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CCleaner cleared out 4000 emails


gslc

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Welcome to Piriform gslc.

 

 

One week ago today CCleaner cleared out 4000 emails from my inbox- everything from 2005 to that morning. Is there any way I can recover them? How can I prevent this from happening again?

 

As Augeas says CC doesn't do anything with emails unless you tell it too. You haven't said what you use for your emails. Try Recuva to see if it can find any deleted files. ;)

Keith

 

Windows XP 2002 SP3

IE 7.0

 

Martin2k

 

Rorshach112 is the best

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Welcome to Piriform gslc.

 

 

 

 

As Augeas says CC doesn't do anything with emails unless you tell it too. You haven't said what you use for your emails. Try Recuva to see if it can find any deleted files. ;)

 

Thanks! I use Outlook Express, and the tech who tried to recover them said that they definitely had been deleted by CCleaner. I will look into Recuva to see what it can do for me.

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Thanks! I use Outlook Express, and the tech who tried to recover them said that they definitely had been deleted by CCleaner. I will look into Recuva to see what it can do for me.

Almost certainly (by that I mean that there is no provision in CC to delete them, unless the complete mail pst file was manually entered in the Include section) CC did not delete your emails. And the reverse is true, almost certainly Recuva will not be able to find them, unless the complete pst file has been deleted.

 

Emails are held in the pst files in some sort of direct access method unique to OE. Emails have to be managed by IE. No doubt there's some add-on or something that lets you delete all old emails in one fell swoop, but CC doesn't do this. There is a Clean Up Now option in OE Maintenance but I've never used this so I don't know what it does. Maybe something like this was poked into life.

 

I mean dbx files, as Jamin rightly states.

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Thanks! I use Outlook Express, and the tech who tried to recover them said that they definitely had been deleted by CCleaner.

 

Hi gslc,

 

Would the tech care to share some facts on how that conclusion was made?

 

The .dbx files in Outlook Express can become corrupted by e-mail Anti-Virus programs.

When this happens the data in the inbox that the VirusScan program corrupted is deleted.

 

If you are pre XP SP2 then Background Compaction may be the problem. It's turned off by default with SP2.

 

Since SP2 files are periodically compacted by Outlook Express, if the process is interrupted then all data can become corrupted and lost.

I saw this happen on my sisters computer, she lost the inbox and folder content.

 

One other possible cause is an extremely large size of Inbox.dbx, Sent Items.dbx and Deleted Items.dbx.

 

You could use a backup program.

http://www.oehelp.com/

Under Backup Programs click on OEBackup.

Downloads:

Outlook Express Quick Backup

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Thanks! I use Outlook Express, and the tech who tried to recover them said that they definitely had been deleted by CCleaner. I will look into Recuva to see what it can do for me.

 

Well I use Outlook Express 6.0 and all your emails are stored as stated in *.dbx files. Now you haven't actually stated your operating system with service pack number but I'm assuming your using WinXP. Now these email files are very strange in WinXP. I've recently had a new computer and I always zip up my email files and save them on a Flash drive. Now on Win9x/ME these files are normally saved in Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Indentities\{A70F213D-4FBD-4F57-A465-463A86A52DA1}\Outlook Express folder. Now on WinXP here is the strange bit they are stored in Documents and Settings\yourname\Application Data\Indentities\{A70F213D-4FBD-4F57-A465-463A86A52DA1}\Microsoft\Outlook Express folder. Now your A70F213D-4FBD-4F57-A465-463A86A52DA1 folder will have diferent numbers and letters but you should still have an Outlook Express folder at the end.

 

When I first setup my WinXP I opened Outlook Express and went to File/Import/Messages then selected Outlook Express 6.0 from the list. Then selected Import mail from an OE6 store directory. Then you click on the Browse button to file the folder that unzipped all the old messages into. Each sub folder you have in your Inbox is stored in a seperate dbx file. e.g. Sub folder - Friends - Friends.dbx.

 

Now I added all my old dbx files which added to the OE6 Inbox. I looked in {A70F213D-4FBD-4F57-A465-463A86A52DA1}\Microsoft\Outlook Express folder and they are no where to be seen. I did a drive search for *.dbx and the only ones it showed where the folder where I unzipped my originals into. I opened OE6 again and deleted all the sub folders and imported them in again. When back to the Outlook Express folder and they were there this time. I checked the folder this morning and they were there. I've just checked it again and they are missing again.

 

Now another strange thing about WinXP is the Address Book thats stored in Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book\username.wab with a username.wa~ as the backup. Now the other day I added some emails address to the Address Book and I thought I would back these up by zipping the folder and they weren't there. I used File/Export/Address Book, selected Microsoft Exchange Personal Address Book and it says Address Book export process has completed. It doesn't say where its exported it too. I've always said WinXP is a pain in the a**e.

 

Now the only reason that CC would delete your email files is if you used Options/Include and told it were these files are kept.

 

Since SP2 files are periodically compacted by Outlook Express, if the process is interrupted then all data can be corrupted and lost.

 

I'm afraid Outlook Express doesn't compact your email files/folders periodically or automatically you have to do this yourself. File/Folder/Compact All Folders. ;)

 

Edit: The bl**dy dbx files have come back now. :angry:

Edited by Keithuk

Keith

 

Windows XP 2002 SP3

IE 7.0

 

Martin2k

 

Rorshach112 is the best

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I'm afraid Outlook Express doesn't compact your email files/folders periodically or automatically you have to do this yourself. File/Folder/Compact All Folders. ;)

 

In XPSP2, the registry key (HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{GUID}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0 where GUID represents the Identity Number) has a new value ("Compact Check Count") that is incremented with each closing of OE. When OE is closed and this value reaches 100, then the user is prompted to compact all the folders. Only if the user agrees to compact such does the "Compact Check Count" get reset to zero. Otherwise the user is continuously prompted until they agree to compact. However, if this occurs during a machine shutdown, the shutdown can interrupt the compact process and result in message loss.

 

Consequently, if prompted to compact, then the user should agree to the compaction and leave the computer alone until it is finished.

 

That's what I meant. ;)

 

Source: http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#2

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In XPSP2, the registry key (HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{GUID}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0 where GUID represents the Identity Number) has a new value ("Compact Check Count") that is incremented with each closing of OE. When OE is closed and this value reaches 100, then the user is prompted to compact all the folders. Only if the user agrees to compact such does the "Compact Check Count" get reset to zero.

 

That's what I meant. ;)

 

Sorry I'm with you now. My number doesn't go that high because I compact my own. ;)

Keith

 

Windows XP 2002 SP3

IE 7.0

 

Martin2k

 

Rorshach112 is the best

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  • 4 weeks later...

I also lost my email inbox (and deleted and sent and ...). Iuse Outlook Express under the Windows XP Professional SP3 operating system. I do remember requesting the first three cleaning items (Missing Shared DLLs, Unused File Extensions, and Active X and CLass Issues)) be performed on the registry (I am very cautious and did not perform the full registry cleanup).

 

I do recall seeing one message indicating that there were file types that were not identified in the registry (or something to that effect) and the probable cause was that the files were left over from uninstalled programs. My guess is that this is related to the "Unused File Extensions" option. One of those file types was "dbx" files, which happens to be the file type that Outlook Express keeps its inbox messages. I wonder if the attempt to clean up unreferenced file types was the cause of the inbox (and other outlook express folders, like deleted emails) being deleted

 

If this is the cause, I would make the following suggestion for the ccleaner software. Rather than blindly delete any files, give the user the option of saving any possible deleted files. If the decision is to save these files, simply compress the files and place them in some standard location (like My Documents).

 

Bill W.

 

 

Hi gslc,

 

Would the tech care to share some facts on how that conclusion was made?

 

The .dbx files in Outlook Express can become corrupted by e-mail Anti-Virus programs.

When this happens the data in the inbox that the VirusScan program corrupted is deleted.

 

If you are pre XP SP2 then Background Compaction may be the problem. It's turned off by default with SP2.

 

Since SP2 files are periodically compacted by Outlook Express, if the process is interrupted then all data can become corrupted and lost.

I saw this happen on my sisters computer, she lost the inbox and folder content.

 

One other possible cause is an extremely large size of Inbox.dbx, Sent Items.dbx and Deleted Items.dbx.

 

You could use a backup program.

http://www.oehelp.com/

Under Backup Programs click on OEBackup.

Downloads:

Outlook Express Quick Backup

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As far as I know CC's registry cleanup does not touch any files, it only removes registry entries it deems to be invalid (and have been selected by the user for deletion).

 

I don't know the cause of lost email folders but I would be very surprised if it were CC.

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All I can say is that immediately following the running of the registry cleaning function, my ".dbx" files related to my email were lost. It is my experience that when multiple people report the same issue, it is no longer a coincidence.

 

If it makes any difference, I am using the freeware version of the ccleaner software.

 

One question I have regarding Augeas' response. Is she tech support for the product?? I am just trying to get a sense of the basis of her answer - is it based on observation or knowledge?? IF associated with the ccleaner product, it would be a fairly easy to test this out.

 

 

 

As far as I know CC's registry cleanup does not touch any files, it only removes registry entries it deems to be invalid (and have been selected by the user for deletion).

 

I don't know the cause of lost email folders but I would be very surprised if it were CC.

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Hi Bill, you suggested that the clean registry function of CC might be deleting files, instead of just deleting registry entries. Based on my experience with CC, several years reading this forum, the fact that the registry cleaner says 'Do you want to remove this entry' (or something similar), and the speed it does this, I assume that no data files are touched. (Hence the 'As far as I know..'.)

 

As for testing this, I also assume (from their silence) that many millions of users are running reg clean and not losing data files, especially .dbx files. Certainly in my experience CC reg clean has never deleted a data file, so I couldn't reproduce what you're experiencing.

 

Perhaps I should clarify something. Although I don't think that CC reg clean is explicitly deleting .dbx files, there may be some peculiar and rare combination of software, setup and usage on your and the OP's pcs that causes the .dbx files to be lost. I have no idea what this could be.

 

There's no separate set of products for those who have donated to Piriform. I'm not in any way associated with Piriform except as a satisfied user of their products, nor do I have access to any of their code. Or want to.

 

PS Bill, have you actually looked in the folder location in Keith's post to see if the .dbx folders are there? If you have lost the file association for .dbx files then OE may not show the mail folders but they might still be there. Or search your entire drive for .dbx files?

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PS Bill, have you actually looked in the folder location in Keith's post to see if the .dbx folders are there? If you have lost the file association for .dbx files then OE may not show the mail folders but they might still be there. Or search your entire drive for .dbx files?

 

My brother in law had a new computer last year and he asked if I could save his emails of his old computer so he could put them on the new one. Well the other crap thing about WinXP is if you do a search or *.dbx files it can never find them. They aren't in an hidden folder either.

 

If you open OE6 up and click on Tools/Options and click on the Maintenance tab there is a Store Folder button you can specify the location of these dbx files. But that never works either the folder is empty but the location is correct and all my email folders are still showing. I mensioned this the other day then the next time I checked they reappeared again.

 

Thinking about it 4000 emails in your inbox is a lot considering if you lost the inbox.dbx. I think you really need to re-organise you files an bit better. ;)

Keith

 

Windows XP 2002 SP3

IE 7.0

 

Martin2k

 

Rorshach112 is the best

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Keith, I've just searched my drive for dbx and found all the .dbx files. Did you have Search System Folders, Search Hidden etc ticked in More Advanced Options? Without these ticked I get no results (I'm XPHomeSP3).

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I was simply raising my concern and concurrence that what occurred to somone else also happened to me. Luckily, this was my secondary computer and I check mails from two computers. This one is read only and cannot truly delete the actual email. That can only be done from my primary computer. So, it had little impact but it did force my email to be cleaned up before I wanted.

 

I did do a check of any dbx files and the only ones found were the ones associated with my latest Outlook Express account - no others.

 

 

I was really trying to raise the concern to the Piriform team to have them confirm.

 

 

Again, if an occurrence repeats itself in multiple locations, then there might be something unique in the environment that, together with ccleaner, cause the files to be deleted. If someone from Piriform wants to work with me to further investigate, I would be happy to do so.

 

 

 

Keith, I've just searched my drive for dbx and found all the .dbx files. Did you have Search System Folders, Search Hidden etc ticked in More Advanced Options? Without these ticked I get no results (I'm XPHomeSP3).
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