Recovery of a .dbx file

Similar Questions

• Access to the OE 6 dbx file recovery

  I just opened OE6 and noticed that over a third of my local files dbx are missing.  They appear in the box of identities, however.  This happened after OE my files compressed the previous night.  I also just learned that the OE has a 2G file size limit.  My total files 3.1 G, but this has never been a problem in the past.  OS is XP.  Can someone give me some gudance?  Thank you.  Mary

  Two reasons the most common for what you describe is disruption of the compacting process, (never touch anything until it's finished), or bloated folders. More about that below.
   
  
  Why OE insists 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
   
   
   
  Recovery methods:
   
  If you are running XP/SP3, 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 folder bak on 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. Note the location and navigate on it in Explorer Windows or, copy and paste in start | Run.
   
   
  In Windows XP, the .dbx files are by default marked as hidden. To view these files in the Solution Explorer, you must enable Show hidden files and folders under start | Control Panel | Folder options | View.
   
  
  Note: If you have new messages in the folder you are go restore, move them to a folder first created user, or they will be lost. They can be moved once the old posts have been restored.
   
  
  Close OE and in Windows Explorer, click on the dbx to the file missing or empty file, then 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. For example: 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 to the next step.
   
   
  First of all, check if there is a bak file already in the message. If there is, and you have removed the dbx file, go ahead and rename it in dbx.
   
  
  If it is not already in the message, open the trash and do a right-click on the file bak for the folder in question and click on restore. Open the message store up and replace the .bak by .dbx file extension. Close the message store and open OE. Messages must be in the folder.
   
   
  If messages are restored successfully, you can go ahead and delete the old dbx file that you moved to the desktop.
   
   
  If you have not then bak copies of your dbx files in the Recycle Bin:
   
  
  DBXpress run in extract disc 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 finally are damaged. Create your own folders defined by the user for mail storage and move your mail to them. Empty the deleted items folder regularly. Keep user created folders under 300 MB, and also empty as is possible to default folders.
   
  
  Disable analysis in your e-mail anti-virus program. It is a redundant layer of protection that devours the 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 the loss of messages. Your up-to-date A / V program will continue to protect you sufficiently.
   
   
   
  For more information, see:
  http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3 
   
   
   
  And backup often.
   
   
  Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB Freeware)
  http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/default.aspx  
   
   
   
  
   

• Outlook Express - repair/restoration of corrupted DBX files

  Hello

  I recently lost a number of local folders in my Outlook Express (OE) I found in the store DBX. However OE does not read/open them very probably because they are corrupt. It is apparently a common problem.

  I searched and found a few tools that claim to repair/recover corrupted DBX and I tried three demo versions. None of them were able to repair corrupt DBX files. One of the tools has been honest enough to admit that some files may be irremediably, and he provided a full scan of the drive that found a number of lost/deleted messages, some of which were originally in the records the of OE that I had lost. Although no no trouble so far, no cost using the versions demo.

  A number of experts suggested a tool called DBXPRESS claiming to recover the corrupted DBX files. Unfortunately, no demo version is available as proof of effectiveness before buy you.

  Are repairable corrupted DBX files, as claimed by the softwar ecompanies and if so, how, and with what software?
  As it is a common and potentially disastrous problem, not Microsoft should be persuaded to provide a radical solution to avoid a manual tedious backup process.

  All views / advice is much appreciated.

  Concerning

  Paul

  Outlook Express is an e-mail and news client supplied with Internet Explorer. Outlook Express is a different application from MS Outlook. The two programs do not share a common code base, but share a common architectural philosophy. Outlook Express uses the Windows address book to store contact information and integrates tightly with it. Microsoft Internet Mail and News was a freeware e-mail and news client and ancestor of Outlook Express.

  The executable file of Outlook Express, msimn.exe, is a remnant of the era Internet Mail and News. Internet Mail and News managed only plain text and rich text email ( RTF), lack of HTML e-mail message.

  Outlook Express has been subject to a number of problems which can corrupt its files database, especially when the database increases volume due to the increase in number of stored emails and during compaction of the database.

  The dbx file Corruption can occur due to these reasons:

  1 MSIMN has caused an IPF in module Msoe.dll.

  2 MSIMN caused a page fault in module Msoe.dll at address.

  3 outlook Express could not be started. It cannot be installed correctly. Make sure that your disk is not full or that you're not out of memory.

  4 outlook Express could not be started because Msoe.dll could not be initialized. Outlook Express is not installed properly.

  Outlook Express stores e-mail messages in the databases that have a .dbx file extension. Each folder in Outlook Express (same subfolders) has a database that are associated with; so if you have 20 folders you have twenty databases. The databases have the same name files so the Inbox folder has a database called Inbox.dbx.

  In these cases over corruption is probably in the file "Folders.dbx". It's the main index more of the entirety of the record Store and without it, Outlook Express is unable to do anything, in this case, the only solution is to delete the file corrupted in the storage folder. This will allow Outlook Express to start and to build a new "Folders.dbx" by re-indexing of all the DBX files it finds in the storage folder.

  For lost information, follow these steps:

  1. recreate your e-mail folders hierarchy by dragging files in place in the list of folders. Note that any folder that you've created to group sub files but that does not itself contain messages will not appear in the list of the files and must be recreated.

  2 re - download the list of groups of discussion of each news account.

  3 reset your subscribed discussion groups and re-download the messages.

  4. set options on IMAP folder synchronization and newsgroup.

  5. modify a message rule that moves or copies the messages in folders other than the Inbox.

  Here are the steps from which you can return the loss of information. And if your information not recovered again then it could be a serious problem. In this case, go for the recovery software to recover your data from dbx files. I can send you a link that can surely help you recover your lost data. Try this link:

  Good bye.

• The my email inbox.dbx file is corrupted. How to fix please

  Using XP with OE.  the Inbox.dbx file is full. Need help to retrieve emails.   John M.

  And no backup?

  Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store folder will reveal the location of your Outlook Express files. Note the location and navigate on it in Explorer Windows or, copy and paste in start | Run.

  In Windows XP, Win2K & Win2K3 the OE user files (DBX and WAB) 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 | Opinion, or in Windows Explorer. Tools | Folder options | View.

  With OE closed, find the box of Inbox.dbx and rename that it Inboxold.dbx again Inbox will be created automatically when you open OE.

  Now ill you can send & receive, but you will need this tool to retrieve your messages.

  DBXpress
  http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/default.aspx

  You may need to run in the extract from disk Mode if its normal recovery mode fails to find lost messages.

  To help avoid this in the future:

  Do not archive mail in the receipt or sent items box. Create your own user-defined folders and move messages you want to put in them. Empty the deleted items folder daily. Although the dbx files have a theoretical capacity of 2 GB, I recommend all a 300 MB max for less risk of corruption.

  Information on the maximum size of the .dbx files that are used by Outlook Express:
  http://support.Microsoft.com/?kbid=903095

  After you're done, followed by compacting your folders manually while working * off * and do it often.

  Click Outlook Express at the top of the the folder tree so no folders are open. Then: File | Work offline (or double-click on work online in the status bar). File | Folder | Compact all folders. Don't touch anything until the compacting is completed.

  Disable e-mail in your anti-virus program.  It is a redundant layer of protection that devours the processors 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 information, see:
  http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3

  And backup often.

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

  Bruce Hagen ~ MS - MVP [Mail]

• DBX files on cd

  will be one of the available dbx file recovery programs that sell for 10 to 29.00 dollars open the dbx files in a folder that I have accidentley burned on a cd?

  You will never be able to open these files in Outlook or in Notepad. If you can copy the dbx files to the desktop, my solution should work. See this as well.

  How to restore individual dbx files
  http://www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx#imp1

  Bruce Hagen
  MS - MVP October 1, 2004 ~ September 30, 2010
  Imperial Beach, CA

• I had to install Widows XP Home SP2 on a new hard drive. How can I import my .dbx files Express into__Outlook?

  I copied the files to the Outlook Express folder, but they do not appear when Outlook Express is started. I haven't had any problem copy my address book Windows (WAB) file. My addresses appear, but I have important files stored in folders that I need and are irreplaceable.
  Can someone help me please
  Ernie in Arizona

  You must import the data.

  References:

  Backup & restore OE data
  http://www.insideoe.com/backup/
  http://www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx

  OE data import (all DBX, including Folders.dbx files)
  http://www.insideoe.com/FAQs/how.htm#importOE5

  General OE newsgroup support: news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.outlookexpress.general

  ~ Robear Dyer (PA Bear) ~ MS MVP (that is to say, mail, security, Windows & Update Services) since 2002 ~ WARNING: MS MVPs represent or work for Microsoft

• Reached maximum .dbx file Inbox

  My of Outlook Express Inbox.dbx file has reached the maximum limit of 2 gig and now I see all the emails in OE.

  Is there a way to open the .dbx file and edit it to a smaller size, so I see the emails manually?

  If not, how can I retrieve emails from the file and bring back them to OE?

  Thank you

  You can extract the messages from the Inbox.dbx file using my DBXpress program (www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/) as eml files, which can then be dragged in OE folders.  If the file was emptied of messages then nothing can find them in the file, but DBXpress has an excerpt from the disc feature that may be able to recover.

  You can move the Inbox.dbx file to another directory and then OE will create a vacuum.  But you're probably better disable by clicking file | Identities and establishing a new identity, incompetent and then using file | Import | Messages to bring them from the old identity.

  DBX files should be limited to a few hundred megabytes as they otherwise tend to get corrupted and messages are lost.  Therefore, it is important to back up all the important messages frequently.  See points 2, 3 and 6 here: www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx

  Steve

• OE6 .dbx files do not "exported".

  In a panic, I copied my files Outlook Express .dbx on an external drive, rather that export them. Now that my OS has been reinstalled, I am unable to get them into OE again, even with the import function.  Help?

  Copy the entire repertoire of dbx files to a subdirectory under My Documents.  Then select all the dbx files and right-click on it and choose Properties and uncheck the read-only attribute if it is defined.  Then use a file | Import | Messages in OE, point to the directory (note that folders.dbx must be present) dbx files.  If she will not yet imported, you can try to import dbx files individually (see www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx#imp1) or my DBXpress program will extract the messages from files if the messages are still in the files dbx (see www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/).

  Steve

• backup Windows used on xp family - need to locate the .dbx files to restore

  Recently, I wiped the water of the hard drive and reinstalled XP.  I ' v been using the Windows backup utility (from the installation disc Add ons) and I have the old files on a portable hard drive.  I am still investigating the .dbx files to restore the old email from outlook express, but when I use the restore option and try to browse the backup folder, the structure I see seems fragmented and still incomplete.  He did not get down to the level of the individual files that windows Explorer, and I don't want to bring back a bunch of garbage in a new installation of XP.  Anyone know the folder that contains the dbx files, and what else would I be restore with backup if I restore this file?

  Hi there MYOdB,

  You can use the Wizard to restore in the backup or Restore Wizard to select the files to restore; you will need to restore the Documents and Settings folder, because the .dbx files are normally stored in C:\Documents and Settings\ [your original username] \Application Data\Identities\ {a string} \Microsoft\Outlook Express

  You must also make sure that you have hidden files or folders shows: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/hiddenfiles.mspx

  More information about the restoration of backups: http://uis.georgetown.edu/software/documentation/winxp/winxp.restore.html

  --> I hope this helps! Please mark it as correct answer or vote if it does :)<>

  http://www.pcuk.biz - my website
  

  Info from Microsoft about phishing . Information from Microsoft on the fake security software

• How to fix large dbx files in outlook express

  I have files dbx with a mailbox store that exceeds the 2 GB size limit. I'm looking for any tool from Microsoft to fix this. I found a few third-party tools, but they are not very useful. Is a Microsoft tool?

  No. that's why the 3rd party tools have been written.  The best is mine (DBXpress- www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/).  I know because I wrote it.

  Seriously, you cannot repair a file of this type.  The only thing you can do is to extract messages, if it still contains messages.  Sometimes files get wiped out and filled with zeros and then nothing can extract messages from a file filled with zeros.  You can try to compress the file and if it zips down to nothing, it's what is in the file: nothing.  If this is the case, then my DBXpress program is the only one who has the extract from disk feature that will bypass the file system and to analyze the whole hard drive directly to messages.   If they are still on the clusters of disk somewhere, it will recover them.

  But we can't let a dbx file get above a few hundred megabytes, otherwise it is subject to corruption.  The backup of dbx files as bak files before compression file (see www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#2) has been added just in cause of this question - so many people have let their records become too big and then when compacting the files would be loaded with zeros (and software antivirus made it worse).

  So the best thing you can do in the future is to save often (there are FREE on my site tools - see www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#6) and keep the size of the files dbx under a few hundred megabytes.

  Steve

• I can't open the dbx files in the storage folder?

  Somewhere, I am unable to open dbx files in the folder of stores located in my documents. I'm trying uesing MS word and Notepad without result. Can anyone help please.

  Peter

  Moved from feedback

  Windows version not specified

  DBX files are used by Outlook Express to store messages and data.  No program can read outside of EO, because messages are stored in a proprietary format which is not documented.  If you have messages in files, you can import them either manually in OE (see www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx#imp1) or alternatively you can retrieve messages using my DBXpress (www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/) program which will extract the as other e-mail programs can import eml files in them.

  Steve

• How can I get all my emails back off dbx file?

  How to open dbx files

  Outlook6 on xp when too much cleaning stopped at halfway through each thing was put in a dbx file how to do all of my emails back off dbx file? Or is all my lost emails!

  Hello Steve

  See the answer of Bruce in the thread below on how to extract emails from dbx file.
  http://answers.Microsoft.com/en-us/Windows/Forum/windows_xp-files/my-email-inboxdbx-file-is-corrupted-how-to-fix/703f533d-7277-44B4-83c3-89086f9f097c

• How can I find dbx file so that I can remove it. I am unable to open Outlook Express

  How can I find dbx file so that I can remove it.  I'm unable to open outlook express

  Original title: dbx file

  You try to remove Folders.dbx?
   
   
  In Windows XP, the files of user OE (DBX and WAB) 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 | Opinion, or in Windows Explorer. Tools | Folder options | View.
   
  The path to the message will be very similar to this:
   
  C:\Documents and Settings\Your User of utilisateur\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\ {long string of letters & numbers} \Microsoft\Outlook Express
   
  With OE closed, find the Folders.dbx file and delete it.  Another will be created automatically when you open OE.
   
  Note these possible side effects:
   
  When you re - start OE, it will build a new index of all *.dbx files it can read and create a new Folders.dbx. However, understand that you will lose the mail directory structure and message rules will probably have to be edited.

• Most of my OE .dbx files are disproportionately high

  Most of my OE .dbx files are disproportionately high. For example a file has only about 100 messages small (IE without attachments) in it, and yet it is a gigabyte in size. How can I make the "right" size folder? I tried compact all folders, but that seems to have done nothing.

  I use XP SP3.

  Thanks for any help.

  1. You manually compact all folders?
  2. He launched without hanging on any folder?
  If Yes, at once, you can have the corruption of dbx files and a new identity is the best way to heal that.
   
  You may have a damaged identity especially if it's the default main identity. File | Identities | Add the new identity. Create a new one and try it. If all goes well, you can import your messages and address book from the old identity and delete it.
   
  Note: Do not use the main word in the name of the new identity.

• How do I reinstall the .dbx files saved with carbonite

  Carbonite saved my .dbx files but when I try to re-import them in OE, I get a notice that says to another application may require open?

  I tried to import colectably go to a folder and individually as a file with the same result each time?

  Folders.dbx featured in this backup? Otherwise, a normal import fails and you must import them manually one at a time.

  How to restore individual dbx files
  http://www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx#imp1

  If Folders.dbx is included, can you get the storage folder of OE of Carbonite on the desktop? If you can, do a right-click top and remove the read-only attribute and try to import.