Outlook Express and Recycle Bin contents (many .BAK files)

[Michael T.]

OE6 is filling the Recycle Bin with BAK files from my OE Identity.

These are all backup files with the .BAK extension for the many folders I
have. There are over 256K in files being saved here and I keep having to run
Disk Cleanup.

How do I rid myself of this?

 

[Tom [Pepper] Willett]

They get put there when you compact OE.
Empty the recycle bin.

: OE6 is filling the Recycle Bin with BAK files from my OE Identity.
:
: These are all backup files with the .BAK extension for the many folders I
: have. There are over 256K in files being saved here and I keep having to
run
: Disk Cleanup.
:
: How do I rid myself of this?
:
:

 

[Bruce Hagen]

You don't rid yourself if it.

This is due to the OE update, (KB923694). Now when you compact, a copy of
your dbx files are sent to the Recycle Bin in the event that something
should go wrong and messages, or entire folders, are lost when you are
compacting.

Many people do not back up Outlook Express on a regular basis. This new
mandatory backup is something people have been asking for quite awhile as we
spend a lot of time helping people getting their messages back, and they
have to purchase a tool to recover messages.

You can empty the Recycle Bin any time you want and the bak files will go
away until you compact again.

For more info, see the information outlined in red here:
www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#2

If you don't currently back up OE regularly, I would suggest you get this,
or a similar tool, (freeware):

This freeware tool backs up everything in OE in seconds. Disregard what is
written in red. That is referring to a different program.

Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB):
http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx

 

[Michael T.]

You don't rid yourself of BAK files in the Recycle Bin.

This is due to the OE update, (KB923694). Now when you compact, a copy of
your dbx files are sent to the Recycle Bin in the event that something
should go wrong and messages, or entire folders, are lost when you are
compacting.

Thanks Bruce, as now I know that it is when I compact my folders that these
BAK files are put in my Recycle Bin.

I have been using OE since my Windows 95 days and I am still learning new
things (or features).

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

[Technically, this functionality was introduced in Hotfix KB918069 which was
released on 31 May-06. This functionality was later included in KB920214
(MS06-043; 08 Aug-06) and KB923694 (MS06-076; 12 Dec-06). In the meantime,
KB918766 (originally released on 20 Apr-06) was revised on 11 May-06 to
include this functionality (despite what KB918069 and the listed file
versions says). Not that I keep track of such things... <eg>]

 

[Gerry]

Cross posting to microsoft.public.outlookexpress.general


--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Bruce Hagen]

First, check the obvious. Go to the Inbox and click View | Current View |
Show All Messages.

If that was checked, then read on.

The two most common reasons for what you describe is disruption of the
compacting process, (never touch anything until it's finished), or bloated
folders. More on that below.

Why does OE insist on compacting folders when I close it?:
http://www.insideoe.com/faqs/why.htm#compact

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

About File Corruption:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/community/columns/filecorruption.mspx

Recovery tools:

If you are running XP/SP2, or SP3, and are fully patched, then you should
have a backup of your dbx files in the Recycle Bin, (or possibly the message
store), copied as bak files.

To restore a bak folder to the message store folder, first find the location
of the Message Store.

Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder will reveal the location of
your Outlook Express files. Write the location down and navigate to it in
Windows Explorer or, copy and paste it into Start | Run.

In WinXP, the .dbx files are by default marked as hidden. To view these
files in Explorer, you must enable Show Hidden Files and Folders under Start
| Control Panel | Folder Options | View.

Close OE and then in Windows Explorer, click on the dbx file for the
missing, or empty, folder and drag it to the Desktop. It can be deleted
later once you have successfully restored the bak file. Minimize the Message
Store.

Open OE and, if the folder is missing, create a folder with the *exact* same
name as the bak file you want to restore but without the .bak. Eg: If the
file is Saved.bak, the new folder should be named Saved. Open the new folder
and then close OE. If the folder is there, but just empty, continue on to
the next step.

First, check if there is a bak file already in the message store. If there
is, and you removed the dbx file, go ahead and rename it to dbx.

If it isn't already in the message store, open the Recycle bin and right
click on the bak file for the folder in question and click Restore. Open the
message store back up and change the file extension from .bak to .dbx. Close
the message store and open OE. The messages should now be back in the
folder.

If the messages are successfully restored, you can go ahead and delete the
old dbx file that you moved to the Desktop.

If you do not have bak copies of your dbx files in the Recycle Bin, then:

DBXpress run in Extract From Disk Mode is the best chance to recover
messages:
http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx

And see:
http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#4

A general warning to help avoid this in the future:

Do not archive mail in default OE folders. They will eventually become
corrupted. Create your own user defined folders for storing mail and move
your mail to them. Empty Deleted Items folder regularly. Keep user created
folders under 100MB, and Default folders as empty as is feasible.

Turn off e-mail scanning in your anti-virus program. It is a redundant layer
of protection that eats up CPUs, slows down sending and receiving, and
causes a multitude of problems such as time-outs, account setting changes
and has even been responsible for lose of messages. Your up-to-date A/V
program will continue to protect you sufficiently. For more, see:
http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3

And backup often.

Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB Freeware)
http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx

 

[Tim Meddick]

If emails ended up in the Window's Recycle Bin, then they were probably
'saved to disk' instead of where OE usually keeps emails - in compacted
dot- .dbx files. These .dbx files expand into the folders that you
see in Outlook Express.

For an email to get deleted to the 'Recycle Bin' it must have been an
individual .eml file.

So, try searching your computer ('Start Menu' > Search > 'For Files or
Folders') for .eml files - type *.eml into the box marked 'All or part
of the filename' and press 'Search'.


==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Gerry]

Tim

What you write shows a complete lack of understanding of the Automatic
Compacting process, which is part of Outlook Express!

A backup copy of each dbx file is placed in the Recycle Bin before
compaction. Each file has a bak file extension.

You seem to be using Outlook Express.

In Outlook Express place the cursor on Local Folders and select File,
Work Offline followed by File, Folder, Compact All. Do not attempt to
interrupt or stop the process until it has completed. Close Outlook
Express when it has completed.

Now look in your Recycle Bin.

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Tim Meddick]

Gerry,
please don't use terms such as "you show a complete lack of
understanding" .... karma may well jump right back at you and bite you
in the a**!

First of all, I don't use OE's compression, I avoid it.

Second, if you read the OP, you will find that he has said : " lost a
month of emails,.......found an answer telling me to go to the recycle
bin, I did this and there they were. " -

"there they were" - that sounds to me that he is talking about
individual emails.

He does not mention anywhere about .dbx files, and appears to be (at a
glance) a novice, one would have thought if he had meant .dbx files he
would have said so.

Most people don't know anything about .dbx files, and I think you're
wrong to assume he is talking about them here.

No where does the OP give enough information for you to make any
statement to the effect that what I have said was wrong.

It may turn out that you are right about him meaning compacted .dbx
files, but, either way, talking down to people in a derisive manner when
in no-one's wildest imaginings, might my post have done anyone any harm.
To be so judgemental and acidulous will not win you friends but enemies.


==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Gerry]

Tim

Replies inline.

Gerry,
please don't use terms such as "you show a complete lack of
understanding" .... karma may well jump right back at you and bite you
in the a**!

It does at times but this was a foolish post by someone who one expects
to know better! I felt it was justified on this occasion!

First of all, I don't use OE's compression, I avoid it.

Compaction not compression! You need to use the correct terminology.

You are foolish not to compact if you want good system performance! How
are you avoiding it?

Second, if you read the OP, you will find that he has said : " lost a
month of emails,.......found an answer telling me to go to the recycle
bin, I did this and there they were. " -

"there they were" - that sounds to me that he is talking about
individual emails.

No. A folder ( inbox.dbx ) containing emails from 18 May. has almost
certainly corrupted.

He does not mention anywhere about .dbx files, and appears to be (at
a glance) a novice, one would have thought if he had meant .dbx files
he would have said so.

He does mention dbx files! Bak files are copies of dbx files!

Most people don't know anything about .dbx files, and I think you're
wrong to assume he is talking about them here.

Having studied problems of compaction and Outlook Express over 8 years
I think not!

No where does the OP give enough information for you to make any
statement to the effect that what I have said was wrong.

He does! You just are not capable of reading the clues!

It may turn out that you are right about him meaning compacted .dbx
files, but, either way, talking down to people in a derisive manner
when in no-one's wildest imaginings, might my post have done anyone
any harm. To be so judgemental and acidulous will not win you friends
but enemies.

Read other replies before you offer your own advice. I would not refer
to a person seeking help as a novice! You have done!


--


Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Bill in Co.]

Actually Tim, Gerry was correct. You need to read up a bit more on OE; go
look at the insideoe web page by Tomsterdam to get a heads up on the
subject.

 

[Tim Meddick]

Ok, then I'm stupid, but you're obnoxious, I know which I'd prefer to be
if I had to one or the other....

Were you actually trying to correct me about the definitions between
compact and compress?

If to compact (in OE) does not mean to compress then what the hell else
does it mean?

You are a semantically nightmare.

And, as I said before, I end up conceding the point that he was talking
about .dbx files (I find myself having been educated by you on .dbx
files becoming .bak files) but the way you are talking to me is not
winning me over. But then, that is not on your agenda, is it?

To put it plainly, you don't give a damn how you talk to people, you
are a hypocrite.

God bless, and have a [very] nice day now.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Tim Meddick]

"Bill in Co" you prove my point, that you CAN tell someone they are
wrong - AND NOT be a t*** about it!

....and I WAS wrong, I missed the significance of the title (because, no
matter what Gerry says, compacting is just another term for compression
(it uses a ratio) because I never use and actively avoid 'compacting' ).

You managed to tell me I need educating on this a bit more without
making me feel like a peanut, what's he got against me?

It's people like him (and his gob) and the fact that the group is under
attack by spammers, that will one day put me off trying to help people
out in groups like this altogether...


==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Ray Luca]

"Bill in Co" you prove my point, that you CAN tell someone they are
wrong - AND NOT be a t*** about it!

...and I WAS wrong, I missed the significance of the title (because, no
matter what Gerry says, compacting is just another term for compression
(it uses a ratio) because I never use and actively avoid 'compacting' ).

You managed to tell me I need educating on this a bit more without
making me feel like a peanut, what's he got against me?

It's people like him (and his gob) and the fact that the group is under
attack by spammers, that will one day put me off trying to help people
out in groups like this altogether...

Well, if you don't learn to use the proper terminology instead of your
choice of synonyms, then we'll all be sitting on the edge of our seats
awaiting that glorious day.

 

[Gerry]

Tim

"compacting is just another term for compression (it uses a ratio) "

Leaving aside the personal abuse where do you get the idea that
compacting uses a ratio? You can increase the amount a file compacts
(reduces in size) by removing unwanted messages. The file will
nevertheless constantly increase in size as new messages are added and
the size only reduces when you compact. Compare this to a word or excel
file. They reduce in size when you remove data and save.

File compression is not the same as compaction. If you examine the file
size of a dbx file after compaction the size and the size on disk are
the same. If you then use file compression on the same file the file
size remains the same but the size on disk is reduced. I carried out a
simple test on an archived file. The size of the file was 80.7 mb and
the size on disk 46.1 mb. The amount a file compresses depends on the
file type. You will get differring results for excel and word files.
Some file types only show minimal reductions in size.

--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Tim Meddick]

I really thought that we had moved on from all this.

Although OE uses the term 'compact' it means compress, I think anyone
would agree on that.

(That is why I made the reference to semantics).

Any compression algorithm uses a ratio.

You have not told me anything I didn't know before, except for the point
I conceded yesterday about .dbx files becoming .bak files on deletion,
and them using the recycle bin.

Why does it seem to be so important to you to educate me in some way?

Why can't we just try : You leave me alone and I'll leave you alone -
how about that?


==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[Gerry]

Tim

Fine by me but the content of my last post demonstrates the difference
between compaction and compression. You seem reluctant to accept the
logic despite the evidence provided. I am sorry that you feel the way
you do. These newsgroups do provoke confrontations from time to time but
they are a great place to learn. There are more than enough individuals
who seek to cause trouble purely for the sake of making others squirm
when you make minor mistakes or oversights. That was not my intention
when I made the post that so upset you. Admiiting the odd mistake is a
better way to handle these situations than fighting to the bitter end.


--


Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
..

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

[Please don't feed the trolls.]

Tim

Fine by me but the content of my last post demonstrates the difference
between compaction and compression. You seem reluctant to accept the
logic despite the evidence provided. I am sorry that you feel the way
you do. These newsgroups do provoke confrontations from time to time but
they are a great place to learn. There are more than enough individuals
who seek to cause trouble purely for the sake of making others squirm
when you make minor mistakes or oversights. That was not my intention
when I made the post that so upset you. Admiiting the odd mistake is a
better way to handle these situations than fighting to the bitter end.

 

[Tim Meddick]

Gerry,
I agree with your sentiments, but yes it did feel just as you
describe, that you say was not your intention.... I didn't say that you
"made me feel like a peanut" for no reason.

However, I believe myself to be someone who can admit mistakes (and have
done, on more than one occasion). However, about your infallible logic
; just explain to me (simply, because I really don't think I'm all that
bright) what 'compacting' does to the .dbx files to make them different
from mine (which have never had compacting performed on them). And how
this process differs from compression.

(I say I'm not bright, but I'm not an idiot - 'compact' and 'compress'
have interchangeable definitions in the dictionary. Also, with regards
to compressed files ('c' attribute) you can use the command 'compact' on
them to decompress or compress files (compact.exe))

BTW you asked me how I stopped 'compacting' from happening - I modify a
registry value :


[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{GUID}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook
Express\5.0]
"Compact Check Count"=dword:00000063


....this seems to bring the 'Check Count' to one below the number
required to begin the 'compacting' process.


==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.