Outlook Express suddenly will not let me delete files. Nor will it let me send them to the Deleted files folder, it gives me an error message when I try to do this, but does not identify the error numberrI just discovered that only certain messages could not be deleted.

Corruption in the dbx file system.Move most of your messages out of the Inbox and move any messages you want to save out of Deleted Items and Sent Items and then close OE.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 and Sent Items.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 future: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=903095After 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#3Bruce Hagen ~ MS-MVP [Mail]

1. Where do I find Tools/options/Maintenance/folder?2. In OE I have folders below the inbox where I save particular messages, such as my genealogy study material over long periods of time. Are these the file folders you recommend I move the messages that I want to save too?

Ok, I think you mean the Tools/Options/Maintence/Store folder in OE. I went to this it says the messages are stored in C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Local Settings\Application Data\I went down this path but could not find Local Settings folder under owner. Any suggestions?

1. Where do I find Tools/options/Maintenance/folder?2. In OE I have folders below the inbox where I save particular messages, such as my genealogy study material over long periods of time. Are these the file folders you recommend I move the messages that I want to save too?1: Tools on the Menu Bar in OE. (File, Edit, View, Tools, etc.).2: You can move the Inbox messages to any user created folder you want, including any sub-folders of the Inbox. You can create a new folder(s) for this if you want. Just make sure there are no messages you want to save left in Sent Items or Deleted Items as new and empty folders will be created.Bruce Hagen ~ MS-MVP [Mail]

Go to Control Panel | Folder Options | View and uncheck the option to hide extensions of known file types and check to option to view hidden files and folders (the path and files are hidden). Then move everything out of the deleted items folder that you wish to save and then close OE and delete or move the deleted items.dbx file. Then reopen OE and it will create a new one. OE folders are very susceptible to corruption so its important to backup frequently. Seewww.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#6 steve "BY38326" wrote in message news:ae110e36-b996-4a8a-b006-ac80e1551c81...Ok, I think you mean the Tools/Options/Maintence/Store folder in OE. I went to this it says the messages are stored in C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Local Settings\Application Data\I went down this path but could not find Local Settings folder under owner. Any suggestions?

I went down this path but could not find Local Settings folder under owner. Any suggestions?Repost from my first reply: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 [Mail]