# Solved: Outlook Express Inbox does not Display New Messages



## vista9 (Aug 2, 2011)

Today, for some unknown reason, my Outlook Express will not display mesgs in the Inbox. It makes the ping sound and shows 1 message received in the task bar area, but the messages do not appear in the Inbox. I did a search, using Edit Find and the search feature could not find the message, so there isn't a filter set up. The mesgs are not anywhere. I can only read new mail by logging into my account using a web browser. Can anyone help?



OS Version: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Service Pack 3, 32 bit
Processor: Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.40GHz, x86 Family 15 Model 2 Stepping 7
Processor Count: 1
RAM: 1023 Mb
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 440 (Microsoft Corporation), 64 Mb
Hard Drives: 
C: Total - 55003 MB, Free - 9405 MB; 
D: Total - 50006 MB, Free - 21790 MB; 
E: Total - 47614 MB, Free - 13563 MB; 
Motherboard: ASUSTeK Computer INC., P4PE , REV 1.xx, xxxxxxxxxxx
Antivirus: Norton AntiVirus, Updated: Yes, On-Demand Scanner: Enabled


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## throoper (Jan 20, 2007)

Hi vista9 and welcome to TSG.

Click View>Current View and make sure "Show all messages" has a check next to it.


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## vista9 (Aug 2, 2011)

There is a check mark next to show all messages and the messages are not in the trash or in another folder.


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## throoper (Jan 20, 2007)

To be sure the information for that setting is correctly entered in the Registry, check one of the other options and restart OE. 
Recheck "Show all messages" again and another restart of OE.
I'm guessing that's not the problem as it's too simple and easy to fix but it should be tried.

Next thing would be to see if the messages are actually in the datafile (DBX).
Download MailView HERE and open the Inbox.dbx (and any other folders that aren't displaying messages but should contain some) with it.
If they show up in MailView we'll know it's a display problem with OE.
Please post the results.


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## vista9 (Aug 2, 2011)

I didn't understand the instructions: "be sure the information for that setting is correctly entered in the Registry, check one of the other options and restart OE" So, I skipped that part and went right to the MailView program. Thank you so much for the link. I opened the MailView program and opened Inbox.dbx. The mail from 8/2/11 (yesterday) do not show up in MailView. The last messages are from 8/1/11 (before the problem happened). I asked my ISP if they could resend all messages from 8/2/11 and they said once it leaves their servers, they don't save them. I would like to retrieve the messages.Thank you for supplying the MailView program, I'm sure it will come in handy another day.


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## throoper (Jan 20, 2007)

I just meant to set View>Current view to one of the other choices besides "Show all messages", but it's a moot point if the messages aren't in the DBX file. That means they are either being deleted on receipt or not being written to the file.

Look to see if you have any Message Rules or Blocks on incoming mail.
Click Tools>Message Rules>Blocked Senders List.
A window should pop up with a Blocked Senders tab and a Mail Rules tab. 
If there's nothing on either tab that would cause this, I would suspect an Inbox problem.

To help me form a plan for dealing with an Inbox problem, I have a couple questions.

1: Do you store mail in your Inbox (leave it there instead of moving it to other folders)?
2: Do you leave messages on the server (are they still there if you log in to the website)?
3: Is this a POP mail account from your ISP and not a Gmail account?


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## vista9 (Aug 2, 2011)

There wasn't anything entered in any of the blocked senders tabs.

1. I do move email from the Inbox to other folders. I do this manually. I tend to not delete messages and am a pack rat. I sent myself several messages on 8/2/11 (one of them had the subject: Persnikedy) and then did a search and OE couldn't find the message. The odd thing is that I remember getting a few messages on 8/2/11 because I replied to one and forwarded another, but the original inbox messages have disappeared and are no longer around. There is plenty of mail in my Deleted Items folder (sometimes I do actually delete stuff) but nothing from 8/2/11 or after 7/25/11.

2. I don't leave messages on the server. Right now, to read mail, I have disabled OE from automatically downloading mesgs, and I am reading my email from the web.

3. This is a POP mail account from my ISP and not a Gmail account.

Thank you for taking the time to help me with this mysterious problem. Perhaps I should try going back in time using a prior restore date?


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## throoper (Jan 20, 2007)

First thing to do is open the OE Message Store folder.

You need to have Hidden files and Folders showing.
At the *top of any folder*(My Documents for example) click *Tools>Folder Options>View tab*.
Scroll down the list and place a check next to "*Show Hidden Files and Folders*" then click Apply and OK.

In OE
Click on *Tools>Options>Maintenance tab>Store Folder*.
On the Store Location box, highlight the address by pressing the Tab key on your keyboard.
Press *Control+C* (both at the same time) to copy the address to the clipboard.
Click Cancel on all boxes and close OE.

Click on *Start>Run.*
Press *Control+V *(both at the same time) to paste the address into the command line and click OK.
The *Store Folder* containing all the *DBX files* should open.

Make a quick backup of the DBX files.
Click *Edit>Select All*.
Click *Edit>Copy*
Go to the *Desktop* and right click an empty area.
Select *New>Folder* from the menu. Name it Mailbackup.
Open Mailbackup and click *Edit>Paste*.
There should now be a copy of everything that was in the Message Store in the folder Mailbackup. This will not only be an emergency backup, but a source for Import which you'll do shortly.
Close Mailbackup.

In the *Message Store folder*, *DELETE* the files* Inbox.dbx* and *pop3uidl.dbx*

Open OE.
Any messages that may still be on the server should download to the Inbox when you click Send/Receive. 
If they download and display properly, we've found the problem and hopefully have it corrected and you can continue with the instructions. Otherwise stop here and post back.

Create a new folder in OE (File>New>Folder) and move everything from the Inbox into it.
You can then run the OE Import utility to bring in the mail from the old Inbox in the Mailbackup folder you created.

File>Import>Messages.
Select OE6>Next.
Check Import from an OE6 Store directory>Next.
Click the Browse and select the Mailbackup folder on the desktop>OK>Next.
Select Inbox>Next.
Let it run and hopefully everything will Import successfully.


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## vista9 (Aug 2, 2011)

After Deleting the files Inbox.dbx and pop3uidl.dbx the problem has been fixed and mail is now downloading properly.
Thank you so much.


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## throoper (Jan 20, 2007)

You're welcome. :up:


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