No - sounds like "database" corruption. I would try the following with some text taht I copied directly from here:
You might want to read that first all the way through - though we aren't going to follow it 100%
Step 1: Copy message files to a backup folder
Step A: Locate the Store folder
1. Start Outlook Express.
2. Click Tools, and then click Options.
3. On the Maintenance tab, click Store Folder.
4. In the Store Location dialog box, copy the store location. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Put the mouse pointer at one end of the box under the Your personal message store is located in the following folder box.
2. Press and hold the left mouse button, and then drag the mouse pointer across the Your personal message store is located in the following folder box.
3. Press CTRL+C to copy the location.
5. Click Cancel, and then click Cancel again to close the dialog box.
Step B: Copy the contents of the Store folder
1. Click Start, click Run, press CTRL+V, and then click OK.
2. On the Edit menu, click Select All.
3. On the Edit menu, click Copy, and then close the window.
Step C: Create a backup folder
1. Right-click any empty area on your desktop, click New, and then click Folder.
2. Type Mail Backup for the folder name, and then press ENTER.
Step D: Paste the contents of the Store folder into the backup folder
1. Double-click the Mail Backup folder to open it.
2. Right-click inside the Mail Backup folder window, and then click Paste.
Step 2: Export the Address Book to a .csv file
Important Make sure that you follow this step if you use multiple identities in Outlook Express.
Microsoft Outlook Express 5.x and Microsoft Outlook Express 6.0 use a Windows Address Book (.wab) file to store Address Book data. The individual data for each identity is stored in a folder by user name within the .wab file that is used.
The only way to separate the Address Book data for different identities is to export the data to a .csv file while you are logged in as a specific identity. If the .wab file becomes dissociated from the user identities, the data can be exported only as one total. In this case, the data cannot be exported folder by folder.
Now we'll wipe out your OE mail structure (it's backed up though if you followed above procedure).
Make sure OE is closed. In your message store folder - DELETE everything. Start OE and it will create a new blank mailbox.
Now import your old data (or whatever portion is importable) using the following procedure in that first link I gave you. Refer to this section
How to restore Outlook Express items
