Outlook - how to restore a .BAK file

Asked By aPeter

10-May-07 09:28 AM

my messages were all disappearred. i notice some .BAK files in recycle bin.
How do I retrieve these BAK folders?
Thks

Peter

10-May-07 09:35 AM

Your compacting process was probably interrupted, causing the loss of the
folders/messages.

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 OE: Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder will reveal the location
of your Outlook Express files. Press the Tab key to highlight the folder
location, then Ctrl+C. Close OE, then Start | Run | Ctrl+V will put the
location in the box - Click OK and you'll see the OE files. Otherwise, write
the location down and navigate to it in Windows Explorer.

In WinXP, the dbx files 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.

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.

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 Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

10-May-07 10:37 AM

Thks Bruce
I did the steps until I got stuck here -

'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'

how, where do I open Message Store?

10-May-07 10:56 AM

The first part of my reply tells you how to find the Message Store.

Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder will reveal the location of
your Outlook Express files. Press the Tab key to highlight the folder
location, then Ctrl+C. Close OE, then Start | Run | Ctrl+V will put the
location in the box - Click OK and you'll see the OE files. Otherwise, write
the location down and navigate to it in Windows Explorer.

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.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

10-May-07 11:27 AM

ok, I got the message folder. Thks

but when i right-click to change the file extension from .bak to .dbx., i
could not find the option to do so.
pls pardon my ignorance - you've been very helpful thus far.

10-May-07 11:37 AM

When in the Recycle Bin, did you click Restore? Now it is in the message
store and you can rename it.

Right click on the bak file and then Rename. Make sure you have dragged the
old dbx file out first.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

10-May-07 12:06 PM

i did restore the file from recycle bin. but selecting rename from
right-click only allows me to rename, not change file extension from bak to
dbx. sorry

10-May-07 12:23 PM

When you click Rename, the name is highlighted in blue. Let's say it's
Foldername.bak. You can't change it to Foldername.dbx? What happens when you
try?

Did you make sure there is a Foldername folder in OE first? Did you open the
folder and then close OE?

Did you drag the old Foldername.dbx file out of the Message Store first? You
can't rename the bak file if the old dbx file is still in the Message Store.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

10-May-07 08:32 PM

When I click Rename, I can change the highlighted blue to Foldername.dbx.
The result is that it is only a name change, as I can see from the details
that it is still a Bak file. Opening OE, the Foldername is empty.

I did drag the Foldername.dbx out from store to desktop

BUT it remains a BAK file

Its ok. Thks a lot for your help

10-May-07 09:13 PM

I honestly do not know why it cannot be renamed. I hope someone else has an
idea. I have done this many times just to make sure it works.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

10-May-07 10:04 PM

maybe my OE is corrupted - I also see some other .BAK files in another of my
folder (my previous store folder), apart from Recycle bin.
Can guide me how to uninstall/reinstall OE?

Thks & Regards

10-May-07 10:13 PM

Are you *positive* that the bak file you restore to the message store is the
message store for the correct identity? They're is no reason to find a bak
file any place but the Recycle Bin, unless you restore it yourself.

I can give you the instructions to reinstall IE & OE, but I have high doubts
that it will be the cure. If you have IE7, you have to remove it first.

How to Reinstall or Repair IE6 and OE6:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=318378

Although written for WinXP, it works for all Windows operating systems 98 or
newer.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~

11-May-07 03:39 AM

Thks

--
_________________
Peter Toh
TC Kopitiam
Mobile - 91282032
the
doubts
or
of
an
it is
Store.
you will
Explorer,
Control
Tools
open
6
locate
to
Start
view
later
without
be
folder
back
the

26-May-08 02:08 PM

I understand renaming BAK with DBX. However, AutoCad uses DBX as a file extension. So when I rename the BAK, AutoCad kidnaps the file and shows the AutoCad icon instead of the OE Icon. How do I get around that to restore the missing emails to the in box where they were stolen by compacting the file?

20-Nov-08 10:54 PM

Hi Bruce and others. I stumbled across your answer to"How to Restore a .bak file" TOO late! I have tried other fixes to my problem and ended up making it worse. I think this "BAK" answer would have worked but you have to tell me how to apply it to where I am now with the extra problem I've created.



My original problem was that OE would hang upon startup. I searched for a fix and found one that basically had me remove the .dbx files from the Stor folder to a temp folder on my desktop,restart OE and use the import messaeg feature to rebuild my OE. This fix worked well the FIRST time.

I ws able to reimport all my messages and the hanging stopped. About a month later tho it started again. THIS time however the fix didnt work as well-ie I lost some folders and their messages during the process. Let me say here that I have an extremely large OE and that this may have been the root of my original problem. I was in the process of compacting and creating additional folders so that this wouldnt happen, & I'm not sure but I think that MAY have caused the hanging problem the second time.

Anyway-I attempted the same fix again immediately & THIS time I couldnt even create the temp folder!-due to "low disk space" I didnt know it then, but  having 2 1/2 temp folders-plus my OE filled up my hard disk! So now I have the 2 temp folders that contain the missing folders & messages-but they will NOT import to the OE!??!

I'm hoping somebody can now tell me how to retrieve the messages from the .dbx and or bak files so that I can start dleleting them and reclaim my HD space. I'm running Windows XP/OE6 with a 144 GB hard drive.

I see that this article about the BAK files is from 2007 so hope you're still around Bruce or someone else can help!

Thanks in advance!

21-Jan-09 01:54 PM

I compacted about a week ago and lost a month of Inbox and 7 months of Sentbox.  I read your article below and thanks to you, I restored all of it.  However, I lost a week of items I think because I waited a week to do this and the .bak file was a week old.

Any thoughts for how to restore the week's worth of items.  I still have the old Inbox.dbx and old Sentbox.dbx on my desktop--might that week be in there and if so, how do I get it back?



I need to back up and for that reason installed Steve Cochran's OETool and OEQB, and while in the same directory, they will not synch enabling me to use what appears to be a simple one step back up tool with built in redundancy.

21-Jan-09 02:45 PM

I compacted about a week ago and lost a month of Inbox and 7 months of Sentbox.  I read your article below and thanks to you, I restored all of it.  However, I lost a week of items I think because I waited a week to do this and the .bak file was a week old.

Any thoughts for how to restore the week's worth of items.  I still have the old Inbox.dbx and old Sentbox.dbx on my desktop--might that week be in there and if so, how do I get it back?

I need to back up and Steve Cochran's OETool and OEQB while in the same directory will not synch enabling me to use what appears to be a simple one step tool.

17-Oct-09 06:21 PM

Bruce,

I am going to attempt to do instructions you have given to Peter, if i have further questions or need help are you still around to help?

Thanks,
Amber




Re: how to restore a .BAK file
10-???-07

Your compacting process was probably interrupted, causing the loss of the
folders/messages.

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 OE: Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder will reveal the location
of your Outlook Express files. Press the Tab key to highlight the folder
location, then Ctrl+C. Close OE, then Start | Run | Ctrl+V will put the
location in the box - Click OK and you will see the OE files. Otherwise, write
the location down and navigate to it in Windows Explorer.

In WinXP, the dbx files 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.

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.

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 Outlook Express
~IB-CA~


Previous Posts In This Thread:

On 10 ?????, 2007 9:28

how to restore a .BAK file
my messages were all disappearred. i notice some .BAK files in recycle bin.
How do I retrieve these BAK folders?
Thks

Peter

On 10 ?????, 2007 9:35

Re: how to restore a .BAK file
Your compacting process was probably interrupted, causing the loss of the
folders/messages.

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 OE: Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder will reveal the location
of your Outlook Express files. Press the Tab key to highlight the folder
location, then Ctrl+C. Close OE, then Start | Run | Ctrl+V will put the
location in the box - Click OK and you will see the OE files. Otherwise, write
the location down and navigate to it in Windows Explorer.

In WinXP, the dbx files 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.

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.

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 Outlook Express
~IB-CA~


On 10 ?????, 2007 10:37

Re: how to restore a .BAK file
Thks Bruce
I did the steps until I got stuck here -

'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'

how, where do I open Message Store?


On 10 ?????, 2007 10:56

Re: how to restore a .BAK file
The first part of my reply tells you how to find the Message Store.

Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder will reveal the location of
your Outlook Express files. Press the Tab key to highlight the folder
location, then Ctrl+C. Close OE, then Start | Run | Ctrl+V will put the
location in the box - Click OK and you will see the OE files. Otherwise, write
the location down and navigate to it in Windows Explorer.

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.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~


On 10 ?????, 2007 11:27

Re: how to restore a .BAK file
ok, I got the message folder. Thks

but when i right-click to change the file extension from .bak to .dbx., i
could not find the option to do so.
pls pardon my ignorance - you have been very helpful thus far.



On 10 ?????, 2007 11:37

Re: how to restore a .BAK file
When in the Recycle Bin, did you click Restore? Now it is in the message
store and you can rename it.

Right click on the bak file and then Rename. Make sure you have dragged the
old dbx file out first.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~


On 10 ?????, 2007 12:06

Re: how to restore a .BAK file
i did restore the file from recycle bin. but selecting rename from
right-click only allows me to rename, not change file extension from bak to
dbx. sorry



On 10 ?????, 2007 12:23

Re: how to restore a .BAK file
When you click Rename, the name is highlighted in blue. Let's say it is
Foldername.bak. You cannot change it to Foldername.dbx? What happens when you
try?

Did you make sure there is a Foldername folder in OE first? Did you open the
folder and then close OE?

Did you drag the old Foldername.dbx file out of the Message Store first? You
cannot rename the bak file if the old dbx file is still in the Message Store.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~


On 10 ?????, 2007 20:32

Re: how to restore a .BAK file
When I click Rename, I can change the highlighted blue to Foldername.dbx.
The result is that it is only a name change, as I can see from the details
that it is still a Bak file. Opening OE, the Foldername is empty.

I did drag the Foldername.dbx out from store to desktop

BUT it remains a BAK file

Its ok. Thks a lot for your help



On 10 ?????, 2007 21:13

Re: how to restore a .BAK file
I honestly do not know why it cannot be renamed. I hope someone else has an
idea. I have done this many times just to make sure it works.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~


On 10 ?????, 2007 22:04

Re: how to restore a .BAK file
maybe my OE is corrupted - I also see some other .BAK files in another of my
folder (my previous store folder), apart from Recycle bin.
Can guide me how to uninstall/reinstall OE?

Thks & Regards


On 10 ?????, 2007 22:13

Re: how to restore a .BAK file
Are you *positive* that the bak file you restore to the message store is the
message store for the correct identity? They're is no reason to find a bak
file any place but the Recycle Bin, unless you restore it yourself.

I can give you the instructions to reinstall IE & OE, but I have high doubts
that it will be the cure. If you have IE7, you have to remove it first.

How to Reinstall or Repair IE6 and OE6:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=318378

Although written for WinXP, it works for all Windows operating systems 98 or
newer.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
~IB-CA~


On 11 ?????, 2007 3:39

Re: how to restore a .BAK file
Thks

--
_________________
Peter Toh
TC Kopitiam
Mobile - 91282032
the
doubts
or
of
an
it is
Store.
you will
Explorer,
Control
Tools
open
6
locate
to
Start
view
later
without
be
folder
back
the

On 26 ?????, 2008 14:08

BAK to DBX

05-May-10 12:16 AM

In the previous post, "Peter" was having difficulty changing his .BAK files to .dbx files.  I had the same problem, because my Windows XP did not show file extensions.  It just showed the file name and a separate box showing the file type.  So when I would change the file name, it would still be listed as a .BAK file.  Eventually, I realized that there must be a setting somewhere in Windows to hide or show the file extensions, and what I had to do was locate and change that setting.  Here's what worked: Go to "My Computer", then "Tools," then "Folder Options" then "View."  Scroll down through the "Advanced settings" until you find the option for "Hide extensions for known file types."  Uncheck that box, click "Apply" and "OK".  It will then be possile to change the file extension.

This information probably comes too late to help Peter, but perhaps it will benefit some other struggling individual who finds this page.

29-May-10 12:52 PM

Normally I have no problem following directions but I'm afraid I really lost control of restoring the inbox in OE. I think I changed .bak to .dbx before it was restored to "store". So I have a .dbx file I keep trying to restore but it has taken the long route through windows explorer. I can ID it by size so how do I extracate myself from all my mistakes?

thank you!

15-Jun-10 12:28 AM

Dear Sir



While in compacting process it was interrupted and I have lost 2 months mail from sent items.



I have deleted the .bak files from Recycle bin. I tried to restore my PC but couldn't succeed.



Kindly let me know how do I restore my .bak files or lost sent emails.



Look forward for your quick response.



Thanks & Regards

Vinod Kumar

+91 98481 97319

INDIA

29-Jan-11 04:33 PM

Bruce: I have been searching for a way to get to you and thank you for advice received regarding afore mentioned problem. (I actually called another Bruce Hagen in Petaluma, CA!) I followed your instructions to the T and problem solved. I have been frustrated with this for a few weeks now and Verizon and Oultook gave me zero assistance. I think I am in love! LOL Thank you So-o-o-o much! Veronica

03-Feb-11 07:53 PM

hi, i was working on my coworkers desk and seems like when every time i open her outlook express a pop out saying to compact the emails because it is full so i press okay the next day shes opens it and it asks to compact it again and when it was done she notice all her emails in her n box is gone. she found it in the recycle bin but its not all of it. how do i get it back? and where does the files go if get gets compact or copied?(it was saying copying when it was getting compacted when i was using it.)