Outlook express Sent Items 2 Gigabyte problem

Thanks Bill for the extensive advice.
I will study this before proceeding further.
Regards
John

johnhardy--You say you have the .bak files.  This is how to try to recover them
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918069/en-us
Unfortunately you let your Sent Items folder get too large.  It is now water over the dam, but for the future, read this.  
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/community/columns/filecorruption.mspx.
And weed out each of your OE folders from time to time.  Compact when advised.  Reorganize older messages you still want to keep into folders separate from the newer ones.

You also say "Is there a way I can show the previously sent items in a new folder in OE such as
Sent Items Before Oct 2009"
Perhaps.
You can create new OE message folders with any name (like Sent Items Before Oct 2009) in the Folder List by clicking on the Inbox button right below Create Mail.  Right click anywhere in the Folder List window|New Folder and name the New Folder.
Now you will find a .dbx folder with that "New Folder"'s name in the message Store Folder .
Delete the folder with the new name from the Store Folder.
Separately Right click on each  of the recovered .dbx folders|Rename to the name created in the Folder List.   Put that .dbx folder into the Store Folder. You should now be able to access the messages within OE, itself, by clicking on the name of the New Folder in the Folder List.  Repeat for each of the recovered .dbx folders.
The biggest problem I see is that those folders were already too big and may still be corrupted.  If you can Compact, do so right away.  (OE File|Folder|Compact.)

Thanks for the further information which is very interesting.

I havent been able to progress this item yet as it is not on my machine and I have to get access to progress this.
Will try for this in the next few days and come back then,
Regards
John

John

Just for your information about the suggested methods I gave earlier, and I'm not sure whether you will view it as being important or not.  It is something I have never been aware of before, but I'm a little disappointed that I hadn't noticed despite using my suggestions many times before.

Dragging and dropping an email message out of Outlook Express to a folder, and then dragging and dropping it back into an Outlook Express folder results in the unfortunate result that the Account Name which previously displayed under the Account column of the message list no longer displays.

You may or may not be aware that you can view or hide columns in different Outlook Express folders by selecting them and using the View > Columns option.  I don't think the "Account" column is set to display by default.

At first I thought that maybe metadata in the individual *.eml files was being lost when using the MailView program to open a DBX file and save out messages, or during the process of using the Universal Extractor program to unpack a DBX file, but I confirmed that the results are simply caused by the fact that the *.eml files have existed outside the DBX archive and are then reintroduced to Outlook Express.  I can only assume that either the DBX file stores these details for every message inside it, or that metadata is actually lost from within the .EML files in the process.

I wondered if this failure to display the Account used to send or receive a message was because the DBX files I was testing with are very old ones that were sent and received using an email account that I no longer have configured in Outlook Express.  Unfortunately this is not a factor, because the same issue occurs for messages sent and received with currently configured accounts.

As I said at the outset, this may not be important to you, but I thought that it was only fair to warn you about this.

Incidentally, if you do choose the "Universal Extractor" method, I wrote a batch file that:
1. Moves all the *.eml files from the separate sub-folders created during the DBX file extraction to one folder,
then
2. Finds the "Sent" date from within each *.eml file, creates folders named as "YYYY-MM", and moves the *.eml files into the ones that match.
then,
3. Cleans up all the junk folders and files leaving only the ones named "YYYY-MM" and the *.eml files moved into them.

Bill

Thanks Bill
I decided to try a few things on my PC here and tried to download from http://www.mitec.cz/Downloads/MailView.zip but get an error message
Cannot open file: it does not seem to be a valid archive.
Do you know of any other similar tools?

Thanks jcimarron
I carried out some test with my PC here.
I created a new folder in OE Sent Test

I looked in the Outlook Express directory and can see Sent Test.dbx
as well as a number of .dbx files
Sorry, I could not follow the instructions you sent
and cannot see any .bak files

"Now you will find a .dbx folder with that "New Folder"'s name in the message Store Folder .
Delete the folder with the new name from the Store Folder.
Separately Right click on each  of the recovered .dbx
folders|Rename to the name created in the Folder List.  
Put that .dbx folder into the Store Folder.
You should now be able to access the messages within OE, itself,
by clicking on the name of the New Folder in the Folder List.  
Repeat for each of the recovered .dbx folders."

Hi John

The "does not seem to be a valid archive" is common, especially for small downloads.  I'll bet it downloaded in a flash and the progress bar in the download dialog showed only for a split second.  You probably saw the download dialog appear and then finish almost instantly, and the file size on your hard drive is probably considerably smaller than 690KB.

RIGHT-Click the link:
http://www.mitec.cz/Downloads/MailView.zip
Choose "Save Target As", and Save "MailView.zip" by the same file name to the same folder as you downloaded it to before.  This will detect the previous download and prompt you to overwrite it.  Say Yes and it should take a little longer than it did the last time, ie. you should see the progress bar for a short time rather than probably happened before.  Files that are downloaded from links are cached in your Temporary Internet Files folder then copied from there to the chosen destination, so deleting your Temporary Internet Files from within Control Panel > Internet Options is sometimes needed if there is a partially downloaded leftover file in there.

That's the program I have used most often.  There is another very cheap and pretty reliable program named DBXtract:
http://www.oehelp.com/dbxtract/default.aspx
and an extended and more expensive version named DBXpress:
http://www.oehelp.com/DBXpress/Default.aspx

Another freeware program is "Macallan Outlook Express Extraction", but the link here is now defunct:
http://www.insideoe.com/resources/tools.htm#macallan
You will find it here now:
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/macallan/
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/macallan/SETUP/OutLookExpressExtraction.zip
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/macallan/WOE5ExtractHelp.zip
I HAVE NOT used this program, so I cannot vouch for it.  It is one that must be installed, and the ZIP file just contains the setup package (*.msi).

If you were to do a search in google for "Outlook Express DBX Repair" you would get hundreds of links to similar types of software, some retail with a hefty price, and others free or shareware.  I always stick with the ones I know best.

If you are fed up having to keep finding and opening your OE "Store Folder" in Windows Explorer, the following *.VBS file will do it for you if you save it somewhere like your Desktop then RIGHT-Click on it and choose "Open with Command Prompt":
http://www.insideoe.com/download/open_oe_store.vbs
(RIGHT-Click the link and choose "Save Target As").
By the way, you will probably see an "Open File - Security Warning" dialog for files downloaded from an Internet source.  It is asking if you are sure you want to open the file, and will continue to prompt you like that until you Untick the box "Always ask before opening this file".

I use my own batch file to do the same thing.  Attached as "Open_OE_Store_Folder-cmd.txt".  Save and rename as "Open_OE_Store_Folder.cmd", accept the warning about changing file types, and double-click.

jcimarron isn't here to explain what he suggested, so I hope he doesn't mind if I expand his suggestion by way of fuller explanation so you understand the steps.

The *.BAK file(s) he referred to was a direct reference to your explanation in your original question where you said that you " have copies of the old *.bak and 'Sent Items.dbx' folders."

You will commonly see *.BAK files in your Recycle Bin when you run the Outlook Express folder compaction.  You may not be aware, but your "Deleted Items.dbx" file contains the mesages you deleted long after you emptied the Deleted Items folder.  Other DBX files end up getting all fragmented with repeated deletions.  Compaction packs the data inside the DBX files up tightly.  Because the process of compaction has the potential of screwing up a DBX file and losing all your messages, it creates a temporary backup (*.bak) of each DBX file being compacted.  On successful completion, that *.bak file is deleted to the Recycle Bin.  The idea is that if you close and then reopen Outlook Express to find that the compaction has gne wrong, then you can rename the *.bak file to a *.dbx file again and copy it to your OE "Store Folder" to replace the damaged *.dbx file of that name.

A *.BAK file SHOULD be sound and be an exact copy of the DBX file before it was compacted, or currupted, as the case may be.

If you know that you have *.DBX files containing all your messages, and that they are sound, then you don't really need to bother about any *.BAK files you may have saved, although it would be wise to hang onto them for now (See further on).

In your "Store Folder" there is a very important "Folders.dbx" file.  It isn't in the same format as the other *.dbx files, and its sole purpose is to map the names of the *.dbx files in the Store Folder with the names of the folders as they appear in the Outlook Express interface.  BX files like "Sent Items.dbx" actually contain the DBX file name within their contents, even if the actual DBX file was renamed.  Technically speaking, you should never rename your DBX files or they may not be mapped.

What jcimarron was suggesting is an important order to work by.  First create a new folder from within Outlook Express.  I always close and reopen OE after doing this, but it's probably not strictly necessary.  What this action does is to create a new *.DBX file of that new folder's name in your Store Folder and write the new mapping for the DBX file and the OE folder into "Folders.dbx".  That is what allows Outlook Express to open the DBX file, but it is meantime empty.

Avoid the temptation of just copying a DBX file into your Store Folder and then expecting Outlook Express to open it as a new folder when you next open the program.

jcimarron was suggesting that you create a new folder in OE named something like "Sent Items Before Oct 2009".  This would then create a new "Sent Items Before Oct 2009.dbx" file in your Store Folder.

If you were then to:

1. CLOSE Outlook Express
2. Open your Store Folder in Windows Explorer
3. Copy the NAME of the new "Sent Items Before Oct 2009.dbx" file
4. RENAME a COPY of your backed up "Sent Items.dbx" file as "Sent Items Before Oct 2009.dbx"
5. Delete the new empty "Sent Items Before Oct 2009.dbx" file from your Store Folder
6. Copy or Move the "Sent Items.dbx" now renamed to "Sent Items Before Oct 2009.dbx" into your Store Folder
7. Open Outlook Express again

you should then have all your Sent emails in a new folder other than the existing default "Sent Items" folder.

Despite the fact that your new "Sent Items Before Oct 2009.dbx" file will still contain reference to its old "Sent Items.dbx file name, Outlook Express seems to just ignore this.

The important part is creating the folder in Outlook Express FIRST, and NOT copying in the DBX file to the Store Folder then creating a new folder in Outlook Express with a matching name.  All that does is creates an empty DBX file with a name and number suffix like "Sent Items Before Oct 2009 (1) .dbx" to differentiate it from the one you copied in there.

What he DID stress, however, was that because the size of your "Sent Items.dbx" file was the cause of the problems to begin with, then you have the same issue again except that this time it is not affecting one of the default folders, but rather a new folder created by you.

If you can get this to work, and if you can then divide the new folder's contents into other new folders to keep them well below any size limitation without OE crashing, then that would get you sorted out.

This was my main concern, and is the reason I felt it may be better to extract the *.eml files from the DBX file, split them into smaller and more manageable groups, and introduce them back into appropriately named new folders in  Outlook Express.  My suggested methods do work, subject to the caveat of the missing "Account" information, but does entail a bit more preparation and work.

So, in context with what you have done so far.  You now have a new Outlook Express folder named "TEST" and a matching empty "TEST.DBX" file in your Store Folder that will be mapped and able to display any contents placed in the folder within Outlook Express.  You are now just going to replace the empty DBX file with a populated one of the same name, that's all.

So, with OE Closed, Delete the empty "TEST.DBX" file, copy in your backed up "Sent Items.BAK" file, Rename it to "TEST.DBX", and reopen Outlook Express, you SHOULD see what was previously in your "Sent Items" folder.

I suggested trying this with the *.BAK file first because your "Sent Items.dbx" file is likely to be corrupt.  You cold try it with the "Sent Items.dbx" file first if you wish, but there are no guarantees.

I hope I have explained what jcimarron suggested in a way that is acceptable to him.

BillDL--"I hope I have explained what jcimarron suggested in a way that is acceptable to him."
Very much so, and in more detail which I hope will help johnhardy.

johnhardy--BillDL raised the issue of folders.dbx which you may or may not find in the Store Folder.  
I think the instructions in his post as well in the middle of http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/community/columns/filecorruption.mspx
about this folder are reasonably clear.
If you do still have the old folders.dbx file and it is not corrupted, go ahead and do the rest of what has been suggested and with luck you can still use the old folders.dbx  Otherwise you will have to delete it per http://www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/community/columns/filecorruption.mspx
and start over.

johnhardy--Now, if you do NOT have (or cannot see) the old .bak or .dbx files, then you still may be able to recover them per the instructions BillDL gave earlier, such as using programs such as
http://www.mitec.cz/Downloads/MailView.zip
or
http://www.oehelp.com/dbxtract/default.aspx
There is a free version of an earlier version of the latter program at http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,23383-order,1-page,1/description.html
Another similar program is http://www.oemailrecovery.com/outlook-express-recovery.html

Thanks so much Bill
I went through this method
Quote
"1. CLOSE Outlook Express
2. Open your Store Folder in Windows Explorer
3. Copy the NAME of the new "Sent Items Before Oct 2009.dbx" file
4. RENAME a COPY of your backed up "Sent Items.dbx" file as "Sent Items Before Oct 2009.dbx"
5. Delete the new empty "Sent Items Before Oct 2009.dbx" file from your Store Folder
6. Copy or Move the "Sent Items.dbx" now renamed to "Sent Items Before Oct 2009.dbx" into your Store Folder
7. Open Outlook Express again"
and it worked a treat.
The confusion about the .bak file is because I have the .bak on the remote PC where the faulti and no .bak on this local PC here.
The ideas and support have been tremendous is it OK if I split the points
300 to Bill and 200 to jcimarron
Thanks again
John

Maybe I could tag a question in here
Does any size limitation affect MS Outlook?

johnhardy--The answer is a little more complicated for Outlook,  but yes
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/832925
However, it is never good to get to the max.
Glad you solved your problem.
I think you have to click the blue Yes buttons in both boxes for the solutions you want to accept.  
Alternatively you can click the red Request Attention button in your original question box.

Thank you John.  I'm really glad you have rescued the situation, and I'm happy we were able to guide you there.

You really need to split up your email messages into separate archive folders without delay to reduce the sizes of your DBX files in a way that you find logical, and then back up those new DBX files somewhere safe.  The logic you use to separate them is obviously a personal choice, but go for something consistent and keep using the same method for future archiving of new emails received.

Regards
Bill