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
    2012-11-30T18:37:51+00:00

    Only default folders are recreated. Folders you create are not.

    What type account is this? POP3? IMAP?

    How exactly do you create a folder?

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  2. Anonymous
    2012-11-30T18:30:41+00:00

    I didn't delete the abc.dbx.  When I reinitialized OLE the folder was empty, as well as the InBox.

    (I had previously moved the contents of the IB to a "Hold" folder)  But now I'm curious, if I had deleted a folder, when I reopened OLE would the folder have been created ?  I wouldn't see how OLE would know what folders were previously there.  Also, Mea Culpa.....I found the Stop Processing Rule...thanks for the guidance.

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-11-30T18:18:37+00:00

    That should not have happened unless you deleted the abc.dbx file as well. Deleting the Inbox.dbx file does not delete any other file/folder.

    Regardless, always backup anything on your machine you consider important.

    For OE:  This freeware tool backs up everything in OE in seconds. Disregard what is written in red. That is referring to a different program.

    Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB):
    http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx

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  4. Anonymous
    2012-11-30T18:12:05+00:00

    One more comment:  When I deleted the "InBox" and reopened OLE, the "abc" folder was empty.  Prior to deleting the IB, I had about 300 emails in the abc folder (folder with the "Move" rule).

    This was no big deal to me, since they were all "joke" emails; however if someone else has this problem and follows the instructions, they may want to disable any "Move" rules prior to deleting/recreating a new IB.  Not sure what OLE logic is, when it emptied that folder, just know that it did.

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