Restoring deleted folders in Outlook 2000 (not express)

[LadyEleni]

I realize posting this will make me look pretty ditzy, but here goes!

I opened my email last night after playing Diablo and Outlook (Outlook 2000/win 98SE) popped up an error box saying it couldn't process a rule.

I just clicked ok and then looked in my inbox. A few customer support emails were in my inbox, and my ENTIRE support folder, along with all of its subfolders, were GONE. Totally gone, deleted, not moved by accident into any other folder or directory, just gone gone gone.

I know I wouldn't have deleted them, and then hit 'yes' to confirm that I truly wanted to delete all my support emails. I mean, duh, grrrrr I know I didn't do this!! I don't even delete emails out of the support folder, let alone the entire folder. ... Anyway, do you have any idea how to try to restore this type of stuff?

I backed up my outlook.pst but this was like a month ago, and its the recent stuff I wanted to save. Any ideas? I have tried running the Inbox repair thingy, and tried searching all over for how I might be able to recover this stuff.

Geez this will look great on my resume huh? Thanks for listening *cry*

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[Pure Luck]

If they do not show in your deleted items, they may be gone for good. You can try using "help/detect and repair" but that's a long shot. You may just have to import the outlook backup.pst. There is an option on the backup wizard that I use that will prompt you to back up every so many days. Might be a good idea to turn it on after this.

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<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by Pure Luck on January 15, 2001 at 11:29 AM</font>

[Techguy]

hello, if you really need to restore them take a look at Norton's directory snoop, which can help you recover files of FAT* disks. You need to know the exact location of the folder information file. I dont have MS Outlook 2000 here and I dont know where it stores the files..


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[reddsteel]

I have only been using it for a couple of weeks now. I looked around but couldn't find much... http://www.helpfromtechs.com/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

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:: reddsteel ::
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[Pure Luck]

Default store folder in Windows98 for the outlook.pst is in C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
Now when you say your support folder was deleted, was that a folder you added in Outlook Today or a sub-folder added under inbox etc,,? Like a new folder to move mail to you wanted to save?
*****************
Just found a file recover program I'm going to try. Also, open the folders list and see if your recycle bin has a plus sign next to it. If it does, expand it and your folder may be there.

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<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by Pure Luck on January 15, 2001 at 04:49 PM</font>

[LadyEleni]

Thanks all for the replies. My support folder was one I created in Outlook under Inbox, with many subfolders under it, to store customer support/questions etc. So all in all about 6 folders were deleted. Yes, I have checked all around to make sure they were not accidentally dragged elsewhere etc, but nothing is anywhere. I would gladly try a restore program, thanks again for your help and suggestions!

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[Pure Luck]

Well I've tried a couple different file rescue programs and none of them will find any folders or mail that was deleted in Outlook. Wish I could be more help.

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[reddsteel]

Originally posted by LadyEleni:
I would gladly try a restore program, thanks again for your help and suggestions!

Now the question is =&gt; Which one?

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:: reddsteel ::
Moderator =&gt; HelpFromTechs.com
In a world without fences, who needs Gates?

[Pure Luck]

Well I tried File Recover 2000 (http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/stories/info/0%2C%2C001AZS%2C.html) and File Rescue (http://www.file-rescue.com/). They both looked like the same program but the first one found way more than the second one. They both also found traces of files left from before my last format but neither found a single email or folder made in Outlook that was deleted. I'm a bit skeptical that any program would find/recover a deleted mail folder or mail from Outlook because the main outlook.pst has not been deleted. It might be more possible in Outlook Express because each new folder you add becomes a new *.dbx file. But Outlook stores it all in one outlook.pst file. To me, it would be like deleting half the text from a .txt file, saving and closing it, and then trying to recover that text you deleted the last time you had it open. Might not be a good analogy but that's how I see it. I could be wrong and it would be interesting to know if anyone's ever been able to recover deleted mail from Outlook.
******************
Is it possible that someone else with access to that computer deleted the folder? If it couldn't process a rule when you opened it, I assume you had a rule set to move certain mails to that folder when they came. When you opened it and it couldn't process the rule, that means the folder had already been deleted.

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<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">This message has been edited by Pure Luck on January 16, 2001 at 05:30 PM</font>

[LadyEleni]

Thanks Pureluck. You are correct in that the folder had already been deleted when I opened Outlook. No one but me has Access to this computer internally... I don't think I had Zonealarm running at the time...maybe the aliens did it. Well at any rate, I really really appreciate your trying to assist me with this. I guess this is just a backup lesson for me...

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[Pure Luck]

Well I'll play around some more when I have spare time. Wish the problem could have been resolved. I think I will set my own backup prompt to remind me every day every day now. http://www.helpfromtechs.com/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

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[LadyEleni]

Thanks so much. I am sure you can help me with one small detail regarding backups. I have my whole outlook.pst backed up from Nov or so. I want to import JUST the old support folders, but not replace all my newer other folders from teh old backup. Is that possible?

Thanks again!

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[kulich]

Similar thing just happened to me. The tech happened by and I told him about those stubborn little index.dat files that store urls and cookies. The ones that spider removes, but that can't be removed if you have IE 5+.

Anyway, he lept at my machine and deltreed profiles, history cookies and maybe more. When he rebooted, the index.dat files were gone and he was suitably gloaty. But so was all my Outlook stuff - mail, contacts, accounts.

I'm the one who has to hunt around and put it all back together. I think I'll make him play with other people's machines from now on.

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[Pure Luck]

Yes, you can just import the folder(s) you want. Import/from another program or file/choose Personal Folder File(.pst)/Do not import duplicates/Next and then you can choose what folders you want imported.
You may have to browse it to where the backup.pst is.

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[LadyEleni]

Thanks again for your help! I will try that, and hopefully I won't delete everything else in the process =P

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[reddsteel]

Originally posted by LadyEleni:
Thanks again for your help! I will try that, and hopefully I won't delete everything else in the process =P



The you would have to use the File Restorer program more that you would have wanted to. http://www.helpfromtechs.com/ubb/smilies/wink.gif

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:: reddsteel ::
Moderator =&gt; HelpFromTechs.com
In a world without fences, who needs Gates?

[LadyEleni]

LOL yeah thats true. Thanks again, this worked and things are at least back to where they were a few weeks ago, and now I have learned some new things and I also remember to backup much more often!
*cheers to you all*

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[reddsteel]

Well, glad everything is running smoothly now! http://www.helpfromtechs.com/ubb/smilies/smile.gif

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:: reddsteel ::
Moderator =&gt; HelpFromTechs.com
In a world without fences, who needs Gates?