# SMG, please tell me I didn't lose all of my email (Outlook Express)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smg-please-tell-me-i-didnt-lose-all-of-my-email-outlook-express/411166>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 10, 2007, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smg-please-tell-me-i-didnt-lose-all-of-my-email-outlook-express/411166 "2007-07-10T05:31:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![noblebaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e274bd/32.png) [@noblebaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/noblebaron)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smg-please-tell-me-i-didnt-lose-all-of-my-email-outlook-express/411166/1 "2007-07-10T05:31:04Z")

</div>

Hey folks,

Outlook Express

Under “Identities” \> “Manage Identities” I tried to rename my “Main Identity” identity so that it would appear at the top of the identities list, like this:

\_Main Identity

I think I successfully created it, then somehow (I think) clicked “Remove”… and there it was - gone. It all happened in a few milliseconds.

Are those emails stored somewhere, or did I just f\*\*\*\*\*\*g lose them all?

Thanks,

-NobleBaron  
P.S. SMG = “Sweet Mother of God” (like HomestarRunner says. I feel about as smart as him right now.)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Racer1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ee59a6/32.png) [@Racer1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Racer1)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smg-please-tell-me-i-didnt-lose-all-of-my-email-outlook-express/411166/2 "2007-07-10T06:54:36Z")

</div>

Outlook Express stores emails in files with the extension “.dbx” (inbox.dbx, sent items.dbx, etc).

I’d search your computer for “\*.dbx” to see if they’ve been deleted. If they are still there, you should be able to import them back into a new identity.

Good luck!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smg-please-tell-me-i-didnt-lose-all-of-my-email-outlook-express/411166/3 "2007-07-10T08:28:30Z")

</div>

Ah. I was very confused. I actually opened this thread to learn why you were turning to Buffy for computer help instead of Willow…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![noblebaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e274bd/32.png) [@noblebaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/noblebaron)\
**Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smg-please-tell-me-i-didnt-lose-all-of-my-email-outlook-express/411166/4 "2007-07-10T09:21:02Z")

</div>

I created a new Outlook express identity called ‘Restore’ and when I set it up, I was asked if I wanted to import any email messages from anywhere. Low and behold, I was given a list of folders and one of them was the disappearing \_Main Identity storage folder. :dubious:

The \_ underscore seemed to hide it from view in the Identities menu list in Outlook Express. So don’t name your identies beginning with underscores, mehthinks.

Thanks 2 Racer1 for your help.

-NB