The Fixfld tool attempts to rebuild folder files from their current contents. Fixfld can be used only with Microsoft Mail 2.1 and later postoffices. It does not work for Microsoft Mail 3.0 or 3.2 mail message files .
Use this tool only when a public or private folder is corrupted.
There are no side effects when using Fixfld because this tool is only specified on the command line.
To run Fixfld
fixfld <saved_folder_file new_folder_file>
The following table lists the command-line options available for Fixfld, and their descriptions:
Option | Description |
<saved_folder_file> | The file where the copy of the old folder file was saved |
<new_folder_file> | The name of the newly created folder file. |
As with all Microsoft Mail utilities, it is highly recommended that you back up your Microsoft Mail database before running Fixfld. Typically, .Fld files are stored in the Folders subdirectory. Private folders are stored in the Loc\000xxxxx directory, where 000xxxxx is the ID number for that user. Public, group, and shared folders are stored in the Pub subdirectory. Folder files can also be stored locally on a user's hard disk drive or on an alternate network location.
To back up your Microsoft Mail database
At the command prompt, create a backup copy of the folder file by typing:
copy <file name>.fld <file name>.old
Rename the folder file by typing: ren <filename>.fld <filename>.sav
Build a new copy of the folder file from the Folders\Pub subdirectory by typing:
fixfld <file name>.sav <file name>.fld
Start the Microsoft Mail Administrator program and then chooose Local-Admin, Folders, Compress. This is necessary to ensure that the changes are stored.
You only need to perform one folder-compress step for multiple folder rebuilds. If a folder is no longer referenced by its corresponding index file, it is safe to delete the folder file.
The following steps assume that you are not running Microsoft Mail version 3.0 or 3.2 of the Microsoft Mail Windows client software, because this program handles folders differently than other clients.
If you are trying to rebuild a user's private folder, you can restore the corrupted folder from the backup copy in one of three ways:
Restore a backup of the entire Microsoft Mail database to a different location on the server or to a local hard disk.
Run the Microsoft Mail program with the -d option to specify where the restored database is located. If Microsoft Mail is located on the local hard disk, use the Subst command. For example, type Subst p: C:\Maildb, then type Mail -dp.)
Log on to Microsoft Mail as the user with the corrupted folder files.
Archive all of the user's folders by selecting Options, Folders, Folders, Archive.
On the production postoffice, reset the user's folders, de-archive the folders into the user's active mailbox by choosing Options, Folders, Folders, and De-Archive from the Microsoft Mail program, and then remove the restored copy of the Microsoft Mail database.
If none of the user's private folders are accessible, you can reset that user's folder from the Microsoft Mail Administrator program. Select Local-Admin, Folders, Reset, select the user, and then press ENTER. This will move the folder location back to the postoffice and create a new .idx file with no folders existing.
If you are trying to rebuild a shared folder, you can restore the folder from the backup copy in one of the following ways: