I just turned on my PC and my OE won't open, the first message that comes up is telling me memory or disk may be full, which isn't the case, with a code of Ox800Co13B, the second one is telling me that OE can't be started because MSOE.DLL can't be intialized. The version I have is OE 6.0 and Windows 8. Nothing has been changed nor installed. It was working when I turned it off last night, and turned it on tonight, and this is what is happening. I am no tech person at all, so I have no idea how to get my mail program open now. I have so many things in there I have to have and I am panicked. Pls. any help would be greatly appreciated. Since I can't get into it, if there is an answer back, due to lack of email program working, I will keep checking back. Thank you anyone in advance.1 person got this answerI do too

Can you live without any messages you currently have in Sent Items? If not, post back. If you can, Delete Folders.dbx and Sent Items .dbx from the OE message store. Reboot and see if OE will open.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. The path to the message store will be very similar to this: C:\Documents and Settings\Your User Name\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{Long string of letters & numbers}\Microsoft\Outlook Express Find and delete those two files, reboot and see if OE opens.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 In Tools | Options | Maintenance: Uncheck Compact messages in background and leave it unchecked. {N/A if running XP/SP2}. And backup often. Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB Freeware)http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx Bruce Hagen MS-MVP [Mail]

Hi Bruce,I just did what you said and deleted those 2 folders that you suggested above. Thank you for telling me exactly where to find them, I never would have found then without you. My Outlook Express did indeed open, I was thrilled and actually crying as silly as that may sound when it did. But now I really need your help, I am devasted, I had 2 different accounts running into my Outlook Express and they were listed as 2 different ones on the side where you click what 1 you want to look at. Well the 1 that I used for like contests, alot of spam, but also passwords to site where stored in that one, nearly all of them are now gone. And the other email address where I had lots of pictures that had been sent to me in the last few months that I hadn't gotten moved out to folders yet, the things that meant the most to me, that whole account is now gone! I went to recycle bin and hit restore trying to put them back, but it didn't work. Bruce, pls. help me. Tell me everything isn't gone now and what to do? There were things in there I can never get back. I didn't know until I read your above message that I shouldn't store things in there in the inbox and with both accounts, it was loaded. That is why I have to get all that stuff back. Pls. tell me what to do now. I am paniced.Thank You In Advance,Sheila

This probably happened at the same time OE stopped opening. Perhaps disruption of a compacting process?Did you have two identities each with their own address, or one identity sharing the addresses?I take this to mean that you have either missing folders, or empty folders. Correct? You found the bak files in the recycle bin that you need? And you already clicked Restore?Here is how to restore a bak 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 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. Bruce Hagen MS-MVP [Mail]

Bruce,I just checked and it not only deleted that other whole folder, the really important one, but in the other account, it deleted every message from 1/2008, so all of 2008, all of 2009, and 2010 until today's date that it just run in. Thought I would let you know that, maybe it would help you figure out what happened. Also I forgot to tell you in the above message, that I did compact all folders every single day before I logged out, if that helps you any, however I did not do it offline, as you stated above. I did that because of the amount of messages that came in daily that were just spam. So I thought I was doing what I should, however I know I should have gotten those messages with pictures in them and such important things out, but I have health issues and just hadn't gotten it all done. I will keep checking back Bruce to see if you can pls. help me, I need those messages back badly.Thanks Again,Sheila

The two most common reasons for what you describe is disruption of the compacting process, (never touch anything until it's finished), or bloated folders. More on that below. Why does OE insist 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 About File Corruption:http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/community/columns/filecorruption.mspx Recovery tools: If you are running XP/SP2, or SP3, and are fully patched, 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 bak folder to 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. Write the location down and navigate to it in Windows Explorer or, copy and paste it into Start | Run. In WinXP, the .dbx files are by default marked as hidden. To view these files in Explorer, you must enable Show Hidden Files and Folders under Start | Control Panel | Folder Options | View. Close OE and then 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. If you do not have bak copies of your dbx files in the Recycle Bin, then: DBXpress run in Extract From Disk 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 will eventually become corrupted. Create your own user defined folders for storing mail and move your mail to them. Empty Deleted Items folder regularly. Keep user created folders under 300MB, and Default folders as empty as is feasible. Turn off e-mail scanning in your anti-virus program. It is a redundant layer of protection that eats up 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 lose of messages. 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 Bruce Hagen MS-MVP [Mail]

Bruce, I posted the last message before you last message to me came through. Sorry. In answer to your question, yes I had different email address using different ISP's, as I have 2 different providers. I live in a hick town and sometimes 1 or the other is always not working, thus I pay for 2 different ones. That is why I had the different accounts, hope I explained that to your OK. I did try to restore the dbx files, and only the one titled Sent restored, but even though it did show it to be restored, it was not, nothing is there, but that is okay on that one, that is why I did as you told me to do in the first message, that folder did not matter. But as I said, everything in 1 of the folders disappeared as I stated in the last message above and the whole other one totally is gone and I did not delete anything, but the two that you told me to delete. I am a notive so I really appreciate you helping me so much. Thank you, pls. help me get those folders back. I am going to read through your new message now and try to follow your new instructions. Thanks,Sheila

Re-read my last post starting: The two most common reasons. It explains all your choices and chances of restoring the folders and messages. Bruce Hagen MS-MVP [Mail]

Bruce,Okay I have read both of your last messages, the 1 folder that is left in the recycle bin as I said is the sent folder, which I don't need and it is a dbx file, not a bak extension. The other is the folder dbx and it won't restore, it says Can not move Dc1: a file with that name you specified already exsists. Specify a different file name. But that file is only 76 KB so that won't be all the messages that are gone, as I have said, there were tons of them. Also I never have stopped the compacting all folders as it was running, I always let it get finished, then it sends them to my recycle bin, then I delete that before logging off. Thought I should tell you that as you have stated that stopping it could cause trouble. I have never done that. If that helps any. I am running Windows XP SP2, I have not updated to SP3 due to disk space, don't know if this helps you, but am trying to tell you everything I know. I did in the first message when I deleted those folders, set it to show all hidden files. So I don't understand any of the things above that I did wrong. Or where to go from here. All I did was delete those 2 folders. I hope some of this information can help you, sorry it is taking me so many messages to let you know what I have or haven't ever done. Have I lost all my important and most hard to take-pictures attached to emails, I can't ever get back?Thanks Bruce,Sheila

The Sent Items in the Recycle Bin is the one I had you delete so OE would open. A new one was created for you. That is done.The file that is 76kb is empty. If you were compacting online and a new message arrived, or you switched to IE, those are just some of the examples of disruption the compacting process. You don't have to actually stop it.If folders were excessive in size, anywhere from 500MB ~ 2GB, they became corrupt. You said you restored the bak files. Are they in the message store now or not? More importantly, are the important files available, either in dbx or bak format?Did you try to rename the bak files exactly as I suggested? Did you drag the dbx files to the Desktop first.Give me a complete recap as to where you are right now. File names and their sizes and their locations. Bruce Hagen MS-MVP [Mail]

Bruce,I am trying everything you said, but most if it I don't understand, I am so sorry, I have uncovered all the files, but I did that when I first started this before I deleted those 2 files. As for restoring the bak files, I have read what you wrote and I don't understand it, I haven't found anything that is a bak extentsion. I hate to sound so dumb, what are you referring to as the message store? I just took a screen shot of my OE folder in my files, I had to google to find out how to do that, see I am a real novice when it comes to getting into my files or things of that matter. I am going to try to put in on here so you can see it, don't know if that will help you, hope so. None of them are showing as empty though. And if you can see them, you will notice the really large ones are the ones that I need back so badly. None of them, even all together are near 500 MB though, I just checked. And thank you for explaining to me about compacting all folder when NOT in the offline mode, now I understand and will never do that again. Thank you for your knowledge. Okay gonna try to post what the folder looks like: It worked! :) But don't know if this will help you, hope so. Thanks again so much Bruce for trying to help me and taking so much time with me.Thank You,Sheila

Nevermind it showed before I posted it, but I can see on here it is not. I will type it all out.

In your second post, you said:<QP>I went to recycle bin and hit restore trying to put them back, but it didn't work. </QP>I assumed you were speaking of bak files. What did you try to restore? If the old Sent Items and Folders.dbx, forget it. You don't want/need them back.BAK files are created when you compact and placed in the Recycle Bin.Your message store is the Outlook Express folder in Windows Explorer that contains your dbx files.If you take a screen shot, you need to upload it to and get a link to the upload site. This works, but I think you're better off playing with it at a later time.TinyPic:http://tinypic.com/ I await your list. Bruce Hagen MS-MVP [Mail]

Okay, this is in the folder where you told me to find the things from OE, where they are stored. These are the files:Deleted items dbx. 187KB DBX File (All are now showing modified as today's date)Drafts dbx. 59KB DBX FileFolders dbx. 74KB DBX FileInbox dbx. 122,365KB DBX FileOffline dbx. 10KB DBX FileOutbox dbx. 187KB DBX FilePop3uidl dbx. 10KB DBX FileSent Items dbx. 1,188KB DBX FileWebfire Inbox.dbx 37,845KB DBX FileOkay on the webfire one, that is the one where a few of them are still there, but as above, I stated where they stopped and deleted all those other ones and the years above, the inbox one is the other account which is completely missing, the one with all the pictures. Don't know if this will help, but I sure hope so.Thanks,Sheila

Bruce, I just now for the first time, try clicking on some of the few messages that were left, and most of them, when you click on them, they aren't even there, it just shows message not loaded, click here, and when I do, nothing. They are gone too, just thought I would let you know.

Deleted items dbx. 187KB DBX File (All are now showing modified as today's date)Drafts dbx. 59KB DBX FileFolders dbx. 74KB DBX FileInbox dbx. 122,365KB DBX FileOffline dbx. 10KB DBX FileOutbox dbx. 187KB DBX FilePop3uidl dbx. 10KB DBX FileSent Items dbx. 1,188KB DBX FileWebfire Inbox.dbx 37,845KB DBX File Sent Items should be empty since you created a new one. But we don't care, rightYou have only two others that may have messages. (Even showing a size like they do does not mean they have any messages in them). The OE Inbox and the Webfire Inbox.Is the Webfire Inbox one that you created, was it created by Webfire? An IMAM program maybe? Let me know.Create a new identity. File | Identity | Add New Identity and follow the prompts. Then, import your folders from your current identity to the new one.In the new identity: File | Import | Messages. Select Microsoft Outlook Express 6 and Import from the old identity.Do the two Inboxes show messages? If so, you are going to use this identity now.If the Inboxes are empty, close OE and go back to the message store for your original identity. (Where you copied these files from to show me).Rename the Inbox.dbx to Inboxold.dbx and drag it to the Desktop. Do the same for the Webfire Inbox if it was a folder that you created.When you open OE, you will have a new and empty Inbox. You will need this tool to retrieve the messages from Inboxold.dbx on the Desktop.DBXpress:http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx You may need to run it in the Extract From Disk Mode if its normal recovery mode fails to find the lost messages. That is about all that can be done at this point. Hopefully, you will be successful in retrieving the messages. Please refer to the last paragraph in my first reply regarding backing up. Had you been, these messages could have been restore\d in minutes. Bruce Hagen MS-MVP [Mail]

The inbox one is the one that is the on the OE program, that is where I had the pictures and the emails from real people, I mean the only one I gave out to anyone to contact me that knows me, as you can see, it had the most things in it, like the pictures and things I need back the most. In answer to your question, the Webfire one, no...I created it myself on my OE so that those messages would load into that file so that is the one that got the most junk that I needed to delete. But that is also where I had passwords stored....sigh. Right now, everything is loading in the inbox one, no matter what email address it comes to, I have sent myself things to see, the other Webfire one I had added isn't even showing up on there anymore, it is gone. But all address are now loading there. Hope that makes sense and answers your question.

You must have made a message rule to divert mail to the Webfire Inbox? It probably became unchecked during all of this. That is the least of your worries though right now.Definitely continue as I posted just before this, and do the same for the Webfire Inbox as you do for the OE Inbox. I wish it were simpler, but it's not.I will be gone for a couple of hours, but will check back. Bruce Hagen MS-MVP [Mail]

Thank you Bruce, I will do my best to follow your above instructions and see what happens. Thanks again for all your time, you have been great. Will let you know.Thanks Again,Sheila

I don't know if there is anything more I can offer, but I'm back for now. Bruce Hagen MS-MVP [Mail]

Hi Bruce,Well I am still trying.....have been on this since last night. Needless to say, I am frustrated, tired, and very sad. I haven't tried the very last thing you told me, as I read at the bottom of your instructions I needed that tool that you gave me the link to, and it costs more money than I can spend right now, due to the health issues I mentioned earlier. I am at a loss right now to be honest. I know, it might sound silly to be so upset about losing these emails, but they really were important to me and had so many things in them, that I needed to save, and I know....my fault for not having them backed-up. I have learned my lesson....to late though. I just don't know what to do at this point. I did I think finally figure out about the bak files you were talking about, I read somewhere that it said something about in WindowsXP SP2, there should be a bak folder in with the dbx files for OE. There isn't in mine, there never was. Could that be the problem maybe with not being able to get them back? And when I run a search for .dbx guess what it showed nothing...at all. Yet when I go to the actual folder, they are still showing there. I don't know if any of this makes a difference, just thought I would let you know, trying to tell you everything that might help.If you know anything else, pls. do let me know. But I have to Thank You for your time and patience with me, you have been great. I will check back in a bit later, I have been on this PC for over 14 hours just trying to get my emails back.....I am exhausted. :)Thank You,Sheila

As I mentioned earlier, bak files are created when you compact and placed in the Recycle Bin. You said you had none. Did you actually ever look? I am not speaking of Deleted Items. I am speaking of the Windows Recycle Bin.When you do a search for dbx or bak files, do an Advanced Search and include Hidden Files and Folders. Search for:*.dbx &*.bakLet me know. Bruce Hagen MS-MVP [Mail]

Morning Bruce,Well I am back at it again. What you asked me above, sorry the first time you mentioned them, I didn't know to look in the hidden files on the search, I thought when I uncovered the hidden files when we first started that uncovered them everywhere, so you taught me it didn't, but at least now I know how to uncover both of them. And yes, you are right...I did find both the dbx & bak files when I did that. The bak are as you said, in the recycle bin and the dbx are in the file where OE is stored. Funny thing is, now in the Inbox.dbx file that did show 122,365KB as I posted above, I was looking at it again last night and it had went down to something in the 35,000 range and I have no idea why. I didn't do anything in that folder. And that was the one with the pictures and such that I was trying so hard to get back. I have no idea why it got smaller, but that worrys me that for some reason, even if I can get them, alot of them are now gone. Does that make any sense to you? Thought I would let you know that I did find the files. And from here, still trying. Just checking in. Thanks,Sheila

OK. Now we can do something. We are only concerned with the Inbox and Webfire Inbox, correct? If yes, continue. If no, post back first.Go to the message store and drag the two Inbox files to the Desktop. They must not be in the message store folder to continue.Open the Recycle Bin and click Restore for those two bak files only.Go back to the message store. Now you have an Inbox.bak file and Webfire Inbox.bak file. Correct?One folder at a time, now!.Rename the Inbox.bak file to Inbox.dbx. Open OE. Is there a new Inbox with the messages in it? Yes = Good.Now the Webfire Inbox.Create a new one in the OE folder tree. Be sure it is spelled the same as the old one. Open it and then close OE. You must do this. Go back to the message store. Rename Webfire Inbox.bak to Webfire Inbox.dbxClose the store folder and open OE. Are the Webfire messages back?Follow these instructions carefully. If you have a question, post back. Don't make a guess at what to do.<Fingers crossed for luck> Bruce Hagen MS-MVP [Mail]

Bruce....the very first ones that I took out when we first started that went to the recycle bin.........I have already emptied the recycle bin....oh gosh, I didn't know not to, I thought when none of the above things worked it was okay to empty it. Did I royally mess up? Can I remove what is in there again and try the above directions? Sorry............

You said you found bak files. Where are they now? Bruce Hagen MS-MVP [Mail]

I did find alot of bak files, just pulled them up again using advanced search, there are quite a few of them, but none of them have anything to do with OE and none of them are mail files from what I can see. I have hightlightened every single one of them. No mail files at all. The bak files I mentioned was when I deleted the few mails that were left, the ones I mentioned above that were in OE, but were unreadable. I went to the recycle bin to look at the ext. name and that is where I saw what you were taking about that they had been changed to a bak file.....but I emptied the recyle bin with those in it, it is empty now.

BAK files are backup OE files. They do have something to do with OE.You have no Inbox.bak or Webfire Inbox.bak files anywhere? You posted earlier this:Deleted items dbx. 187KB DBX File (All are now showing modified as today's date)Drafts dbx. 59KB DBX FileFolders dbx. 74KB DBX FileInbox dbx. 122,365KB DBX FileOffline dbx. 10KB DBX FileOutbox dbx. 187KB DBX FilePop3uidl dbx. 10KB DBX FileSent Items dbx. 1,188KB DBX FileWebfire Inbox.dbx 37,845KB DBX FileDo you still have the Inbox.dbx file and the Webfire Inbox.dbx file either in the message store or on the Desktop if you had done that?If they are still in the message store, rename them and drag them to the Desktop.I'm sorry, but with out any bak files, or your own backup, this is the only tool that has a chance at recovering the messages from those filesDBXpress:http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx There is no other way. You may need to run it in the Extract From Disk Mode if its normal recovery mode fails to find the lost messages. Bruce Hagen MS-MVP [Mail]

Yes Bruce, they are still in the message store, in my files were I first started with the deleting the folder and the sent dbx files, the webfire and the inbox are still there, I did not delete them. They are dbx ext. no bak ext. So should I try your above instructions with these 2 files that I am trying to recover the Webfire and the Inbox files? Do you have any idea as to why the Inbox file went down so much in size from what I posted above when it was 122,365KB Now it is only showing 39,483KB, I have done nothing with it? I am sorry I am so much trouble.Thank You So Much Bruce,Sheila

The Inbox probably reduced in size when you compacted. Even if you delete all the messages in a folder, the size is not reduced until you compact,Did you ever try creating a new identity and importing your folder to it like I suggested quite awhile ago? If not, it's the last possibility before resulting to DBXpress.File | Identity | Add New Identity and create a new one. Note: Do not use the word Main in the name of the new identity. How to Create and Use Identities in Outlook Expresshttp://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=209169 Then import your messages from the old identity. In the new identity: File | Import | Messages. Select Microsoft Outlook Express 6 and Import from the old identity.If the messages do not show in the new identity, then you will need DBXpress. Bruce Hagen MS-MVP [Mail]

Yes Bruce, I did try that and nothing. Still none of the emails were there. I guess you are right, I am down to trying the program you have mentioned when I can get the money to order it. I can't thank you enough for all the time and energy that you have spent with me. I really really Thank You So Very Much, you have been so patience and there for me for the last 2 days and Dear Sir.........you are awesome for doing that and caring. I can't ever Thank You enough for all your kindness. I truely appreciate you more than you know. Thanks again my friend and I will let you know what happens, if I get them back.Thank You Again Bruce.....For Everything,Sheila

You're very welcome and I am sorry the results could not have been better.Don't forget this for the future, including the free backup program.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 In Tools | Options | Maintenance: Uncheck Compact messages in background and leave it unchecked. {N/A if running XP/SP2}. And backup often. Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB Freeware)http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx Bruce Hagen MS-MVP [Mail]

Yes Bruce, I will do all of the above things from now on. Thank you for teaching me all these things for the future. I will certainly back up OE when I get messages from now on. Right now, it is pretty empty. :) And I will follow your advice above to the letter from now on. I have learned my lesson, and it has been a very hard painful one. But thanks to you, at least I have learned what to do from now on, so that is a good lesson.....even if many tears have been cried over this.Thanks Again My Friend,Sheila