Problems importing emails in OE! Help, please!!!!

[Matrix]

I have some important emails preserved from corrupted XP. Outlook
Express 6.0.

All files have right extensions *.dbx

Inbox is just 25 MB.

Every time I try to import them into OE, I see the message...

"No messages can be found in this folder or another application is
running that has required files open. Please select another folder or
try closing applications that may have files open."

Of course nothing is using these files and I've tried do it in save mode
as well, the same message pops up.

When I've copied these files in OE profile where they are normally
stored, OE is blind and doesn't display them at all.

When I'm creating new account in OE, OE creates new folders naming them,
like

Inbox(1) because old Inbox I'm trying to import is there all ready.

When I'm trying to import these messages again, OE displaying the message:

"The specified message store could not be opened. It may be in use by
Outlook Express."

I've tried to do the same thing on two machines with Win XP, OE 6.0
and no joy at all.

On both machines XP Pro were freshly updated with newest security
updates form MS server and they are SP1.

I have done importing many times before but this time I'm puzzled what
the hell is going on.

HELP!!!

TIA...

 

[R. McCarty]

You can try this, but slowly and watch the details.

1. Copy your original .DBX files to a working folder (Copy)
2. Remove any extra/trial type profiles you've created.
3. Go to the working folder copy and rename the .DBX
files from:
Inbox.dbx (to) Old-Inbox.Dbx
( and any others such as Sent, or personal ones to this
same naming convention).
4. Open your existing profile, Right Click on the Local
Folders. From the Context menu choose New folder
make it's name Old-Inbox (Repeat for each of the older
folders you want to use.
5. Close Outlook Express
6. Navigate to the Store folder location, Delete the folders
prefixed Old-
7. Copy the .DBX from your working folder into the Outlook
Express store folder location. (Make Sure the replaced
module names are matched exactly).
8. Open Outlook Express - the Old folders should have the
content you want, which you can now move into your
permanent folders.

Make sure you have your data backed up, before starting this.

 

[Dave]

It sounds like the .dbx file might be corrupt. Try downloading 'dbxtract'.
(Google for the link). You should be able to recover all messages except
those in the damaged bit.

Dave

 

[PA Bear]

If you find a file named, eg., Inbox (1).dbx, it is an older, damaged Inbox
file and Inbox.dbx will have replaced it.

Your Inbox should never have reached a size of 25 MB. Don't use Inbox or
Sent Items to archive messages. Move them to local folders created for this
purpose.

Disable Background Compacting and frequently perform a manual compact of all
OE folders while "working offline". Always compact all OE folders prior to
backing-up and transferring data. More at
http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/files/maintain.htm.

References:

Backup & Restore OE Data
http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/backup/index.htm
http://www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx

OE Files & Settings
http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/files/index.htm
http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/files/store.htm#storemain

Importing OE Data
http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/faqs/how.htm#importOE5
http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/faqs/how.htm#importdbx

OE Freebie Backup
http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx

Using WinXP's FAST Wizard, by MVP Gary Woodruff
(Please read the caveats about Outlook Express)
http://aumha.org/win5/a/fast.htm
--
OE6-specific newsgroup:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6_outlookexpress

HTH - Please Reply to This Thread

~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE), AH-VSOP

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