Cant locate dbx files

[gringo50]

Win XP Home SP3 IE7 OE6
I did a search for sent items.dbx and outbox.dbx and failed to find them.
However; I can navigate down through the Explorer tree and locate them. I've gone to folder options and checked to show all files. Just curious as to why they can't be found using the search option.

 

[gbhall]

The windows search option is deliberately crippled to prevent people finding any files other than .txt, .doc, and similar. In general terms, this is because only files containing text can be indexed for quick response to queries. It is just big wimpy nanny MS not wanting the 'ickle ones to think for themselves.

You are far better off NOT allowing Windows to index files - see right-click on each hard drive you may have, untick 'allow indexing service to index this disk for fast searching' or preferably disable the windows indexing service entirely in services.

If you have a need to search for text in non-normal types of file, there are free utilities readily available on the web.

 

[gringo50]

Thanks for your helpful response. I did sometime in the past utilize a free utility to open a sampling of these dbx files but they wouldn't open all I wanted for free. Perhaps someone following this thread can direct me to a site that is totally free.
A post in Sandy Berger's forum compukiss.com will explain why I'm pursuing this. I tried inserting the link but I don't yet have enough posts under my belt to qualify.

 

[gbhall]

http://www.harddisksearch.com/ is a useful text search that will look in all sorts of file types. Remember that some file types like .dbx are actually a database of sorts and although text will be found in them, it will not appear as it normally would.

Having said that, outlook express has always had a perfectly adequate search process built-in.

 

[kimsland]

Right click and select "Save As" and download this small TOOL (this is safe to use)
Fully close Outlook Express

Run the newly downloaded "open_oe_store.vbs"
This will open your Outlook Express DBX store location directly

 

[gringo50]

Thanks Guys for the help.
gbhall: The harddisksearch was more than I could comprehend.
kimsland: The open store download takes me forward.
Lets consider this string resolved.