Getting a "Folder cannot be displayed, low disk space low memory" plus Inbox messages are missing after restart. Looked at all the files in the Store path used and see a inbox.dbt file of 200+M. Not sure what it is or if it can be deleted (or if it should be moved, how to move it ). The inbox.dbx following the Inbox.dbt file is also about 200M. If I restart all is OK for one shot, but still none of my old inbox messages. Exhausted what I could find on the Google search. Any suggestions appreciated.

I would suggest deleting the DBT file. It's not normal OE file. Not sure how to fix your inbox.dbx file. You could try using DBXtract to recover some of your emails. Otherwise, delete it and lose them all. OE will rebuild an empty inbox.dbx file. It's a good idea to create other folders and move your emails out of the inbox and into them. I create a folder for each person I communicate with regularly.

Do you use email scanning because I've heard this can mess up OE folders/files? There is a school of thought that says there is no point in email scanning because your AV will stop anything bad that you try to open anyway (it's just a matter of "when"). DerekW

A quick search turned up this: .DBT dBase database text file. Do you use dBase? Or maybe Word? Sounds like you crashed with OE open. Not sure what .DBT is in relation to OE. I wouldn't delete it, it may contain emails that can be recovered. Think DBXtract might be able to read it. First thing, make copies of all standard folder corresponding DBX files - place in a folder of your choice. Also that .DBT file. inbox.dbx /Outbox.dbx/Sent Items.dbx/Draft.dbx/Deleted Items.dbx. Close all windows except OE. Get offline. Check here: OE->Tools->Options->Maintenance Tab. Be sure this is unchecked Compact messages in the background Then click File->Folder->Compact all folders. Let that run. Don't touch anything. See if that gets you into OE without errors. Then we'll see what can be done to recover emails. I have to leave, or I would explain more. Later sekirt

OK...back. Hmmm...doesn't look like you even missed me! 8>) 1) DO NOT delete .dbt file. Checked. And that does result from compacting being stopped in process. 2) It does contain emails that you may be able to recover. 3) DBXtract and/or Macallan should be able to read it. Go here to read about and download: Inside OE Tools ==========Now, my standard warnings and how tos. You maintain a questionable practice if any of the default folders are used for long time storage of large amounts of emails (Inbox/Outbox/Sent Items/Deleted Items/Draft). OE is known for emails disappearing particularly from the Inbox. Custom folders should be used. Manual maintenance should be done on a regular basis. Only when you are OFFLINE. Or if you click File and choose Work offline. Do not check Compact messages in the background. This can lead to lost emails. (Tools->Options. Maintenance Tab) Compacting is similar to Defragging. OE is a Database program. When you delete messages from your folders in OE, the actual files that hold the information, only mark that item for removal later. Most databases work that way. Those OE files have the extension .DBX. They will continue to grow in size with wasted space, if not compacted. While compacting saves disk space, the main reason to compact is to help keep OE running smoothly and prevent corruption of the .DBX files. Compacting does nothing to your existing emails. Caution: Improper compacting can destroy your emails. If compacting doesn't go flawlessly, then the most likely victims are the emails in your Inbox. When compacting by any method, leave your computer alone until it finishes. You should always check off, 'work offline' or actually be offline before compacting. Do not use any programs or open or close anything once it starts until it finishes. Manual compacting is available in all versions of OE. This is the best method to compact OE. Be sure you are offline or that offline is checked in File->Work Offline. Then click File->Folder-> Compact all folders. If your .DBX files are anywhere near 200MB that is too large. It is only asking for trouble. I personally keep mine less than 20MB. I have never had a problem. Others have them over 100MB and don't seem to have problems. Take your pick. Post back and let us know if this helps with your problem. sekirt

I've been following the excellent advice offered herein - compacting folders manually and so forth - but I lack the disk space necessary to compact my sent items folder. A DBT file was created before the thing quit on me, nearly the same huge size as the corresponding DBX file, so I need a clear answer about deleting the DBT file which is hogging all the space on my disk. Should I delete it or not? It's just an incompleted copy of the DBX file, no? Tom A.

The answer all depends on whether you lost any emails. If you did and you want to recover them, do not delete the DBT file. If emails are not a problem, you can just delete it. And you can just delete the Deleted Items.DBX file. You can delete any of the .DBX files, if you don't care about emails they contain. OE will rebuild the necessary ones. Before doing any deleting, be sure OE is closed. Some ways to gain hard drive space: 1) Clean Temporary Internet Files, cookies, history. If you save some cookies or history, selectively delete the others. 2) Run scandisk. Then run defrag. 3) Make your Recycle Bin smaller. If not permanently smaller, at least smaller until you compact OE folders. 4) Don't let .DBX files get too large. Either compact more often or perhaps back them up onto a CD or other partition. sekirt