If your original problem is with Outlook Express itself, then you should reinstall Outlook Express, as described later. If the original problem was with your mail file inside your identity folder, then you will probably still have the same problem.

You can compact a mail file by starting up Outlook Express while holding the Option key while launching Outlook Express. Say "Yes" to both alerts as they come up (do a "complex rebuild").

If you need to reinstall Outlook Express, you should first back up your "Identities" folder, which contains your own Identity for Outlook, which itself contains, among other things, the file containing your email.

In one of two places, you will have a folder called "Identities." It will be either in your Outlook Express folder or in a folder on your hard drive called "Documents". Find that Identities folder. Copy it to some other location as a backup. Look inside it and see what is the name of your Identity. It will be either "Main Identity" or it will be named after you. Note the name. Then reinstall Outlook Express. When you start to use the new Outlook Express, you will have to create a new identity. If your old identity had a custom name then make your new identity the same name. If your old identity was just the default "Main Identity" then just let the program create whatever it wants to. Once you have started up the new Outlook Express and confirm that it is working, quit it. Find its Identities folder, and sae it somewhere else. Replace it with the Identities folder you backed up in the first place.

Restart Outlook Express, and do a complex rebuild of the data base as described at the beginning of this note.

Your Identity folder should be regularly backed up, because it contains everything about your own Outlook Express email. I have seen many, many Outlook Express mail files get corrupted. Although the mail appears to be in separate folders when you are using the program, in fact, all your mail is in one big file that is constantly being changed as you read and delete and save email. This vulnerability is why I use Eudora rather than Outlook Express. I don't like having all my mail in one big vulnerable file.

For now, see if you can save the file by rebuilding it and/or reinstalling the program. Then keep your Identity folder backed up frequently.

Daly Jessup