files) and
cannot find the missing .dbx files which were last accessed yesterday. The
newest .dbx files found are the ones loaded in OE and are 9 months old.

So you found some DBX files but they were not the right ones? Try doing the search from a command prompt (eg "dir c:\*.dbx/s/a/p");
that should find even hidden files.

Or are you saying that the folders are missing in OE? If the DBX files are there but the folders are not present in OE, then what
has probably happened is that you are using an old copy of FOLDERS.DBX. OE looks to this file to determine what folders are present
and what DBX files to read. If for example, you use a copy of FOLDERS.DBX from before you created a folder in OE called Spam, then
OE will not read Spam.dbx, and the folder will not be present. The solution is to move Spam.dbx somewhere else, run OE, create a
folder called Spam.dbx with OE, quit OE, then move Spam.dbx back.

 

[Guest]

Hi Alec,

Thanks for your reply. Yes, all of the *.dbx files found during search were
old (including folders.dbx). By missing folder I mena non-defualt folders
that I had created (pending and saved).

Anyway, I will try your search method to see if I can find the newed
folders.dbx file thanks.

I strongly suspect this has something to do with the screwed up document and
setting folders ownership problem. I found another account with the same
problem as mine last night and found a different way to fix it. I just
changed the account password back to the original one that exsited before the
backup and then all files were accessible (it is interesting however that I
did NOT change my password when re-installing XP - but still had the folder
access denied problem).

regards

 

[Alec S.]

(it is interesting however that I did NOT change my password when re-installing XP - but still had the folder access denied

problem).


That's because when you reinstalled, you got a new SID so even though you're using the same password, you're technically a different
user. This is particularly dangerous for things like encryption, where if a user encrypts a file, then the system is reinstalled
thus giving the user a new SID, they will now be unable to decrypt the file.

 

[Guest]

No other *.dbx folders were found during cmd line search. Considering
purchasing DBXpress or other OE recovery utility....

Have managed to find some old mail on my desktop and have imported them on
to my laptop (which I have the problem with).

However have found a new problem - cannot view old or new emails (all appear
empty - doesnt matter if plain text or rich text format).

Have searched all support forums but could not find any posts on this. Any
ideas please?

 

[Alec S.]

No other *.dbx folders were found during cmd line search. Considering
purchasing DBXpress or other OE recovery utility....

Have managed to find some old mail on my desktop and have imported them on
to my laptop (which I have the problem with).

However have found a new problem - cannot view old or new emails (all appear
empty - doesnt matter if plain text or rich text format).

Have searched all support forums but could not find any posts on this. Any
ideas please?

DBXpress can't help if you can't find the dbx files for it to process.

What do you mean you can't view emails, and that they are blank? Do you see the messages in the list, but when you click them, they
are blank, or are the lists blank?

 

[Guest]

DBXpress - I hear what you say, but do you have any experience of this
utility? The marketing presentation (...) says it apparently can find lost OE
folders which cannot be found by conventional searching....

Yes I see messages in the list but when I try to open them or preview them
there is no visible text. If I ctrl-F3 I can see the message text within the
source. I have tried running regsvr32 inetcomm.dll (as advised by Jim
Pickering) and re-booting; but solution. Please be advised that I have a
separate thread running with Jim. I informed you of this new issue just to
give you the full picture of what has been screwed up after the re-install
and data restore.

Anyway if you have any other idea thay will be gratefully received (but I
dont want you to think I am asking the same question in two fora (forums??

 

[Alec S.]

DBXpress - I hear what you say, but do you have any experience of this
utility? The marketing presentation (...) says it apparently can find lost OE
folders which cannot be found by conventional searching....

They mean WITHIN OE, that is, when the folders are missing from OE (due for example to a missing or corrupt folders.dbx file), it
will search for DBX files and reconstruct or repair folders.dbx. If the dbx files are gone, then there's nothing anyone can do
since that's where the messages were stored. (Technically, you could shell out a fortune to have a data recovery expert try to get
it off the hard drive, assuming it still exists at.)

Yes I see messages in the list but when I try to open them or preview them
there is no visible text. If I ctrl-F3 I can see the message text within the
source. I have tried running regsvr32 inetcomm.dll (as advised by Jim
Pickering) and re-booting; but solution. Please be advised that I have a
separate thread running with Jim. I informed you of this new issue just to
give you the full picture of what has been screwed up after the re-install
and data restore.

Try dragging a message from OE to the desktop (or a folder). It will create an EML file containing the message, and having the
subject as the filename. Now double-click the EML file to open it. Does it have anything? Open the EML file in a text editor
(like Notepad). Does it have anything in it?

Anyway if you have any other idea thay will be gratefully received (but I
dont want you to think I am asking the same question in two fora (forums??

Forii. Hehe, no it's forums.

 

[Guest]

Just to conclude this post (unless anyone has any other ideas) I will advise
that i decided to purchase DBXpress (it was only £12). Unfortunately it
didn't find the folders - even using the recover mode for deleted files. i
knew and accepted this risk

I can only assume that for some reason my original folder.dbx file was not
in the default location and therefore was not backed up and was subsequently
overwritten (

Thanks anyway for your advice

PS: I fixed the blank email problem by creating a new user account and
importing the "blank" messages

 

[Alec S.]

Just to conclude this post (unless anyone has any other ideas) I will advise
that i decided to purchase DBXpress (it was only £12). Unfortunately it
didn't find the folders - even using the recover mode for deleted files. i
knew and accepted this risk

I can only assume that for some reason my original folder.dbx file was not
in the default location and therefore was not backed up and was subsequently
overwritten (

Like I said, the dbx files contain the messages, folders.dbx just lays out the structure of the folders, and their relation to dbx
files. I outlined a method to recover a lost folders.dbx file, but if the actual message containing dbx files are gone, then
there's nothing anyone or any program can do.