Outlook Express Inbox full-Error Ox800C0131
Outlook Express Inbox folder won't open so I am unable to see any messages in order to delete them to free up space. The disk space is full. Am working with Windows 98. Any ideas how to access the folder and recover my messages?1 person got this answerI do too
July 14th, 2010 7:12pm

If your Inbox file is corrupted, then I don't know too many ways of getting the data out of it. See if either of these helps: http://www.insideoe.com/ or http://www.oehelp.com/.Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]------------------------------If a reply helps, please vote it as helpful. If a reply solves the issue, please mark it as an answer.
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July 14th, 2010 9:29pm

I'm not sure if the inbox file is corrupted. It refuses to load as it is too full. The message states that the inbox folder won't load as the disk space has been exceeded. And of course I am unable to receive any e-mails which is a major problem.
July 14th, 2010 10:40pm

You probably exceeded the limit for the mailbox size in OE. Since the inbox is inaccessible, try moving the inbox.dbx file to another directory. Then OE will make a new inbox. My DBXtract program (www.oehelp.com/DBXtract/) will extract the messages from the file, but it may take a week, due to its large size. My DBXpress program (www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/) is much, much faster and more accurate, and it will work in Windows 98, but the extract from disk feature won't. Hopefully you won't need that feature and can just extract from the old inbox file. Otherwise the messages are gone. steve <Trader Cindy> wrote in message news:Email removed for privacy...I'm not sure if the inbox file is corrupted. It refuses to load as it is too full. The message states that the inbox folder won't load as the disk space has been exceeded. And of course I am unable to receive any e-mails which is a major problem.
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July 14th, 2010 11:23pm

Hi thanks for the responses, but surely there's a simpler answer than having to purchase a programme to fix what is inherently a fault in Outlook Express?
July 15th, 2010 9:33pm

You can fix your Inbox for free. Getting messages out of the current Inbox is another story.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, 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 | View, or in Windows Explorer | Tools | Folder Options | View.With OE closed, find the Inbox.dbx and rename it to Inboxold.dbx. A new Inbox will be created automatically when you open OE.Now you will be able to receive messages normally again, but you will need a tool to get any messages you want out of the Inboxold.dbx file.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=903095After 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#3And backup often.Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB):http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx Bruce Hagen ~ MS-MVP [Mail]
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July 15th, 2010 9:56pm

Thanks Bruce I will follow your instructions to create a new inbox. On the question of data recovery, I have a second computer running on Windows XP with a larger inbox folder. If I export the old inbox from this computer to the newer one with the larger inbox folder, will I be able to read my messages, or is the inbox corrupted? And will I be able to export the inbox folder as it won't open at the moment?
July 16th, 2010 1:33pm

Thanks Bruce I will follow your instructions to create a new inbox. On the question of data recovery, I have a second computer running on Windows XP with a larger inbox folder. If I export the old inbox from this computer to the newer one with the larger inbox folder, will I be able to read my messages, or is the inbox corrupted? And will I be able to export the inbox folder as it won't open at the moment?Define 'larger Inbox folder'. The max size for any OE folder is 2GB period. That said, corruption often occurs long before that. Also, removing and deleting messages does not reduce the size until you compact.If you exported the Inbox.dbx file to the other machine, it would still be corrupted. You can try this, but I doubt it will help.Copy the corrupted Inbox.dbx file to the other computer's desktop and rename it. Don't try to import it into a folder currently in use. Import it into OE via these instructions.How to restore individual dbx fileshttp://www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx#imp1 Now, compact all your folders on this machine.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.Compact Your OE Folders:http://www.insideoe.com/files/maintain.htm#compact If you can see the messages, good. But assuming you can't, you still have the old Inbox.dbx file on the original machine to run the tool on.Bruce Hagen ~ MS-MVP [Mail]
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July 16th, 2010 5:27pm

Many thanks for all your help, Bruce. I was running Outlook Express on an old computer with a folder size of 512 (MB I think). I have the e-mails working again with a new inbox, thanks to your help, and think I will get help to attempt copying to the new computer. But at least I know how its done, thanks.
July 21st, 2010 12:43am

You're very welcome.The 512 you refer to is only MBs of RAM. OE folder size limitations don't exceed 2MB and usually have problems long before that as I previously mentioned.Be sure to get in the habit of backing up OE so you don't have to worry about this in the future.Here are some links for moving to the new computer.Backup & Restore:http://www.insideoe.com/backup/Backing up and Cloning your OE Identities:http://www.insideoe.com/backup/clone.htmGood luck. Bruce Hagen ~ MS-MVP [Mail]
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July 21st, 2010 3:00am

The 512 you refer to is only MBs of RAM. OE folder size limitations don't exceed 2MB and usually have problems long before that as I previously mentioned.Typo. Should read: OE folder size limitations don't exceed 2GB.Bruce Hagen ~ MS-MVP [Mail]
July 21st, 2010 4:18am

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