Outlook Express

[Whiskery Ron]

Help please, I cant open Outlook Express .WR.

[Buenchico]

(2-part post):

Hi Ron,

Go to Start > Search and search for *.dbx
That should show each of the folders for Outlook Express. Right-click on the first one and select 'Properties'. Ensure that there's not a tick alongside 'Read only' (If there is, click to remove it). Click 'OK'.

Repeat for each of the other OE folders. If you had to remove any ticks, you might have already solved the problem, so try starting OE. If you didn't find any ticks, or if you still can't start OE anyway, minimize the search pane and right-click on the desktop. Select New > Folder and create a new folder called 'Store'. Open the folder and minimize it.

Return to the search pane and right-click on any DBX folder name. Select 'Open containing folder'. Go to Edit > Select All. Right-click on any folder and select Cut. (DON'T CLOSE THE FOLDER. You might want to put those files back in there and it can be very hard to find since searching for *.dbx won't help when it's empty).

Go to the Store folder. Right-click and select 'Paste'.

Try opening Outlook Express. It should (hopefully) start and detect that there are missing folders. It will then (hopefully) automatically create new blank ones.

If all has gone well, you'll have Outlook Express back but with empty folders. To try to put your mail back, go to File > Import > Messages > Outlook Express 6 (or whatever version of OE you've got). Select 'Import from a store folder', click 'Browse' and navigate to the folder you created on your desktop. Click 'OK'.

If all's gone well, your old mail folders will now be in OE.

[Buenchico]

If OE didn't open at all, I suggest replacing the DBX folders where they came from (which is why I didn't want you to close that folder). Return to that folder, right-click and select 'Paste'. (The folders should still be on your clipboard so you shouldn't need to copy them from the Store folder). You now need to check whether your Identity entry in the registry has been damaged. (See link below).

If OE opened, but failed to import one or more of the DBX files, you'll need to download the Macallan Outlook Express Extraction utility and extract individual e-mails. (See link below).

All of the foregoing text is based upon this web page:
http://www.insideoe.com/problems/errors.htm
I've simply tried to identify anything on that page which you might not understand, and re-word it. All that stuff about moving DBX files makes perfect sense to me. (i.e. I've often moved DBX files around and I know that, with care, it's perfectly safe to do so). Beyond that point, however, (i.e. when it comes to repairing registry entries or extracting mail using the Macallan utility) I probably don't know any more than you do. If you need to use the information towards the end of that page (i.e. the remedies suggested above don't work) I'll try to assist you with anything you don't understand but don't expect me to be an 'expert'!

Good luck ;-)

Chris

[Whiskery Ron]

Thanks Chris.Great help,I have opened Outlook Express,however I still have a problem. OE won't link with my Hotmail email account , I get a message stating that OE cannot link with Hotmail if it is a free account but mine is a subscription account,I have sent a report to Microsoft several days ago but so far no response.Also Chris do you know how I can burn CDs to play on my old Aiwa CD Player, I have AVS Audio Converter which has several different File Formats except CDA, which I think is the one I need. Sorry to burden you with this but hoping you can help.Ron.

[Buenchico]

Hello again.

I hate Hotmail. I gave up on it years ago. (Get a Gawab account; it's far better. I've got loads of free accounts with Gawab; they can be accessed either through webmail or via Outlook Express). However, you might find some suggestions about how to resolve your problem on the Hotmail support page. (That's if such a thing exists. I can't get into anything on Hotmail without an account).

These free audio converters can handle the CDA format:

http://www.download.com/Free-Audio-Converter/3 000-2140_4-10656135.html?tag=lst-0-2

http://www.download.com/Expstudio-Audio-Editor -Free/3000-2170_4-10708626.html?tag=lst-0-3
(That's actually an editor but you should be able to use it to convert files).

http://www.tucows.com/preview/513918
(That's probably the one I'd try first)

This free CD burning software automatically converts to CDA:
http://www.download.com/SC-Audio-CD-Creator/30 00-2646_4-10657301.html?tag=lst-0-1

Chris

PS: If you want to try Gawab for your e-mail, please read paragraph 3, et seq, here:
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Technology/Inte rnet/Question407429.html

[Whiskery Ron]

Once again Chris Thanks very much for info re,Audio, have downloaded 2 of them & tried 1 with great success,BRILL. (I am of the opinion Chris that you need to move from your present abode & camp next to my computer) (on 2nd thoughts I dont think my dear wife would approve) Ron.