Outlook express error message 0x800C0133

Anonymous
2010-03-22T01:31:20+00:00

HELP!  HAve not been able to download e-mails for several days.  After signing in to Outlook Express, it starts receiving messages and then an error screen pops up with POP3 Port 110  and error message 0x800C0133  After this no messages show up as the mail queue gets larger...

I have tried the help sections and also contacted Microsoft which sent me to this forum.  Am not very computer literate, so all and any help is really appreciated.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Internet and connectivity

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Anonymous
2010-03-22T01:39:24+00:00

Error Number: 0x800C0133 = a corrupt Inbox.

Move any mail you wish to save to a local folder you create. Then delete the problem Inbox as follows.

Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store Folder will reveal the location of your Outlook Express files. Write the location down and navigate to it in Windows Explorer or, copy and paste it into Start | Run.

In WinXP, Win2K & Win2K3 the OE user files (DBX and WAB) are by default marked as hidden. To view these files in Windows Explorer, you must enable Show Hidden Files and Folders under Start | Control Panel | Folder Options | View.

With OE closed, find the Inbox.dbx and delete it.  A new one will be created automatically when you open OE.

General precautions for Outlook Express:

Do not archive mail in the Inbox or Sent Items. Create your own user defined folders and move the messages you wish to save to them. Empty Deleted Items folder daily. Although dbx files have a theoretical capacity of 2GB, I recommend about a 300MB max for less chance of corruption.

After you are done, follow up by compacting your folders manually while working *offline* and do it often.

Click on Outlook Express at the top of the folder tree so no folders are open. Then: File | Work Offline (or double click Working Online in the Status Bar). File | Folder | Compact all folders. Don't touch anything until the compacting is completed.

Turn off e-mail scanning in your anti-virus program. It is a redundant layer of protection that eats up CPUs and causes a multitude of problems such as time-outs and account setting changes. Your up-to-date A/V program will continue to protect you sufficiently. For more, see:

http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3

Bruce Hagen MS-MVP [Mail]

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-04-08T16:42:12+00:00

    I stupidly continued to allow e mail messages to sit and accumulate in my Inbox and in my Sent box rather than moving them to folders as you suggest in this answer. I did this out of ignorance. I think that I had about 10,000 messages in the Inbox when I encountered a problem.

    Eventually I was unable to receive mail and I received the "0x800c0133" error message. That's when I discovered your solution and suggestions. I began to set up folders and move messages from my Inbox to these folders but I had only moved fewer than 10 when my screen "blinked" and suddenly my Inbox was empty.

    I  began to search for the DBX files following your suggested steps. I found a folder with the "DBX" extension and it was even labeled "Inbox" and contained approximately 2 Gig of information.

    At this point, feeling insecure in my ability to do more on my own, I took the computer to a repair person. I reproduced finding the DBX folder labeled Inbox with him. He was supposed to take it from there. Apparently, he allowed Outlook Express to compact the files and, when I went back to check on his progress, we could no longer find the "DBX Inbox" with the 2 Gig of information.

    I believe that this DBX folder contained my archived e mail messages, many of which I desperately need. The repairman is stumped as to how to find what I believe to be the now missing DBX folder containing my messages.

    Any suggestions as to how to recover these missing messages? By the way, my Inbox suddenly is "magically" receiving e mail now.

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-11-30T19:45:19+00:00

    You're welcome. I always liked OE, but logic doesn't fit all the time. <w>

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-11-30T19:36:18+00:00

    Ha ! Ha !  I've been attacked by Gremlins more than once when I developed software for the military (mostly mainframe).

    The only thought process I had was since the IB was corrupt and the "Move" was a function of the IB and the only Move rule;  when the IB was recreated it probably had statements to check "if not empty" then "delete".  So upon reinitialization, it deleted the contents of the abc folder as well.

    Being a logical individual and unable to comprehend Gremlins per se' .....that's my story and I'm stickin' to it !  Thanks for all the help !  At least I'm up and running !!!  AND we've posted some issues/responses that may help someone else when they encounter this problem.

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-11-30T19:13:25+00:00

    There can only be one explanation for what happened. Gremlins! It appears you did everything right, but only the Inbox should have been affected.

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