E-mails disappeared following compacting

[monruth]

My ISP is Orange and I use Outlook Express for emails. lately I have been asked if I want to compact
my emails virtually every time I look at emails. It is now taking much longer than it used to and then at the end it says it failed. Yesterday I noticed that a all the latest emails in Inbox - from November 2009 until I logged on had disappeared. But within that timespan those in Sent Items and Deleted were still there. I think this happened after an attempt at compacting.
Whilst not essential I would like to retrieve those emails as might need to refer to one.
I went to Recycle Bin and restored loads of BAK files (whatever that is) but still no sign of the missing emails.
I do not like mysteries and this is the first time this has happened. I am a middle aged dumb female so
any help in simple terms would be much appreciated.
Thanks

[Buenchico]

This assumes that your missing emails were in your Inbox. If they were elsewhere (such as a folder you've called 'Friends', modify the following instructions accordingly.

Create a new folder in Outlook Express called (for example) Inbox2. Copy everything in your Inbox to that folder. (The reason for doing that is to ensure that, when you regain your old emails, you don't lose any other mail).

Close Outlook Express.

Go to Start > Search and run a search for Inbox.dbx. (You'll need to ensure that the 'Show hidden files' option is selected). Right click on the file and select 'Open containing folder'. Resize the window so that it only occupies part of your screen.

Repeat the instruction in the previous paragraph but for 'Inbox.bak' instead of 'Inbox.dbx'. (If you find more than one file called Inbox.bak, you're looking for the one which was created at the point where you compacted your files).

You should now have two windows open side by side. Right-click on Inbox.dbx and select 'Delete'. (Now you know why you copied all of your existing emails at the start - you've just deleted your current Inbox!). Right-click on Inbox.bak and select 'Rename'. Change the file name to Inbox.dbx. Drag that file across to the other open window. Restart Outlook Express. You old Inbox should have reappeared.

Chris

[monruth]

Thanks, chris. Will try it soon - but still worried will go wrong.