Can Outlook Express email be retrieved from a deleted user account?

[LABachlr]

A client of mine deleted one of their user accounts in WinXP, and I guess they deleted the wrong one. Is it possible to retrieve the email that was in Outlook Express in the deleted User Account? Do I just throw the HD in an external enclosure and do a search for .dbx files, or will it not show up?

[dajogejr]

Yep...you got it.
You might try a software file recovery tool..

Good luck...depending on if those files got overwritten or not....

If you go to Documents and settings...do you still see the account for that user by chance?

[LABachlr]

Thanks. Actually, he didn't really explain it correctly. He created a new identity in Outlook Express so he could password protect the current identity. Then, the wife deleted the one that she thought she didn't need. But, the folders for the Outlook Express email were still there:

Documents and Settings\[User Name]\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{String-Of-Hexadecimal-Number}\Microsoft\Outlook Express\Inbox.dbx

Documents and Settings\[User Name]\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book\[User Name].wab

There were actually two versions. They were in the one that was not currently being used, of course.

I was able to retrieve both the email messages and the addy book.

[ukulele]

With Windows 9x it was possible because MS kept secret hidden files of every thing, but with XP I haven't read anything about it.
Check this link out before giving up. It is probably all encripted.

http://www.f***microsoft.com/content/ms-hidden-files.shtml

Switch the asterisk with the correct letters and have a good read.

[LABachlr]

Originally posted by ukulele
With Windows 9x it was possible because MS kept secret hidden files of every thing, but with XP I haven't read anything about it.
Check this link out before giving up. It is probably all encripted.

http://www.f***microsoft.com/content/ms-hidden-files.shtml

Switch the asterisk with the correct letters and have a good read.

LOL. Thanks.