Program will not open after using esentutl.exe to defragment the message database

Question

Split from this thread.

I will be happy to assist you in resolving your issue with regard to being unable to open email messages in Windows Live Mail.
It is possible that Mail.MsMessageStore file was corrupted. Please follow the steps below on how to repair the file:
1. Restart the computer (this is to ensure that Live Mail is fully shut down, and that none of it's components are in use when the computer starts)
2. Click Start, type CMD but do not press enter
3. You will see cmd.exe in the search results, right click on it and select
Run as Administrator - type your admin password if asked, and if UAC pops up asking permission, allow it
4. You should now see the command prompt, with the following displayed:
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Windows\system32> 
5. Copy the following (press Ctrl+C):
esentutl.exe -d "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Mail.MSMessageStore"
Note: the "" are necessary
6. Right click in the command prompt Window, and select Paste, so you now see the following:
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7600]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Windows\system32>esentutl.exe -d "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Mail.MSMessageStore"
7. Press enter. esentutl will now defragment the Live Mail database file
8. Once done, you can close the command prompt, and restart the PC again

 

I had the same problem and after inserting  the above command the Windows Live Mail doesnt want to open.

Please can you help?

Answer 1

This happens to almost everyone who tries the defragmentation routine. The problem is this: esentutl makes a copy of the index file (Mail.MSMessageStore) and tries to defragment it. If the process is successful, the defragmented file is copied back to where it originally came from - but its owner has changed, because it was the System user account that created the file while the procedure is being run by administrator. So the normal user account doesn't have permissions to write to this file, which causes the error you're seeing. To correct this,

1. Log on to Windows with an administrator account and ensure that no programs are running.
2. Use Explorer to navigate to your store folder, probably at

C:\Users{user}\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail

where {user} is the Windows user having the problem. 3. Right-click on Mail.MSMessageStore and select Properties. 4. On the Security tab, click Advanced, then open the Owner tab.

If the Current owner box doesn't contain your normal Windows user account, click Edit then Other users or groups.

Type the name of your normal Windows user account into the Enter the object name... box and click Check names. The official name of the account should appear in the format {computer name}{username}.

Click OK, select this username in the Change owner to box then OK. 5. Open the Permissions tab and click Change permissions. 6. Click Add and type the name of your normal Windows user account into the Enter the object name... box and click Check names. The official name of the account should appear in the format {computer name}{username}.

Click OK, select this username in the Permissions box and click Edit.

Select the checkbox labelled Full control in the Allow column. 7. Click OK three times to close all dialogue boxes. 8. Launch Windows Live Mail.

If you get stuck anywhere, Cancel your way out and report back.