Working with Local mail folders in Outlook Express
By JOHN TORRO
Published April 26, 2004
Q. Because I am nearly deaf and unable to use a phone, e-mail is my only means of communication. But my e-mail has a problem.
I am running updated Windows 98 with Internet Explorer 6 (Service Pack 1). I cannot move e-mail from my Inbox to individual folders in the Move To Folder. The Move To Folder opens with Local Folders selected and the OK button inactive. With OK inactive, the contents of Local Folders cannot be displayed. (The OK button becomes active if I select Inbox, Sent, Draft or Delete. The Go To Folder works fine.)
I have tried clicking and right-clicking on Local Folders without success. I have looked through Outlook Express Options and Internet Explorer Options a dozen times hoping to find a clue. Using SystemWorks, I have defragged the hard drive and optimized the registry. I have not run any other SystemWorks utilities. I have not installed anything, nor have I knowingly changed anything. But I must have done something wrong. I don't know what to try next; e-mail keeps piling up in my Inbox.
A. I'm not sure what problem you're describing, so I'll address a few of the issues you've raised.
First, let's make sure you have your Folder column open: On the Outlook Express menu bar, click View, Layout. Make sure the Folder List option is selected. If you're trying to see the contents of the individual folders, but they don't show under Local Folders, you need to double-click on Local Folders or single click the "+" sign to the left of Local Folders. This will expand (and alternately close) the list of folders. Then single clicking on the individual folders will show its contents in the right pane. Right-clicking on Local Folders will allow you to create a new folder.
When trying to move individual e-mails from your Inbox to other folders, there are two ways to do it. If you have the individual e-mail message open, click File, Move To, then select or single-click the destination folder and click OK. If the message is not open, click it and hold the mouse button down, then drag the message to the destination folder, which will become highlighted, and drop it there by releasing the mouse button.
To make this more convenient, open any message in your Inbox. Click View, Toolbar, Customize. In the left-hand list box select Move To, then click the Add button. You now will have a button added to the toolbar that opens the Move To Folder dialog when you click it.
Infected by adware
Q. After three months in storage, my computer worked fine, except for Internet Explorer. When I try to open Internet Explorer, I get a message that says: "Internet Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close." I clicked to see the error report, which showed: "AppName: iexplore.exe AppVer: 6.0.2600.0 ModName: winshow.dllModVer: 1.0.0.1 Offset: 00009901." Installing the latest Windows Updates didn't help. I tried to download IE from the Microsoft site, but it would not let me. I tried burning the program to a CD, then installing it on my computer but that still did not work. I am down to using Netscape but I prefer IE.
A. Winshow is trojan horse/adware virus. It modifies the Web browser's default home page and search settings without your permission.
Make sure your antivirus is up to date and run full system scans.
Go to www.symantec.com/search/ and search for Winshow. The search results will give you detailed information on how to eradicate this one.
You also need to regularly run spyware cleaners, such as SpyBot or Ad-aware, to keep this from reoccuring.
Recovering lost data
Q. Is it possible to recover lost files, such as pictures, after your hard drive has been reformatted? I encountered a virus that required my having to use my operating system reinstallation disc to get my computer operating. This apparently erased a good portion of my files.
A. The chances are not good. Depending upon the type of reformat that was done, some data may be recoverable. A normal reformat just erases the file directory, similar to removing the index in a book. A low-level format writes over all existing sectors making it almost impossible to recover previous data.
There are many programs available that might help. Do a Google search for "Recover deleted files" and you will be presented with a list of commercial, shareware and freeware products. The sooner you act, the better your chances are of recovering data.
