Working on a friend's computer. All of a sudden he can't delete anything.
If I highlight an email then hit the delete button nothing happens. If I
open the message then hit the delete I get a dialog box that says "This
message can't be deleted" Any ideas?

Thanks,
Rick Morrison

You have corruption in one or more folders.

Move any messages you want to save out of Deleted Items, Sent Items and
the Inbox to folders that you create and then close OE and delete the dbx
files for these three folders.

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, 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.

With OE closed, find the Deleted Items.dbx, Sent Items.dbx and Inbox.dbx
files and delete them. New files will be created automatically when you
open OE.

Compact all folders as described below.

To help prevent this in the futu

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 or SP3}.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA


"Rick Morrison" wrote in message
...
Working on a friend's computer. All of a sudden he can't delete
anything. If I highlight an email then hit the delete button nothing
happens. If I open the message then hit the delete I get a dialog box
that says "This message can't be deleted" Any ideas?

Thanks,
Rick Morrison

You have corruption in one or more folders.

Move any messages you want to save out of Deleted Items, Sent Items and
the Inbox to folders that you create and then close OE and delete the dbx
files for these three folders.

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, 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.

With OE closed, find the Deleted Items.dbx, Sent Items.dbx and Inbox.dbx
files and delete them. New files will be created automatically when you
open OE.

Compact all folders as described below.

To help prevent this in the futu

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 or SP3}.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA


"Rick Morrison" wrote in message
...
Working on a friend's computer. All of a sudden he can't delete
anything. If I highlight an email then hit the delete button nothing
happens. If I open the message then hit the delete I get a dialog box
that says "This message can't be deleted" Any ideas?

Thanks,
Rick Morrison

Thanks, I deleted the deleted items.dbx and everything worked fine. It was
over 2 gb.

Rick

"Bruce Hagen" wrote in message
...
You have corruption in one or more folders.

Move any messages you want to save out of Deleted Items, Sent Items and
the Inbox to folders that you create and then close OE and delete the dbx
files for these three folders.

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, 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.

With OE closed, find the Deleted Items.dbx, Sent Items.dbx and Inbox.dbx
files and delete them. New files will be created automatically when you
open OE.

Compact all folders as described below.

To help prevent this in the futu

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 or SP3}.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA


"Rick Morrison" wrote in message
...
Working on a friend's computer. All of a sudden he can't delete
anything. If I highlight an email then hit the delete button nothing
happens. If I open the message then hit the delete I get a dialog box
that says "This message can't be deleted" Any ideas?

Thanks,
Rick Morrison

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/tuto...torial62.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/tuto...ning/index.htm
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002


Rick Morrison wrote:
Working on a friend's computer. All of a sudden he can't delete anything.
If I highlight an email then hit the delete button nothing happens. If I
open the message then hit the delete I get a dialog box that says "This
message can't be deleted" Any ideas?

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/tuto...torial62.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/tuto...ning/index.htm
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Client - since 2002


Rick Morrison wrote:
Working on a friend's computer. All of a sudden he can't delete anything.
If I highlight an email then hit the delete button nothing happens. If I
open the message then hit the delete I get a dialog box that says "This
message can't be deleted" Any ideas?

"Bruce Hagen" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
You have corruption in one or more folders.

Move any messages you want to save out of Deleted Items, Sent Items and
the Inbox to folders that you create and then close OE and delete the dbx
files for these three folders.

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, 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.

With OE closed, find the Deleted Items.dbx, Sent Items.dbx and Inbox.dbx
files and delete them. New files will be created automatically when you
open OE.

Compact all folders as described below.

To help prevent this in the futu

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 or SP3}.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA


"Rick Morrison" wrote in message
...
Working on a friend's computer. All of a sudden he can't delete
anything. If I highlight an email then hit the delete button nothing
happens. If I open the message then hit the delete I get a dialog box
that says "This message can't be deleted" Any ideas?

Thanks,
Rick Morrison

"Bruce Hagen" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
You have corruption in one or more folders.

Move any messages you want to save out of Deleted Items, Sent Items and
the Inbox to folders that you create and then close OE and delete the dbx
files for these three folders.

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, 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.

With OE closed, find the Deleted Items.dbx, Sent Items.dbx and Inbox.dbx
files and delete them. New files will be created automatically when you
open OE.

Compact all folders as described below.

To help prevent this in the futu

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 or SP3}.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP [Mail]
Imperial Beach, CA


"Rick Morrison" wrote in message
...
Working on a friend's computer. All of a sudden he can't delete
anything. If I highlight an email then hit the delete button nothing
happens. If I open the message then hit the delete I get a dialog box
that says "This message can't be deleted" Any ideas?

Thanks,
Rick Morrison

"Rick Morrison" , haber iletisinde þunlarý
m...
Working on a friend's computer. All of a sudden he can't delete anything.
If I highlight an email then hit the delete button nothing happens. If I
open the message then hit the delete I get a dialog box that says "This
message can't be deleted" Any ideas?

Thanks,
Rick Morrison

"Rick Morrison" , haber iletisinde þunlarý
m...
Working on a friend's computer. All of a sudden he can't delete anything.
If I highlight an email then hit the delete button nothing happens. If I
open the message then hit the delete I get a dialog box that says "This
message can't be deleted" Any ideas?

Thanks,
Rick Morrison