Corrupted Windows Mail Local Folders

On a few occasions recently, emails in some local folders all show the same
message body. If I try to move the emails to another folder I get error
messages telling me that Windows Mail cannot find the message body - then all
the emails are empty.

What causes this - can it be fixed - is there a known bug in Windows Mail ?

Some save emails are really important, and I can't afford to keep losing them.

WinMail may have some database corruption. Try repairing the database with my Windows Mail utility (www.oehelp.com/WMUTil/).

The messages themselves are stored as eml files (see www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx#wm), so those should be intact, if present. You can check the message store.

For the future see point 3 here: www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3 as it would appear some 3rd party program is interfering with WinMail's functioning.

steve

"Mailless User" <Mailless > wrote in message news:E7E76475-1D0A-4C59-8E0B-...
> On a few occasions recently, emails in some local folders all show the same
> message body. If I try to move the emails to another folder I get error
> messages telling me that Windows Mail cannot find the message body - then all
> the emails are empty.
>
> What causes this - can it be fixed - is there a known bug in Windows Mail ?
>
> Some save emails are really important, and I can't afford to keep losing them.

Thanks for the ideas - unfortunately they did not fix the problem.

I have looked at the message store and the emails are there, but if I try to
open any of those in a corrupted folder I get "...could not be opened because
it does not exist or is being used by another application". I have turned off
email scanning by my antivirus program - it made no difference - I cannot
think of any other software that I use that could have any impact on the
email system.

I took a copy of the emails in a corrupted folder and pasted them into a new
folder (outside of the windows mail messgae store). The copies open normally
- is there some way I can import these back into the windows mail message
store to replace those that are locked?

"Steve Cochran" wrote:

> WinMail may have some database corruption. Try repairing the database
> with my Windows Mail utility (www.oehelp.com/WMUTil/).
>
> The messages themselves are stored as eml files (see
> www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx#wm), so those should be intact, if present.
> You can check the message store.
>
> For the future see point 3 here: www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3 as it
> would appear some 3rd party program is interfering with WinMail's
> functioning.
>
> steve
>
> "Mailless User" <Mailless > wrote in message
> news:E7E76475-1D0A-4C59-8E0B-...
> > On a few occasions recently, emails in some local folders all show the
> same
> > message body. If I try to move the emails to another folder I get error
> > messages telling me that Windows Mail cannot find the message body -
> then all
> > the emails are empty.
> >
> > What causes this - can it be fixed - is there a known bug in Windows
> Mail ?
> >
> > Some save emails are really important, and I can't afford to keep losing
> them.
>

Well, a repair of the database should have fixed the issue.

What you can do is create a new folder in WinMail. Then open it so you see an empty message list. Then go to the directory of eml files in Explorer and select the eml files (only eml files or it won't work) and drag the selection overtop the WinMail folder message list and drop it and those eml files will then be incorporated into the folder. I would certainly make a backup of those eml files also.

steve

"Mailless User" <> wrote in message news:52D12BBE-E438-4548-AA81-...
> Thanks for the ideas - unfortunately they did not fix the problem.
>
> I have looked at the message store and the emails are there, but if I try to
> open any of those in a corrupted folder I get "...could not be opened because
> it does not exist or is being used by another application". I have turned off
> email scanning by my antivirus program - it made no difference - I cannot
> think of any other software that I use that could have any impact on the
> email system.
>
> I took a copy of the emails in a corrupted folder and pasted them into a new
> folder (outside of the windows mail messgae store). The copies open normally
> - is there some way I can import these back into the windows mail message
> store to replace those that are locked?
>
> "Steve Cochran" wrote:
>
>> WinMail may have some database corruption. Try repairing the database
>> with my Windows Mail utility (www.oehelp.com/WMUTil/).
>>
>> The messages themselves are stored as eml files (see
>> www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx#wm), so those should be intact, if present.
>> You can check the message store.
>>
>> For the future see point 3 here: www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3 as it
>> would appear some 3rd party program is interfering with WinMail's
>> functioning.
>>
>> steve
>>
>> "Mailless User" <Mailless > wrote in message
>> news:E7E76475-1D0A-4C59-8E0B-...
>> > On a few occasions recently, emails in some local folders all show the
>> same
>> > message body. If I try to move the emails to another folder I get error
>> > messages telling me that Windows Mail cannot find the message body -
>> then all
>> > the emails are empty.
>> >
>> > What causes this - can it be fixed - is there a known bug in Windows
>> Mail ?
>> >
>> > Some save emails are really important, and I can't afford to keep losing
>> them.
>>

Great suggestion - I now have new folders with clean mail messages and it
looks like you have solved my problem. Thanks for the help.

I like the "MVP" tag - about right in my view. Just off to make another
backup.

Bye.

"Steve Cochran" wrote:

> Well, a repair of the database should have fixed the issue.
>
> What you can do is create a new folder in WinMail. Then open it so you
> see an empty message list. Then go to the directory of eml files in
> Explorer and select the eml files (only eml files or it won't work) and
> drag the selection overtop the WinMail folder message list and drop it and
> those eml files will then be incorporated into the folder. I would
> certainly make a backup of those eml files also.
>
> steve
>
> "Mailless User" <> wrote in message
> news:52D12BBE-E438-4548-AA81-...
> > Thanks for the ideas - unfortunately they did not fix the problem.
> >
> > I have looked at the message store and the emails are there, but if I
> try to
> > open any of those in a corrupted folder I get "...could not be opened
> because
> > it does not exist or is being used by another application". I have
> turned off
> > email scanning by my antivirus program - it made no difference - I
> cannot
> > think of any other software that I use that could have any impact on the
> > email system.
> >
> > I took a copy of the emails in a corrupted folder and pasted them into a
> new
> > folder (outside of the windows mail messgae store). The copies open
> normally
> > - is there some way I can import these back into the windows mail
> message
> > store to replace those that are locked?
> >
> > "Steve Cochran" wrote:
> >
> >> WinMail may have some database corruption. Try repairing the database
> >> with my Windows Mail utility (www.oehelp.com/WMUTil/).
> >>
> >> The messages themselves are stored as eml files (see
> >> www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx#wm), so those should be intact, if present.
> >> You can check the message store.
> >>
> >> For the future see point 3 here: www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3 as it
> >> would appear some 3rd party program is interfering with WinMail's
> >> functioning.
> >>
> >> steve
> >>
> >> "Mailless User" <Mailless > wrote in
> message
> >> news:E7E76475-1D0A-4C59-8E0B-...
> >> > On a few occasions recently, emails in some local folders all show
> the
> >> same
> >> > message body. If I try to move the emails to another folder I get
> error
> >> > messages telling me that Windows Mail cannot find the message body -
> >> then all
> >> > the emails are empty.
> >> >
> >> > What causes this - can it be fixed - is there a known bug in Windows
> >> Mail ?
> >> >
> >> > Some save emails are really important, and I can't afford to keep
> losing
> >> them.
> >>
>

Glad it worked for you.

steve

"Mailless User" <> wrote in message news:746DB4E6-6466-47B2-A589-...
> Great suggestion - I now have new folders with clean mail messages and it
> looks like you have solved my problem. Thanks for the help.
>
> I like the "MVP" tag - about right in my view. Just off to make another
> backup.
>
> Bye.
>
> "Steve Cochran" wrote:
>
>> Well, a repair of the database should have fixed the issue.
>>
>> What you can do is create a new folder in WinMail. Then open it so you
>> see an empty message list. Then go to the directory of eml files in
>> Explorer and select the eml files (only eml files or it won't work) and
>> drag the selection overtop the WinMail folder message list and drop it and
>> those eml files will then be incorporated into the folder. I would
>> certainly make a backup of those eml files also.
>>
>> steve
>>
>> "Mailless User" <> wrote in message
>> news:52D12BBE-E438-4548-AA81-...
>> > Thanks for the ideas - unfortunately they did not fix the problem.
>> >
>> > I have looked at the message store and the emails are there, but if I
>> try to
>> > open any of those in a corrupted folder I get "...could not be opened
>> because
>> > it does not exist or is being used by another application". I have
>> turned off
>> > email scanning by my antivirus program - it made no difference - I
>> cannot
>> > think of any other software that I use that could have any impact on the
>> > email system.
>> >
>> > I took a copy of the emails in a corrupted folder and pasted them into a
>> new
>> > folder (outside of the windows mail messgae store). The copies open
>> normally
>> > - is there some way I can import these back into the windows mail
>> message
>> > store to replace those that are locked?
>> >
>> > "Steve Cochran" wrote:
>> >
>> >> WinMail may have some database corruption. Try repairing the database
>> >> with my Windows Mail utility (www.oehelp.com/WMUTil/).
>> >>
>> >> The messages themselves are stored as eml files (see
>> >> www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx#wm), so those should be intact, if present.
>> >> You can check the message store.
>> >>
>> >> For the future see point 3 here: www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3 as it
>> >> would appear some 3rd party program is interfering with WinMail's
>> >> functioning.
>> >>
>> >> steve
>> >>
>> >> "Mailless User" <Mailless > wrote in
>> message
>> >> news:E7E76475-1D0A-4C59-8E0B-...
>> >> > On a few occasions recently, emails in some local folders all show
>> the
>> >> same
>> >> > message body. If I try to move the emails to another folder I get
>> error
>> >> > messages telling me that Windows Mail cannot find the message body -
>> >> then all
>> >> > the emails are empty.
>> >> >
>> >> > What causes this - can it be fixed - is there a known bug in Windows
>> >> Mail ?
>> >> >
>> >> > Some save emails are really important, and I can't afford to keep
>> losing
>> >> them.
>> >>
>>

"Mailless User" <Mailless > schrieb im
Newsbeitrag news:E7E76475-1D0A-4C59-8E0B-...
> On a few occasions recently, emails in some local folders all show the
> same
> message body. If I try to move the emails to another folder I get error
> messages telling me that Windows Mail cannot find the message body - then
> all
> the emails are empty.
>
> What causes this - can it be fixed - is there a known bug in Windows Mail
> ?
>
> Some save emails are really important, and I can't afford to keep losing
> them.