ok, then in that case, i presume you are using XP pro, and have the system restore enabled (is by default) not sure how outlook will work with this using SMTP mail, but try rolling the system back to a couple of days ago. i think this is just OS tollerant and not aps, but certainly worth a go if they are irreplaceable.
i am sure this covers all files using shadow copy. let me know how you get on
good luck david