Sister Needs Desperate Help

[Heather Positive Thinker]

My sister has just rung me virtually in tears. She had a folder on her O.E. containing all her files to do with her snow mobile holiday - she wanted to delete one of the files in the folder but the whole folder went.

She went to the recycle bin and clicked on it to be restored but its not back on the O.E. screen. I told her to do a search for it and 17 files came up with the name contained but when she tries to open them they are all in that encrypted, block stuff you get.

Anyone know what to do please?

[Elaine ..Spain]

Has she closed down OE yet Heather - usually when you delete something from your folder listing, it then gets put in a Deleted Items folder at the bottom of the listing.
She may have her program set so that anything in the deleted items folder gets deleted when she shuts OE - but she might not.
So if she hasn't already done so tell her not to shut OE and to look in the Deleted Items thingy.

[Heather Positive Thinker]

Thanks Elaine, I told her to check the deleted folder but she says its empty.

[Elaine ..Spain]

As far as I know the file doesn't actually disappear from your computer until you compact the folders.
I'll have a google and see if I can find anything.

[Heather Positive Thinker]

Shes been engaged on the phone ever since I put this thread on but she just rang and said she had Dell take over the computer by remote and the technician says she has lost all the folder :(



Personally, Id have thought that if she has 17 files albeit encrypted, then there should be a way of restoring them. Ive emailed her an OE recovery tool website but Im not sure she would be confident enough to try it.

Thanks for your help.

[Elaine ..Spain]

Heather, there seems to be quite a few recovery programs - not sure if they are free or not!

I googled "deleted folder from outlook express"

[Elaine ..Spain]

This is from a Microsoft forum
Retrieving deleted messages in Outlook Express 5.5 General

It does seem she needs a recovery program.
I am sure I am right in saying they don't disappear until you compact folders.

Hope she manages to sort something.

[Heather Positive Thinker]

I think she is too nervous to use them Elaine. She is currently trying to sort out and get confirmations for the holiday bookings - :o

[Margaret N]

Heather, Just a very odd thought but this happened to me. I deleted a folder in OE but for some unknown reason at the time it did not appear in the deleted folder. I have many subject folders under the Inbox i.e. Family History, Contacts, Sundries etc.
Weeks later I opened one of my many subject folders under the Inbox and the folder was stored in that folder. Worth a look in each and every folder that she has in OE.

[Heather Positive Thinker]

Ill tell her Margaret, just in case - these weird things happen dont they. Shes got most of the holiday stuff repeated now I think.