!!! OE deleted all message files after logon as different user, setting message stores to current folder

Somebody please tell me that I have not just gotten into a big mess!

My standard practice: Logged onto Windows 2000 under my usual
non-adminstrator account name, I have the Outlook Express message stores
folder pointing to a folder on drive F. I do not use OE multiple
identities.

But today, I needed to log onto Windows as Administrator to install
something, and I wanted to grab something from an e-mail message while
logged on that way, so I started OE and re-pointed the message stores folder
from its default location to the special folder location that I have set.

When I have done this before, as after reinstalling Windows and setting up
OE on a replacement computer, OE has *ALWAYS* asked me if I would like to
use the message stores folders that it already finds in the folder I am
choosing. So this time, instead of taking a minute to copy all the message
files to a safe location, I simply set the new folder location, and it said
OK and the damage was done!!!

Norton's DOS Unerase utility indicates that, at least with regard to the
main default message folder files (Inbox, Outbox, Sent, Drafts, Deleted), it
can't do anything because the new files are already using those spaces. It
indicates that I might get at least partial results with a manual recovery.
(I believe they are referring to their Disk Editor tool, but that would be
the beginning of a rather horrific exercise, I believe).

Since my original mail setup involves hundreds of sub-folders, any manual
procedure is going to be ghastly. Anyone know of a way that I can simply
roll back the last changes to file and folder structures?

With a hope and a prayer,

John the Appalled

Move the 'new' dbx files to a different location and try the Dos unerase.

In the future, import the message store and of course, make a backup.
--
Ron Sommer

"John Hupp" wrote in message
...
Somebody please tell me that I have not just gotten into a big mess!

My standard practice: Logged onto Windows 2000 under my usual
non-adminstrator account name, I have the Outlook Express message stores
folder pointing to a folder on drive F. I do not use OE multiple
identities.

But today, I needed to log onto Windows as Administrator to install
something, and I wanted to grab something from an e-mail message while
logged on that way, so I started OE and re-pointed the message stores
folder
from its default location to the special folder location that I have set.

When I have done this before, as after reinstalling Windows and setting up
OE on a replacement computer, OE has *ALWAYS* asked me if I would like to
use the message stores folders that it already finds in the folder I am
choosing. So this time, instead of taking a minute to copy all the
message
files to a safe location, I simply set the new folder location, and it
said
OK and the damage was done!!!

Norton's DOS Unerase utility indicates that, at least with regard to the
main default message folder files (Inbox, Outbox, Sent, Drafts, Deleted),
it
can't do anything because the new files are already using those spaces.
It
indicates that I might get at least partial results with a manual
recovery.
(I believe they are referring to their Disk Editor tool, but that would be
the beginning of a rather horrific exercise, I believe).

Since my original mail setup involves hundreds of sub-folders, any manual
procedure is going to be ghastly. Anyone know of a way that I can simply
roll back the last changes to file and folder structures?

With a hope and a prayer,

John the Appalled