Recovering Lost Passwords in Outlook Express 6

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If you have accidentally deleted your mom's email account passwords from Microsoft Office Outlook Express 6 or forgotten them, don't panic. While it can be frustrating to lose access to important communication channels like email, there are steps you can take to recover lost emails and regain control over her accounts.

In this article, we'll walk through the process of recovering deleted password files in Outlook Express 6 on a Windows XP system (the instructions may vary slightly for other versions).

### Step 1: Locate the .dbx File

Firstly, navigate to your My Documents folder within Explorer and then open the Microsoft/Outlook Express folder. Within this directory, you'll find several folders named after each of her email accounts or a single folder called 'Local Folders.' Inside these folders, look for files ending with '.dbx' - these are where Outlook stores its emails.

### Step 2: Backup Email Data

Before proceeding any further, it's crucial to create backup copies of all the .dbp and .ost file types within each account directory. This will ensure that even if something goes wrong during password recovery or you accidentally delete vital data, your mom won't lose her email messages.

### Step 3: Disable Norton Antivirus

If Norton AntiVirus is currently running on your system (which it probably should be), disable its real-time protection to prevent any potential conflicts with the following steps. You can do this by double-clicking on the Norton icon in your System Tray and then selecting 'Settings.'

### Step 4: Show Hidden Files & Folders

Next, open Explorer again and navigate back up one level until you reach C:\Documents and Settings\YourMom'sUsername\. Here, locate two folders called 'Application Data' (note the space) followed by Microsoft>Outlook Express. If these directories do not exist yet, simply create them manually.

Within Application Data > Outlook Express, look for another folder named after your mom's primary email account or again a single directory labeled as 'Local Filders.' Inside this last folder should be several files ending with .dbx - these are the very same ones we backed up earlier in step 2!

### Step 5: Copy & Paste Files

Now, open any text editor like Notepad++ and copy all its contents into your clipboard (Ctrl+Shift+C). Now go back to Explorer while still having those Outlook Express folders selected from steps above. Right-click anywhere within the desired destination folder(s) > 'Paste' (or simply press Ctrl + V).

### Step 6 Double-Click the Desired Email Account for Password Change

Finally, double-click on any of your mom's email accounts whose password you wish to change or reset.

The next window that opens will prompt you to enter her new account information - this includes both a username AND a strong, unique password. Once complete click 'Next' and then select the option asking whether she wants Outlook Express to remember these details for future logins (we recommend unchecking this box).

And voila! Your mom's email accounts should now be fully functional once again without losing any of her precious emails or contacts.

If you're still experiencing issues after following these instructions, feel free to leave a comment below and I'll do my best to provide further assistance.

Change password outlook express 6