I have Windows Office XP running on XP home. I use Outlook for email. I used to archive my emails on a weekly basis but last week, a backup notification appeared asking me if I wanted to back up my emails. I said yes and I lost my entire archive! That is, all archived mails since 14 April 2003, when I bought my PC. It's a real problem since many emails are really important.

Can anybody help?

Doru Imbroane, Auckland, New Zealand

Whenever you're using Microsoft Software, the first place to look for solutions to problems is Microsoft's own Knowledge Base.
 
 A quick hunt there unearthed the following articles which relate to your problem.
 
"How to Backup, Restore or Move Outlook Data"

 and

"How to Work with Personal Folders Files"

 If your computer has the Personal Folders Backup Utility installed (its home page is here) you'll find details about using it at

"How to Automatically Back Up Your Personal Folders File"

 It would be time well spent to have a good look through the articles, or perhaps even print them for future reference. With a bit of luck you'll be successful in tracking down and restoring your missing mail, and into the bargain you'll end up understanding a lot more about how your information is stored (and backed up) by Outlook.  

There's always a 'next time' for things to go wrong, and it's best to be prepared.

Terry O'Shanassy