Lost my e-mail. How do I get it back?

[bczoom]

Oops.

I've been having problems with Windows Explorer and it generates errors when I try to browse files, especially at the "My Computer" level.

I inserted the Windows CD and had it update the Utilities.

In doing so, and without warning, it deleted my Outlook Express.

So, that's where I am right now.

I tried re-installing IE6 (which has OE included) but it gave me an error to the effect "There's a newer version running and I can't continue".

I uninstalled IE8.

Same error.

I have a full system backup from about a month ago and current (Briefcase) backups of My Documents as well as all the .DBX files associated with Outlook Express.

Should I restore from backup, then using the Briefcase backups, re-sync?

In Windows Restore, can you restore selective things (e.g. Outlook Express)?

Besides a 12-gauge to the PC, other ideas?

PS. Today is my son's birthday so we're going out for awhile. If you don't see me online today, that's the reason. So far I haven't killed this computer completely.

 

[JEV]

Buy a Mac and be done with that Microsoft shit you're working with. JMHO

 

[OhioTC18]

You could try to do an install with a new file.

Tucows

 

[Cowboy]

I,m no puter whiz , but have you tried going to system restore & restore it to an earlly date before this happened ?

 

[tommu56]

First I would switch to fire fox for a browser!!!!!

then sort out the IE ........outlook stuff

you should be able to use web mail from you isp till you get outlook fixed

tom

 

[Dargo]

Buy a Mac and be done with that Microsoft shit you're working with. JMHO

I did the opposite. Bought a Mac, gave it a good 3 years of honest trying, and went back to all PCs. I freaking HATE Mac computers with a passion! I like my iPhone fine now (after they fixed the known problems they dumped on the public when they were first released) but I see a Mac as the most counter intuitive, user unfriendly machine I've ever used. I spent 2 years of frustration and finally wasted $400 at the only Mac computer company in town to try to get my Mac to network properly with my home network. It NEVER did!

Fortunately my daughter took it and I bought me a PC laptop and I'm happy again. I really cannot think of one single thing I liked about that Mac; not one! Heck, where it's aluminum case would roast my nuts off if I used it in my lap, my cheapo $700 HP laptop has a cooled space built in on the bottom of the laptop. For $3000 I had a freaking heating pad on high that was only good for browsing the internet.

Anyway, BC, I have your email. Mail me a thousand dollars and I'll email them all back to you.

Seriously, they are buried in an odd sub, sub, sub directory. If you do a Google search, it will tell you where to find that directory. I have used Outlook for the last 10 years or so. I can't really remember Outlook Express. It is different than Outlook.

 

[darroll]

Usually when windows explorer gets flaky, you have a major problem.
MS won’t let me run windows explorer on Vista, keeps blowing it away. When I click on windows explorer I get my documents. Learned to live without it even though it’s a handy program.
Do like someone suggested, roll back to a time when all was fine. (restore to an earlier date)

 

[tsaw]

Should I restore from backup, then using the Briefcase backups, re-sync?

Pretty sure that would work. But - If I were you I'd wait for a reply from someone who knows for sure.

In Windows Restore, can you restore selective things (e.g. Outlook Express)?

That is a negative. Windows Restore is a system wide restore. It restores everything in one swoop. Registry settings, program installs.. etc. It DOES NOT touch user files like e-mails, pics or documents. I think it is worth a try.

Oh, and happy Birthday to your son

 

[muleman]

Hey Brian, I hope you did not lose those lottery numbers I sent you!

 

[bczoom]

I tried installing OE from the Tucows link but got the same error about there being a newer version already installed.
I have a backup running now and once it's done, I'll restore from my month-old backup then update all my data files. I don't think I've updated any software recently so once Avast catches up, I should be good to go.... I hope.

 

[tsaw]

I tried installing OE from the Tucows link but got the same error about there being a newer version already installed.
I have a backup running now and once it's done, I'll restore from my month-old backup then update all my data files. I don't think I've updated any software recently so once Avast catches up, I should be good to go.... I hope.

Hope it all works out. Did you try a system restore? That has saved my butt many times.

 

[bczoom]

If I use System Restore, I'm assuming that will bring back back the OE software, but not the data, right?

 

[Adillo303]

I don't know how much e-Mail that you keep on your computer, or how important that it is to you. The most important thing to make sure that you have a copy of is the mail itself.

If you have not changed it, here is where your mail will be.

--------------------------

C:\Documents and Settings\#USERNAME#\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book

will contain

USERNAME.wab

for the address book


C:\Documents and Settings\#USERNAME#\Local Settings\Application
Data\Identities\{unique hex string}\Microsoft\Outlook Express

will contain the various dbx files. One for each folder within your inbox,
plus outbox/sent and newsgroups.

------------------------------------------

Make double dog sure that you have a copy of those folders.

Here is how to manually restore Outlook Express

Method 2: Manually reinstall Outlook Express files
To manually reinstall Outlook Express files, follow these steps.

Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\
Right-click Identities, and then click Delete.
When you are prompted to confirm the deletion, click Yes.
Repeat steps 2 through 4 for the following registry subkeys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WAB
HKEY_LCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WAB
Quit Registry Editor.
Open Windows Explorer, and then click the following folder
SystemDrive\Program Files\Outlook Express
where SystemDrive is the drive where all critical operating system files are installed
Remove all files and folders in the Outlook Express folder.
In Windows Explorer, locate and then click the following folder:
SystemDrive\Program Files\Common Files\System
In the System folder, locate and then remove the following files:
Wab32.dll
Wab32res.dll

Note After you remove files and folders from the Outlook Express folder and System folder, Windows XP File Protection (WAP) uses the Dllcache folder that is located in the SystemRoot\System32 folder to restore the original files back to the Outlook Express folder and System folder from the cache.
Register the copied files in the registry. To do this, follow these steps:
Click Start, click Run, type msimn /reg in the Open box, and then click OK.

Note This will rebuild the Outlook Express subkey that is located under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft subkey.
Click Start, click Run, and then type the following in the Open box:

regsvr32 “SystemDrive\Program Files\Common Files\System\wab32.dll”
Click OK.

Note This will rebuild the WAB subkey that is located under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft subkey.
Restart your computer, and then log on to the computer using the same user account that you used to remove Outlook Express registry subkeys.

Note This will automatically rebuild all the Outlook Express registry subkeys that you removed from the HKEY_CURRENT_USER subkey.

-------------------------------------------------------

The procedure above is from Microsoft here.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/873021

There are also instructions there to restore your mail.

Outlook Express is integrated with IE. You could roll your IE back to older versions and go from there.

Lots of ways to go, just make sure that you have a copy of the mail first.

Hope this helps.

Andy

I would not use system restore.

 

[bczoom]

I don't know how much e-Mail that you keep on your computer, or how important that it is to you. The most important thing to make sure that you have a copy of is the mail itself.

I would not use system restore.

Thanks for all the info Andy!

I did have all the .DBX files on an external backup device and they were all up to date. I didn't have the address book backed up as a stand alone file but I do now. Thanks again.

OK, I didn't see your post until after I used System Restore. Why do you recommend not using it? I've never had to use that utility before but it worked!!! Thanks tsaw! It did restore OE and all my e-mails and contacts were there.

 

[Cowboy]

Some of you fellers sure do shit the complicated way or at least make it sound that way

As I said in post #4 System restore is the simplest way to recover from screwups & I screw up a lot . I create a new restore point every few days so it dont take forever for windows or Avast updates to play catch up from an old restore point . But as I said I aint no whiz , I just been there to many times .

FYI , I would suggest you open a Gmail account as well , its free & You can actually store a lot of stuff , files , documents , pics , there , 5 gigs worth I beleive now .

If your computer completlly crashes it has no effect on Gmail & you can accsess it from any computer as long as you know your account name & password . I have over 5000 contacts that I cant afford to lose since I do buisness online . You used to have to be sent an invite when I first started , not sure about that anymore though

BTW from my understanding from the puter Gurus , Outlook express is a POS & it is very vulnerable to worms & viruses being that it is a windows system its a backdoor to gain access to everything on your system .


Glad you got it sorted out though

 

[Adillo303]

I am glad that you got going again.

I have system restore go both ways fix & fail. It is good that yours went to fix.

Cowboy, except for privacy concerns, I like Gmail too. They do read your information, it has been proven. Some are bothered by that some are not. For what I have online, I am not. The backup features are great.

 

[bczoom]

Sorry Cowboy about missing your point in post #4. I was mentally thinking about a full system restore from backup and mis-read your post. Thanks to you as well.

Mrs. Zoom has a gmail account but I've had no interest. I can keep a copy of my e-mails with my current provider but prefer not to.

I've had no problems with Outlook Express in terms of viruses or worms. Avast catches anything that comes in. I chose it because I maintain several different e-mail identities and it keeps them in separate accounts (which is my preference) as opposed to different folders in a single account.