Outlook Express - Sent Items files all gone

Outlook Express - Sent Items files all gone

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Each time I sent an email using my Outlook Express, a copy of my sent message will be stored in the "Sent Item" folder.

I have in the past stored quite a lot of sent emails in the Sent Item folder.

However, the files just vanished today without my knowledge.

My subsequent sent out emails do appear on the Sent Item folder and is not vanished.

Can someone help me by telling me if it is possible to recover back those vanished sent emails in the Sent Item folder? And also the cause of the vanishing sent emails and how to prevent such thing from happening?

Thanks very much.

Loh WL

Loh WL

Replies (6)

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JPW
By jpwattam
15th Mar 2004 12:10

Oh dear oh dear!
As it seems that your sent items folder file itself was infected, your technician is probably correct. However I notice that the virus scanner used has only been able to quarantine the file rather than remove the virus from it. The quarantine action is what has made your old sent items inaccessible.

I suggest you look at http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.mimail.removal.tool.html and run the removal tool offered by Symantec. Before doing so, move your current sent items to a temporary location within Outlook Express.

If the tool says it has fixed the file, refer to my earlier instructions on tricking OE into reading the old sent items folder file. The virus report on your last post shows the exact location of the file.

Good luck!

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By AnonymousUser
15th Mar 2004 06:35

W32.Mimail.C@mm virus
Thanks again for your prompt response, Julian Wattam.

Sorry if I did not make myself clear. The "Sent Items" folder is still intact on 3 March 2004 when the above virus attacked my PC. It is all my "Sent" email messages that got deleted during that time.

I run norton later and the following messages appeared after that :

Scan Type : Realtime Protection Scan
Event : Virus Found!
Virus name : W32.Mimail.C@mm
File : C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Identities\{2DE27F00-0A41-11D8-93AD-C3E942369B73}\Microsoft\Outlook Express\Sent Items.dbx
Location : Quarantine
Computer : PC069
User : LWL
Action taken : Clean failed : Quarantine succeeded : Access denied
Date found : Wed Mar 03 11:29:45 2004

My company technician claimed that it is impossible to recover back those vanished "Sent" emails from the "Sent Item" folder and I am considered lucky that not all other files/emails from "Inbox" are deleted by the virus.

Is there any way discovered as of now to recover back those vanished "Sent" emails from the "Sent Item" folder at this stage?

Thank You very much, Julian.

Loh WL
email : [email protected]


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JPW
By jpwattam
10th Mar 2004 14:28

Not sure
I can't see any reference to this virus deleting your sent items - see http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/[email protected]

Were you not able to locate your sent items folder file on your computer?

Give me a week and I might be able to point you to the exact location of your sent items file.

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By AnonymousUser
10th Mar 2004 06:44

It's W32.mimal virus!
Thanks Julian Wattam for your attempts to help me out.

Yesterday, my PC technician investigated my complaint after I showed him your write-up.

The norton checkup showed my PC was infected with W32.mimal virus on 3 Mar 2004. The technician said the vanished files cannot be recovered anymore.

Is this true or is there still possibility that I can get back my Sent Item folder files again?

The technician said I was lucky that the virus attacked my Sent Item folder only. The rest are still intact.

Thanks again, Julian.

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JPW
By jpwattam
03rd Mar 2004 09:13

No easy answer
Outlook Express creates a file for each 'folder' you create and stores all messages in that file. If memory serves, if OE crashes, the folder you have open at the time of the crash is replaced by a new blank folder. The original 'sent items' folder file may still exist uncorrupted.

You really need someone with some IT confidence to fiddle around with your PC. For a start, the OE file folders are well hidden - using 'find files' to search for 'sent items' will help but will find more than one file if you have more than one OE identity on your PC. As a clue, your lost sent items file will probably be quite large, and your new one (probably called 'sent items(1)') will be small.

If you're confident you've located the right files, first move the contents of your new sent items folder somewhere else, then (after closing OE!) delete the associated file and rename your old sent items to the name of the file you've just deleted. This will trick OE into giving you back your old sent items.

I'd recommend great caution, though - backup the original files to another location before doing any of the above, and if it doesn't work, then copy those files back to undo your changes.

And now that you've found your e-mail folders, include them in your daily backup!

Good luck.

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By AnonymousUser
16th Mar 2004 01:48

Thanks, Julian
Thanks very much for your prompt response in helping me out. I really appreciate your help.

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