Hi, After a problem with backup (index file damaged, I had execute maintenance > integrity/repair. Now under inbox all mails are disappears! How I can recovery it? There is something that can I do? Please help me, I'm desperate! Yours sincerly Reptile
First of all, it seems like you've been making backups, so not all should be lost.
Any remnants of the messages in your Inbox should be located in the directory matching with your Inbox. In that directory you should find files called messages.tbb and messages.tbi the .tbb file contains your messages, so if it's big enough to contain all pf your messages then not everything should be lost.
It's also possible that you find something called messages.bin (IIRC) that contains messages that couldn't be restored automatically.
Before you start playing with thgese files, copy them to a safe location so that you won't irrecoverable data loss.
__________________________________ I'm just a user of The Bat! I don't work for Ritlabs.
I've just tried to restore the backup, but because I've first executed the repair and after the backup (backup is impossible if there is an error),in the backup there aren't messeges! In the folder there are 4 file:
MESSAGES.EBB (I think is encrypted), MESSAGES.EBI, part0001.bin and part0002.bin (that are appared after repair)
I've tryed to use "import" with messages.ebb, but nothing imported! How I can use the *.bin files?
before "repair" all messages were in the folder and all seemed correct. But when I tryed backup, it said that there is an error "file index damaged". So I did the damn "repair"!:°-(
I'm very disappointed, I can't believe that I lost all messeges only because I've used repair function. What can I do? Please help me.
My guess is that it wasn't the index (the .ebi file) that was gone bad, but that there was a problem with the .ebb file that contained the actual messages. So it may have appeared that all messages were still present, but in fact they weren't. An honest index repair action won't cause this mayhem.
Your original messages.ebb file was broken into .bin files. The .bin files are encrypted, because your .ebb file was encrypted too.
In my first reply I was talking about .tbb and .tbi files, but you're using OTFE and the .ebb and .ebi files are the encrypted varieties.
First thing to do is to make copies of your .bin files for safe keeping. Now copy one of your .bin files to another folder and rename it to messages.ebb Try to import the contents using: Tools -> Import messages -> From TB msg base v2 and browse to the file you renamed. Do the same for the other .bin file. If this restored your messages then you're done.
If it didn't you can try this: Rename the .bin files to .ext Open SmartBat (that's the notepad utilityunder the Tools menu) Right mouse button -> New pad Browse to one of your renamed .ext files and see what you can salvage I never tried this myself, as I've never had a crashed msgbase, but in theory SmartBat should be able to take care of the unencryption.
To avoid this kind of problkems in the future you'd do better to store messages you want to keep in another message then the Inbox. As the Inbox is a heavy traffic folder by nature it's the folder mosst sensitive to corruption. (My message base contains 130000 messages, but just a mere 170 in the Inbox.) It's also advisable to purge and compress all of your folders on exit. It takes a little time, but it keeps corruption at bay.
__________________________________ I'm just a user of The Bat! I don't work for Ritlabs.
I too lost all messages when (re)installing help files. I've found the .tbb file, and it looks to be about the right size. However, when I try to import that file via tools-->import from message base tbb, it come back with message "0 messages converted."
A .tbb file is in plain text, you should be able to open it with a text editor to see whether the messages are present. Did you try to import from the right .tbb? Apar from that uninstalling and installing again (when done properly) should restore the old message base. (create a new accont, same name as it had before and at the same mail directory and TB will even recognise account settings and filters)
__________________________________ I'm just a user of The Bat! I don't work for Ritlabs.
...and just as mysteriously, they have re-appeared. But, now, when the "all" tab is pressed, no messages show. Then, if I click "unread" and then go back and re-click "all", then messages then show up. In every folder.
Are you playing with the folder tabs or with the message list tabs? What happens when you disable them, you can disable both of them via 'view' in the main menu. What version of TB are you using? What OS?
__________________________________ I'm just a user of The Bat! I don't work for Ritlabs.
1)Nothing imported (0 messages converted) when I renamed *.bin files to messages.ebb and did >Tools -> Import messages -> From TB msg base v2 and >browse to the file you renamed.
2)If I rename the bin to ext, SmartBat only show " y " for both bin files.
I think that the *.bin files are too little. The exact size of the files in the folder are:
Nothing. the primary folder (inbox) of this account(I have more accounts in the bat) has more subfolders. In these subfolders, there is no problem: no message disappeared, the only messages that disappeared are inbox. Is there something else that I can do? thanks for your help.
Create a copy of the messages.ebb, rename it to messages.ext Open it with SmartBat See whether it contains some messages. If it does, close TB Delete the messages.ebi Start TB again
__________________________________ I'm just a user of The Bat! I don't work for Ritlabs.
Since there isn't another idea for recovery my messeges, I restored the last backup (2 months ago). After, I tryed to do another backup, but for that folder there is again the same problem!
So I tryed to delete the index data files (*.ebi) but nothing change. I can't do a correct backup!
After I did a copy of the folder, I executed again Repair function, and again, all messeges were desappeared!!!
But,I observed that after I executed first time repair:
2 new files were created (part0001.bin, part0002.bin).
After executing again repair (second time repair), one new file (part0003.bin) was created in the folder too.
The size of these files are:
messages.ebb (116.072 KB) (at the first because it changed size after repair) messages.ebi (360 KB)
part0001.bin (3.418 KB) part0002.bin (36 KB)
part0003.bin (109.180 KB)
I tryed to rename *.bin to *.ebb and use import, but nothing imported!
What can I do for revolve backup problem? And is still possible to recover the old messeges (I have again the files)?
Reptile reptile writes: Since there isn't another idea for recovery my messeges, I restored the last backup (2 months ago). After, I tryed to do another backup, but for that folder there is again the same problem!
Since you restore backups let's try installing The Bat! with no OTFE and restore the backup. Then we will try to do some repairing if needed.
So, here are the basic steps:
1. Export all new messages. Export the address book (preferably to .ldif) if there are some recent changes. 2. Backup any other accounts (if you have more than one) except the problem one. 3. Uninstall The Bat!. Remove the programme's installation directory (usually under C:\Programme Files\The Bat!). Remove the Mail directory, it is stored either in the subdirectory of the installation directory or under the Application Data of your Windows user account. 4. Clean up the registry by deleting the RIT folder under \HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ 5. Download the latest v3.95.06 from and install The Bat! without the on-the-fly encryption. 6. Restore the backup.
Then in The Bat! create a new folder and move over there all the messages from Inbox (after backup restore). Then close The Bat! and on the HDD in the Inbox folder delete both MESSAGES.* files to Trash or rename them.
Start The Bat! and see if the backup is now possible. If not what is the error message?
Does running Maintenance on the new folder with messages moved into it from Inbox result in the same e-mail loss? If yes, then use some repair utility like The Bat! Message Recovery. You can download it from There is a description included.
Ok, now I can do backup correctly. When I have imported the messeges of the folder with a problem,There are appeared 9 old messeges with current data instead of correct data. Probably there are the cause of failed backup. Thanks a lot for your help. Do you have an idea for recovery messeges from *.bin files?I think that problem is the OTFE. Best regards.
appeared 9 old messeges with current data instead of correct data
In which column? Received or Created?
Quote
Do you have an idea for recovery messeges from *.bin files?I think that problem is the OTFE.
If they are encrypted, then nothing will help, I'm afraid If you open a file like that and instead of some reasonable messages you get only random characters then OTFE did its job...
I mean the messeges that I lost at the begin, after did repair because I could't do backup correctly (file index damaged). Before did repair all messeges are in the folder, but after repair all messeges disappeared! I've the 4 files: ebb,ebi, and 2 .bin (created after repair). Is there any way for rollback function rapair? thanks a lot
