The easiest way would be to restore it to OE as WinMail can't read a dbx
file, and you can avoid the overwrite. Create a new temporary folder and
move all the messages from the folder the messages will be restored to, to
this new folder. Restore the bak file and then simply drag the messages
back in from the temporary file.
All e-mail items may be missing when you start Outlook Express 6 Service
Pack 1:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918069
To restore a bak folder to the message store folder, first locate the
Message Store in Windows Explorer.
In OE: Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder will reveal the
location of your Outlook Express files. Write the location down.
In WinXP, the dbx files are by default marked as hidden. To view these
files in Windows Explorer, you must enable Show Hidden Files and Folders
under Start | Control Panel | Folder Options Icon | View, or in Windows
Explorer | Tools | Folder Options | View.
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.
*************************
FYI: OE doesn't compact files to the Recycle Bin. They are copied there in
case something goes wrong, which apparently did. It's a backup feature.
General precautions for Outlook Express:
Do not archive mail in the Inbox or Sent Items. Create your own user
defined folders and move the messages you wish to save to them. Empty
Deleted Items folder daily. Although dbx files have a theoretical capacity
of 2GB, I recommend about a 300MB max for less chance of corruption.
Information about the maximum file size of the .dbx files that are used by
Outlook Express:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=903095
After you are done, follow up by compacting your folders manually while
working *offline* and do it often.
Click on Outlook Express at the top of the folder tree so no folders are
open. Then: File | Work Offline (or double click Working Online in the
Status Bar). File | Folder | Compact all folders. Don't touch anything
until the compacting is completed.
Turn off e-mail scanning in your anti-virus program. It is a redundant
layer of protection that eats up CPUs and causes a multitude of problems
such as time-outs and account setting changes. 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