only 3 percent of memory left....need crash course in copying photos and removing programmes before computer/dolally meltdown

[dolally]

...please!

computer shared amongst 3 kids....loads of photos on it and I know we must copy them onto a cd. Not sure if I trust myself to do it tho!

Also know I could remove programmes but can I delete stuff which calls itself Windows Hotfix? And google toolbars and Adobe updates melarky....sigh.

Also kids on msn all the time, do their conversations use up memory?

(the geeks on here roll their eyes to heaven)

Ok anything that was originally in a temp folder is ok to delete. Every single file that ends in .tmp should also be ok.

I don't know what 'IMTDOCS ending XML' are exactly, but if they were in a temp folder originally they can go and I'm sure they are not a vital part of windows.

If Messengercache is a folder that you deleted from somewhere inside C:\Documents and Settings then it could also contain usernames, contact names etc so should be restored for now or you will be very unpopular

WPDNSE can go.

Not sure why you have a cookie folder in the recycle bin. It's sometimes ok to delete the cookies, but you don't normally delete the folder they are in. Windows should recreate it anyway when it needs it.

it seems to be pointing to where I found the files ...i.e.C: documents and settings/username/local definitions/applic...

can't read the rest (box not big enough and don't dare to click on it!)

p.s. don't think I removed it from add and remove progs.

could I have deleted it and it's in my recycle bin? - Haven't emptied recycle bin yet just in case.

Thing is that if you had uninstalled it then it would probably revert to the older version which it would have kept. If you deleted it manually it's a bit strange that it runs at all.

Do I understand this correctly that when you open outlook express it has folders in it on the left, but they are empty?

Can you right click the folder that has the .DBX files in it and do Properties to see the size.

yes,Outlook seems to have reverted to an old version so there are old emails on it from 2006 and nothing since.

I am receiving today's messages quite happily just that there's a two year gap!.

Will try looking at the size of the folders - be back later..after kids in bed.

Ok Dolally

On the top bar of outlook does it say Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express

If it's Microsoft Outlook I know where your emails are

sorry to disappoint you but it says outlook express with my name after it

have just sneaked back but should be at the gym collecting dc2. talk later or tomorrow.

ok will think some more in the meantime

Useful things to check when you get back

1. Open the folder that has the .DBX files in it, select just the DBX files. Right click and do Properties to see the combined size. If it's too small they are not the right ones anyway

2. On Outlook express Help menu click 'about microsoft outlook express' to see the version

3. On Outlook express File menu click Switch Identity to see if it offers you a choice. If not then click cancel

1. there are 5 or 6 files with those long numbers. I have clicked on all of them and found my recent Outlook files in one of them. I know this because of the names of the folders - etc. The sizes are varied and quite big so am pretty sure the emails are there.

2. Outlook Express version is 6, I can't remember what version I had, think it was 8. The version the computer is using now is definately the old one...the layout's different, the folders, the fonts, and of course a few old emails received in 2006.

3. Identity - it offers me 3 versions of my name. When I change from the highlighted one to the others I get an old Outlook page saying welcome to Outlook etcc.. When I change back to the first one I get back to my inboxes etc..only prob is that they are the ones from 2006.

I had hopes for the identity thing too!

To be honest the only thing I can think to do now is go to windows update where it should offer to install outlook express later version (in the software section of windows update) and see if that fixes it.

I'll continue to think about it, because I can't understand how it mislaid them in the first place.

Btw there is a freeware program called DBExtract on this page which can get one of those dbx files and extract all the emails and save them in a folder. That's not as good as getting them back properly in OE but at least you have them to view. I'd forgotten about it til just now.

ok, have just found my recent emails

I always open my Outlook Express in the start menu, always have done.

Today, before doing that, I hovered over those icons in the blue tray at the bottom of my desktop screen, saw "start microsoft office outlook "

Clicked it. Lo and behold all my emails!

then a window came up and say that Microsoft office outlook was not my default email programme and did I want it to be - I clicked yes.

Obviously I did something when I was chucking things out I now don't know where Monday's emails are but they're not important.

However it got me thinking...if I've still got an old email programme on my computer it must be taking up space.

Thanks so much for all help!!

Will now go and chuck more in the bin and get back to you with my next crisis!

Oh so it was MS Outlook that was in use until recently. That explains a lot - phew
OK well if you really wanted mondays emails they will still be in outlook express which you can run from the start menu.

As you say you have both and could uninstall Outlook Express and keep MS Outlook, but I'm not sure it would save a lot anyway - about 5mb I think.

It sounds like you can probably empty the bin now and benefit from the work you did so far. Anyway I'm glad that worked out ok.

sorry if I confused you - didn't understand there was a difference between Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express.

the good news is after emptying the bin I have 8 per cent of my hard disk free...a big improvement on 3 percent the other day. Still have someway to go to get 15 percent for defragmenting. But will follow all your advice and also copy the blasted photos.

Haven't done that yet, don't want to start until I can concentrate, and once the kids are in bed I've usually had 3 glasses of wine!