• General questions about ScanDBX
• Questions about Registering ScanDBX
• Error Messages
• DBX File Formats and Usage (i.e. How to I open a DBX file?)
• Questions about the Mail Store File Scanner
• Questions about the Email Account Tester
• Questions about the Error Lookup Tool and the Troubleshooting Wizard

If ScanDBX discovers a problem in the installation of Outlook Express, you should download and install the latest version of Outlook Express from Microsoft's website. Because Microsoft only supports the most recent version of Outlook Express, upgrading (it's free!) ensures that you are ready to receive all of the most up-to-date service packs and patches.

You can find the Microsoft Outlook Express website to upgrade at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/oe/.

The solutions to some of the problems that the error lookup tool or troubleshooting wizard finds could cause problems with a properly-running Outlook Express installation. ScanDBX takes all the steps that it safely can to resolve these issues, then asks you to assist in diagnosing any remaining problems so that it can apply only the fixes that are necessary. ScanDBX's first concern is always ensuring the safety of your email.

While it is indexing Outlook Express emails, Google Desktop will prevent ScanDBX from accessing the Outlook Express mail store files.

1. Start Google Desktop
2. Select "Desktop Preferences"
3. Deselect "Outlook Express email"
4. Click "Save Preferences"

If your Inbox folder file is damaged, ScanDBX will clean it out and replace it with an undamaged empty file. You can still get to your emails by restoring the backup made when you ran ScanDBX.

ScanDBX backs up any component of your Outlook Express installation before doing any scan, so that you can restore your computer to its original state. To do this, it requires enough disk space to save a copy of your mail files, registry settings, and other Outlook Express configuration information. If you do not have sufficient space to back up this information, ScanDBX will not run, to protect you from data loss.

Each license of ScanDBX comes with one year of email support and updates to the most recent version of the product. If this period has elapsed, you will not be able to install new versions of the product without purchasing a new license. You will also not be able to download the most recent versions of the Troubleshooting Wizard. You will still be able to use your older version of ScanDBX, but will not be able to use the most advanced versions of the product.

ScanDBX does more than just repair your damaged files; it also cleans up your mail store files to prevent damage in the future. This preventative step is called "routine maintenance" in the File Scanner. Routine maintenance consists of cleaning up file headers, clearing unused space from the files, and the like. ScanDBX automatically performs routine maintenance by default.

Antivirus or firewall software can prevent ScanDBX (and Outlook Express) from communicating with the internet even if you have no problem using your web browser. They falsely believe that Outlook Express and ScanDBX are "bad" programs and attempt to prevent them from doing what they are designed to do - connect you to your email.

You may need to disable or completely shut down your antivirus software to continue. Some antivirus software will not obey your command to "disable". You may need to actually shut down the antivirus system COMPLETELY.

ScanDBX needs to connect with its registration servers so that it can verify that your serial number is legitimate.

Step 1: Use the ScanDBX connection tester to see if you have a network problem. You can run the tester in demo mode by clicking the "Tools" button and selecting "check the status of all network connections".

The network connection tester will scan your network for problems with all of the network protocols used by Outlook Express and ScandBX.

Step 2: Try disabling or completely shutting down your antivirus software. Some antivirus software will not obey your command to "disable". You may need to actually shut down the antivirus system COMPLETELY.

After shutting down your antivirus software and/or firewall, try registering again. If you still can't, run the connection tester one more time.

Step 3: Use the integrated feedback form to ask for help. Start ScanDBX in demo mode and click the "Help" menu and select "Send Feedback". Make sure your email address and name are entered, describe your problem, and click "Send".

We require you to register software to cut down on fraud and ensure that you can receive the best support possible.

Unfortunately, ScanDBX is currently only available online, via the web. You can download the installer here.

We hope that ScanDBX will never report an error to you. If it does, this section should be able to assist you (or your system administrator) in fixing the problem. Unfortunately the problems which ScanDBX will not automatically fix tend to be complicated or to require reinstallation of Outlook Express.

Fixing a problem which ScanDBX cannot repair may require technical knowledge or working with sensitive areas of your computer like the registry. For this reason, many of the error messages suggest contacting your System Administrator.

DBX files are email database files that are stored in a proprietary format that is not disclosed by Microsoft. Microsoft does not provide a program to open and view DBX files individually. ScanDBX has the ability to repair and export messages from both the full group of DBX files as well as individual DBX files. When you buy Scandbx for Outlook Express, this is part of the functionality you are purchasing.

Outlook Express opens all of the DBX files as a set using the Folders.DBX as the central index database to all of the other database files. No messages are stored in this file. If you delete the Folders.DBX file, Outlook Express will recreate it for you based on the other DBX files found in the directory used by Outlook Express. Outlook Express will not scan other subdirectories for DBX files to index in Folders.DBX.

The location of DBX files for Outlook Express is set within Outlook Express via the Tools | Options | Maintenance page and by selcting the "Store Folder..." button. If you modify this directory path to a new location, Outlook Express will move the files to the new directory.

Another database known as POP3UIDL.DBX is a database used to keep track of the last message number downloaded to each folder. If you are having problems with downloading where the same messages are downloaded every time, it may be due to a corrupted POP3UIDL.DBX file. If the file is deleted, it will be automatically created when Outlook Express starts. The cause of duplicate messages is usually the dreaded "Message of Death" that causes Outlook Express to choke and stop downloading messages. If you have been sent this type of message, you will be required to keep an eye on the download message process in Outlook Express and figure out which message number the program has stopped on. Then, open up the web access to your email (most ISPs provide both POP and Web access to email), scroll though the messages in reverse date order (oldest one first), then delete the message that is causing Outlook Express to choke.

We know that this last problem generates a huge number of duplicate messages in your folders, so ScanDBX has a duplicate remover function that will get rid of the duplicates for you.

The DBX file format is proprietary (secret), however the message format itself is completely open and documented. ScanDBX has the ability to read the proprietary DBX file format and create a standalone file for each message. This file is known as an EML file and it can be opened and viewed in any text editor program. The EML files can contain encoded attachments (known as MIME attachments) that will appear as a large group of numbers. If you open an EML file with a reader that understands MIME, you will see the attachments (i.e. grapics, files, etc). Outlook Express can open EML files by just double clicking on them. You can also drag and drop one or more EML files into a folder displayed in Outlook Express (i.e. inbox folder).

We have a video that shows how to export the messages from DBX files into individual EML files. This video shows how to reimport them and remove duplicates using ScanDBX.

Sometimes, problems with Outlook Express are actually symptoms of a more serious problem with your computer. Fixing a problem which ScanDBX cannot repair may require technical knowledge or working with sensitive areas of your computer like the registry. For this reason, many of the error messages suggest contacting your System Administrator.

ScanDBX cannot repair your mail store files while Outlook Express is running because Outlook Express will prevent ScanDBX from accessing the files. You need to close Outlook Express before attempting to use ScanDBX in any way.

If this type of error occurs, then there is a problem with your mail store files or their permissions. A System Administrator may be required to correct the problem. The most likely sources of this problem are:

• The file is in use by another process. Restarting the computer should correct this problem.
• Your user account does not have the permissions to access the files (Full Control is required). This is only applicable on Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 and later.
• A physical error exists on the hard drive which prevents accessing the files. This may be corrected with Microsoft's Scandisk; however, it may also indicate a serious problem with the hard disk.

The ScanDBX Troubleshooting Wizard may make changes to your system registry when automatically fixing Outlook Express. If you receive this error, it is most likely because ScanDBX is attempting to correct a problem in a registry location you are not permitted to access. To allow ScanDBX to fix the problem, you will need access to the registry location. Contact your system administrator to gain access to these locations.

The ScanDBX Troubleshooting Wizard may load, run, or modify various files on your system while attempting to correct problems with your Outlook Express installation. The Troubleshooting Wizard will be unable to automatically correct all problems you discover if you do not have permissions to modify certain system files on your computer. You will need to log in as a user with administrative rights to complete some of the repairs, or have your system administrator grant you permissions to modify system directories.

If an unknown error is reported, that means that an error which we have not yet categorized has occurred. Please report the error to ScanDBX Corporation using the built in Bug Reporting feature so that we can help you and other users to use ScanDBX better in the future.

ScanDBX cannot repair your account settings while Outlook Express is running because Outlook Express may be using these settings. You need to close Outlook Express before attempting to use ScanDBX in any way.

The ScanDBX Email Account Tester changes your system registry when making corrections to your account settings. If you receive this error, you will need to have your system administrator give you permissions to change registry settings.

The ScanDBX Email Account Tester backs up your system registry to a file before performing the scan. This is for your protection. If your disk permissions are set to disallow such activities, you may see this error message. To resolve it, you may need to have your system administrator reconfigure your file permissions.

The ScanDBX Error Lookup Tool uses database files that should be installed when you install ScanDBX. If those files become damaged, you may not be able to access the Error Lookup Tool or the Troubleshooting Wizard. You may need to download and re-install the ScanDBX software.

The ScanDBX Troubleshooting Wizard may make changes to your system registry when automatically fixing Outlook Express. If you receive this error, it is most likely because ScanDBX is attempting to correct a problem in a registry location you are not permitted to access. To allow ScanDBX to fix the problem, you will need access to the registry location. Contact your system administrator to gain access to these locations.

The ScanDBX Troubleshooting Wizard may load, run, or modify various files on your system while attempting to correct problems with your Outlook Express installation. The Troubleshooting Wizard will be unable to automatically correct all problems you discover if you do not have permissions to modify certain system files on your computer. You will need to log in as a user with administrative rights to complete some of the repairs, or have your system administrator grant you permissions to modify system directories.