Sent messages may not be saved in the Sent Items folder in Outlook Express

When you send a message, a copy of the message may not be saved in the Sent Items folder, and you may not receive an error message.

This behavior can occur for any of the following reasons:

• The Save copy of sent messages in the Sent Items folder option may not be selected.
• The Sent Items folder may be damaged.
• The system clock is not set correctly.

To resolve this issue, use the appropriate method for your situation.

Select the "Save copy of sent messages in Sent Items folder" option

To configure Outlook Express to save a copy of your messages in the Sent Items folder, follow these steps:

1. Start Outlook Express.
2. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Send tab.
3. Click to select the Save copy of sent messages in the Sent Items folder check box.
4. Click Apply, and then click OK.

Create a new folder for Sent Items

If you have already configured Outlook Express to save a copy of sent messages in the Sent Items folder, move the messages in the Sent Items folder to a new folder that you create, and then rename the Sent Items folder files.

To create a new folder for the messages in the Sent Items folder, follow these steps:

1. Start Outlook Express.
2. Click the folder in which you want the new folder to be created, or click Outlook Express located at the top of the folder list.
3. On the File menu, point to Folder, and then click New Folder.
4. Type the name of the new folder in the Folder Name box, and then click OK.

Move the messages from the Sent Items folder to a different folder, and then rename the Sent Items folder files. To do this, follow these steps:

Note You must enable the Search hidden files and folders option in Windows search to find the Sent Items folder because all Outlook Express files are hidden by default.

1. Move the messages in the Sent Items folder to the folder you created. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. In Outlook Express, click the Sent Items folder, and then click Select All on the Edit menu.
   2. Right-click the selected messages, click Move To, and then click the folder that you created.
   3. Click OK.
2. Quit Outlook Express.
3. Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files Or Folders.
4. In the Named box, type sent items.dbx. In the Look In list, click drive C, and then click Find Now.
5. Right-click the Sent Items.idx file that corresponds to the profile that exhibits this behavior, and then click Rename. For example, type sent items.dbx to rename the file.
6. In the Named box, type sent items.dbx. In the Look In list, click drive C, and then click Find Now.
7. Right-click the Sent Items.mbx file that corresponds to the profile exhibiting this issue, and then click Rename. For example, type Sent Items.xbm to rename the file.
8. Close the Find dialog box.
9. Start Outlook Express.
10. A new Sent Items folder is automatically created.
11. Move the messages from the folder you created to the new Sent Items folder. To do this, follow these steps:
    1. In Outlook Express, click the folder that you created, and then click Select All on the Edit menu.
    2. Right-click the selected messages, click Move To, and then click the Sent Items folder. Click OK.

Reset your system clock

Inaccurate system date and time can cause your messages to be saved with the incorrect date and time. Depending upon the view you have chosen for your Sent Items, mail that was sent this month could show up in last months view.

To reset your system clock:

1. In the status bar, (located at the lower right corner of your screen) double-click the time.
2. In the Date and Time Properties window, click the hour or minute, and then type the correct time.
3. Under Date, click the correct date.
4. Click OK.

You do not need to restart your computer.