Outlook Express not showing all folders

[cookiemonster[MoA]]

My friends Outlook Express (running XP) gave him a error and he could not get his emails in. He got that all fixed then a message came up to Compact so he did. Now lots of his folders 9that he had on the left side) are gone. So i went and looked at it. I looked where OE stores the emails. The folders are there but just do not show in OE. I noticed that there was 2 of each file. For exsample there was a craigslist.bak and a craigslist.dbx. It was like this for all the folders. So i created a new identity and imported his email into that but it did not import everything. It was the same as his main identity. All the files do have valid sizes but just cant get them to show. How can i fix this?

Thanks for all and any help

[cookiemonster[MoA]]

Anyone??

[submix8c]

My friends Outlook Express (running XP) gave him a error and he could not get his emails in. He got that all fixed then a message came up to Compact so he did.?

How did your friend "fix" this? It may have a bearing on what went wrong.

Now lots of his folders that he had on the left side) are gone. So i went and looked at it. I looked where OE stores the emails. The folders are there but just do not show in OE.

Mine are stored here -

C:\Documents and Settings\user-id\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{numerics}\Microsoft\Outlook Express

where user-id is my Windows Logon-ID and numerics is a special folder for my OE signon. In my case, I created a different OE signon rather than using the "default" (Main Identity), so there are two "special folders". So one might wonder if the OE sign-on they are using is different than the original.

Also, their Address Book would be stored here -

C:\Documents and Settings\user-id\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book

with a filename OESignon.wab

I noticed that there was 2 of each file. For example there was a craigslist.bak and a craigslist.dbx. It was like this for all the folders. So i created a new identity and imported his email into that but it did not import everything. It was the same as his main identity. All the files do have valid sizes but just cant get them to show.

Normally, when a Compress is done, the originals are copied to ".bak" (for MS "insurance"), the Compress occurs, then the ".bak" files are sent to the Recycle Bin. I just did a Compress on mine and that's what happened. I won't swera to this, but I think an "Import" is unnecessary (been a while since I fiddled with this). All that needed to be done was -

--- (do not be signed into OE except where noted)

1 - Copy all good files to another "safe" folder(s) (including the Address Book/s)

2 - Uninstall Outlook Express (including the Address Book) then re-install

3 - go into OE and re-create the original OESignon

4 - While in OESignon, re-create all folders in question

5 - exit OE and overlay the newly created files with the good files (not the ".bak", unless these are the good origninals; should be renamed to ".dbx" after deleting the ".dbx") including AddressBook

6 - go back into OE and all should be well.

How the ".bak" files got there is beyond me, unless the Compress failed for some reason. I suggest copying all possible folders (i.e. files ".dbx", ".bak", and ".wab") to "safe folders" (real folders) before proceeding to ensure no data loss (step #1).

HTH