after deleting two unus.ed programs, when I next used outlook express, I was unable to delete viewed subjects,and now the delete button has disappeared from my screen...help!!

1a. Move any messages that you want to keep out of Sent Items and Deleted Items folders and into other local OE folders you've created for archiving (saving) such messages. 1b. Move 99% of your messages in your Inbox folder to other local OE folders, too. 2a. Write down the location of your identity's store (http://www.insideoe.com/files/store.htm#storemain). 2b. Enable 'Show Hidden Files and Folders' via Start | Control Panel | Folder Options | View (cf. http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial62.html). 3. Close OE. 4. In Windows Explorer, navigate to your store folder, find & delete the files Outbox.dbx, Sent Items.dbx, and Deleted Items.dbx. To avoid such problems in the future, adhere to the following caveats: - Don't use Inbox or Sent Items to archive messages. Move them to local folders created for this purpose. - Empty Deleted Items folder daily. - Frequently perform a manual compact of all OE folders while "working offline". More at http://www.insideoe.com/files/maintain.htm - Do not cancel Automatic Compacting, should it occur, and do not attempt to close OE via Task Manager or shutdown your machine if Automatic Compacting is taking place. - Disable email scanning by your anti-virus application. It can cause corruption (i.e., loss of messages) and provides no additional protection: Why you don't need your anti-virus to scan your email http://thundercloud.net/infoave/tutorials/email-scanning/index.htm~Robear Dyer (PA Bear) ~ MS MVP (IE, Mail, Security, Windows & Update Services) since 2002 ~ Disclaimer: MS MVPs neither represent nor work for Microsoft