# Outlook Express vs Pack Rat



## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

As some folks know, I'm a communications hoarder. I have emails saved from about 1997. I do try to filter out the crap.

I use Outlook Express because there are so many free programs that can read archived OE files - actually they are dbx files. FYI, OE uses dbx files for the Inbox, Sent Items, Deleted Items, Drafts, or whatever mail boxes you make. I archive my mail by year and Inbox or Sent Items. (2008 - Inbox.dbx, 2008 - Sent Items.dbx, etc)

I usually move mail from the previous year into the archives in March. I procrastinated this year.

Yesterday, Outlook Express would not open. *WTF?*

After an intense internet search, I discovered that dbx files have a size limit of 2 gig. My inbox had reached that limit and OE choked, gagged, and would not open. 

I'm screwed !

I immediately moved the inbox to my laptop before OE started erasing files (which it will do).

OH, btw, you just cant "open" a dbx file and edit stuff

Finally I found a program that would extract all the files and copy them to another folder as .eml files. Outlook Express Message Extractor 1.8

It extracted all 5640 messages. I then dragged and dropped 1000 of them at a time into a temporary OE mail box, sorted, and moved them.

I am SAVED. 

Yes, a lot of time, energy, aggravation, and anxiety. But the job got done.


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## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

1997? What the hell Bill?!!!!


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## SouthFloridaPainter (Jan 27, 2011)

I have never felt the need to use these types of programs having just a couple of email accounts. It seemed much easier to just login to gmail or yahoo and do my stuff there.

But I have started some new online stuff that involved creating numerous email accounts on a mail exchange server, thus I started using outlook ( not express )

After a lot of frustration, I found a much easier solution, Mozilla Thunderbird. It has a much more simple interface, seems to run faster, and simple switching between accounts.

Easy setup, found all the pop/imap/smtp/ssl settings of each account on its own. I just provided username and password.

Anyways, worth taking a look at for anyone needed anything beyond what your standard email provider does for you.

It's free.

http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Yes Paul, 1997. So don't email me anything you'll EVER regret :thumbup: :thumbsup: 

SFP, 

I am well acquainted with T-Bird. My wife's computer is Win7 and I hate the forced integration with web based email, so I've loaded T-Bird on it. I have NOT yet explored the ease of archiving with it, but I DO like it's human interface. I may be going that direction. 

I use gmail, yahoo mail, hotmail, and a bunch of others for my spam traps, i do not like how slow and cumbersome web based email is. And I do not need all the extra bells and whistles Outlook bogs me down with.


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## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Hoarder. My main email is outlook office and then like most people I use a few various other providers.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

Damn, I keep mine for a year and I thought THAT was extreme


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

chrisn said:


> Damn, I keep mine for a year and I thought THAT was extreme



Yes, but you've known me long enough not to be surprised. Amazed and bewildered, perhaps. But NOT surprised


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

OH, and my OP was not only about how I fixed it, but to inform others that dbx files have that 2 gig limit and if they also experience they same potential disaster I did, that little extraction program will bail your ass out.


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## ProWallGuy (Apr 7, 2007)

Here is a picture of Bill transferring his precious hoard from one nest to the other.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

ProWallGuy said:


> Here is a picture of Bill transferring his precious hoard from one nest to the other.


DAMN, am I cute :thumbup:


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

daArch said:


> OH, and my OP was not only about how I fixed it, but to inform others that dbx files have that 2 gig limit and if they also experience they same potential disaster I did, that little extraction program will bail your ass out.


 
I am taking bets that NO ONE gets close to that.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

Great. Now you guys are making me go and clean out my inbox. I had to adjust my backup settings since I ran out of space. My outlook file is exactly 2.0 GB right now. I will be deleting things in a few minutes.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Dean,

I'm talking about *Outlook Express*, NOT OUTLOOK

Outlook Express use dbx files to place mail. OUTLOOK uses pst files. I can not find info saying there is a size limit to pst files.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

daArch said:


> Dean,
> 
> I'm talking about *Outlook Express*, NOT OUTLOOK
> 
> Outlook Express use dbx files to place mail. OUTLOOK uses pst files. I can not find info saying there is a size limit to pst files.



Don't worry Arch, I figured it only applied to express. I cleaned it out because if I was hording as many or more messages than you, I figure I must have been overkill. All messages older than one year gone. I hope that was not rash, but now I can live with myself:jester:


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