Missing outlook express inbox.dbx after chkdsk

After booting my xp sp2 machine the other day, Chkdsk ran on startup, I opened outlook express too find all my emails had disappeared. I checked my outlook express .dbx files to discover that a new inbox.dbx file had been created.

I assumed that the old inbox.dbx had become corrupted, and checked the temporary "Found.001" directory that is created by chkdsk, there was only two files in this directory not related to outlook express.

I have tried to run two file recovery programs get data back and restorer2000, but cannot find the missing inbox.dbx file.

DO I have any chance of recovering this .dbx file or is it gone?

 

Windows search should find it but the best tool is Everything. If the old file is still on your computer Everything will find it.

 

One of the methods offers MS Corp. below. Another method to see and get more solutions to get back corrupted .dbx file

https://onlinefilerepair.com/en/outlookexpress-repair-online.html
https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/F...ile-of-outlook-express?forum=messengerconnect
https://social.technet.microsoft.co...ook-express-recovery-tool?forum=olmdiscussion

Using the Compacting Utility
To start, follow these steps:
• In Outlook Express, click Work Offline on the File menu to terminate any transmission
• In the Folder list, click on Outlook Express to ensure that no email or news folder is opened
• Close the Folder list by click the X in the upper right-hand corner of the list panel
• On the File menu, select Folder, and then select Compact All Folders.
This might take several minutes.
• If an error occurs, close Outlook Express, re-open it, and begin the process again from the top

Using The Transfer Method
To do this, follow these steps:
• Open Microsoft Outlook Express
• Right click on Local Folders and select New Folder
• Type in: backup and hit Enter
• Select all the emails in the corrupted folder
o Select any email in the corrupted folder
o Press CTRL + A to select all
• Right click on the highlighted mails and select Move To Folder

• Select the backup folder and click OK
• Delete the corrupted folder and rename the backup folder to the corrupted folder's name