Loss of Messages!!!

[The ANZAC]

I am on my computer, I put in my Civ2 disk and immediately it restarts. Then I go to Outlook Express and My inbox is completely empty and there is the startup email that you have from Outlook when it first starts All the other folders have all their messages. How do I regain this messages I lost in the Inbox?

NB: it had all the emails of all the lineups of the PBEMs I was in

 

[cgannon64]

Do you have Gateway GoBack or its various clones (System Restore, etc)?

 

[The ANZAC]

i have Windows XP and system restore is on. So what next?

 

[cgannon64]

Originally posted by The ANZAC
i have Windows XP and system restore is on. So what next?

Hmm...I've never used System Restore, just GoBack. GoBack works wonders; I've recovered files I didn't even save!

Anyway, is there a list of dates or times you can go back to? Thats what they have in GoBack. If there is, go back to one before the 'incident'. Try to go right before it; GoBack takes FOREVER if you go back a few days...

 

[CrackedCrystal]

Are you sure you are not just logged on as someone else? That would make outlook create a new mailbox for the newly logged on user. I have never heard of someones email dissapearing before.

Do a search of your computer (while logged on as an administrator) for a file called "inbox.dbx" That is the file Outlook express stores your mail from your inbox. The mail in the sent items folder is in "sent item.dbx" and so forth.

Then import that file into Outlook by going to "import and export" I believe it is under the file menu (at least it is in the full-fledged version of Outlook.

 

[CrackedCrystal]

I would only do System Restore as a last resort. However, if you want to, here is a document telling you how.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;306084

 

[The ANZAC]

First I only have one identity in Outlook Express and that is the main identity and also all the other folders have messages in them. Also in the options menu, I checked where my messages are stored and there is a file named inbox.dbx there.

Also this is outlook express: I can't import/export messages, but I can get them in by other means.

I searched for inbox.dbx and I found a manual backup copy I had made and forgotten about. That should save me pretty well. Thanks anyway! I'll report back if it doesn't have the messages I need.

 

[The ANZAC]

OK, I got all of what I needed back except for one expendable message.

But still I wonder why this happened?

 

[CrackedCrystal]

Glad to hear you got your stuff back. I will have to remember you can't import with outlook express. Like I said I use the full Outlook, and before that I used Eudora Pro.

I am curious why that happened as well. Maybe Civ2 made an incorrect registry entry and caused the email client to re-set? Who knows, I am grabing at straws.

 

[voodoocat]

What do you mean you can't import using OE? You can import messages, address book, mail account settings and news account settings.

 

[The ANZAC]

You need to manually import messages ie replace the dbx file or drag and drop emails into OE.