Any FREAKIN' way to import DBX files into Outlook 2003

[thomasjbs]

I've tried:

Importing via Outlook | Import from another Program or File
Importing via Outlook | Import Internet Mail and Addresses
Exporting from Outlook Express

Tried Many, many times...

Can Microsucks make this any more complicated...

It's a FREAKIN' DBX file collection
NO - No other Application has it Open.
YES - The Files ARE there
YES - the Internet Account IS there

Yes - I've wasted more of my time IMPORTING into Outlook Express in
VISTA just to RE-EXPORT back to Outlook. What a bunch of freakin'
idiots...

Another 2 hours wasted - because one Microsoft application can't read
it's OWN file format.

Unfortunately - the *real* idiots are the sales managers that forced
the programmers to push it out before it was ready - so they could
increase Microsoft sales by .002%.

 

[thomasjbs]

Lovely:

Find the files for "the current" version of Outlook Express on the old
system
Copy them to a new system (or maybe export them)

Import Into Outlook Express (on the new system)
Export to Windows Mail Folder (seems reasonable to me)
Import Into Outlook

Very nice... Everybody should know this stuff.

Are they sure they don't need me to configure the imports and exports
more fully first?

 

[thomasjbs]

Lovely:

Find the files for "the current" version of Outlook Express on the old
system
Copy them to a new system (or maybe export them)

Import Into Outlook Express (on the new system)
Export to Windows Mail Folder (seems reasonable to me)
Import Into Outlook

Very nice... Everybody should know this stuff.

Are they sure they don't need me to configure the imports and exports
more fully first?

Oh wait... I spoke too soon.

It doesn't work after all. What a surprise.

Lets see. How can we tell Outlook that the files actually ARE in the
folder that we specified.

Hmm... Two different import features for Outlook Express folders.
Neither one actually tells us what it's looking for. Neither one
works. The first one simply closes without an error notice. The
second one claims that there is no data there when I can clearly see
the EML files that it's related cousin put there, (from the same OS /
same installation / same login session).

Well that's peculiar...

 

[Gordon]

I've tried:

Importing via Outlook | Import from another Program or File
Importing via Outlook | Import Internet Mail and Addresses
Exporting from Outlook Express

Tried Many, many times...

Can Microsucks make this any more complicated...

It's a FREAKIN' DBX file collection
NO - No other Application has it Open.
YES - The Files ARE there
YES - the Internet Account IS there

Yes - I've wasted more of my time IMPORTING into Outlook Express in
VISTA just to RE-EXPORT back to Outlook. What a bunch of freakin'
idiots...

There IS no "Outlook Express" in Vista... it's Windows mail.
So how are you trying to import your dbx files into Windows Mail? Did you
copy the file called Folders.dbx as well as all your mail files? if you
didn't then you are stuck AFAIK and IF you didn't, then it's your own fault
for not researching properly first.

 

[thomasjbs]

FINAL FIX:

THIS WORKED FOR ME:

USE OFFICE 2000 TO UPGRADE YOUR MAIL TO OUTLOOK 2003.

Outlook Express 6 -> Outlook 2000 -> Outlook 2003

"Windows Mail" is the new "title" that Microsoft gave "Outlook
Express". You want evidence:

1) The Executable name is the same: "msimn"
2) It purports compatibility with Outlook Express 6..."
3) It has "Multiple" IMPORT features for Outlook Express 6.
4) It is the free mail client included with Windows and looks almost
exactly like Outlook Express

and most importantly
5) It fails to import previous email from its previous version -
exactly like Outlook Express

or more subtly:
6) Are you stating that it is *not* related to Outlook Express?
(I might agree in the same way that Outlook Express 4 is not related
to Outlook Express 5 which is not related to Outlook Express 6)

I've tried for hours using 2 methods of Importing from Outlook 2003.
I've tried importing into "Windows Mail" and then re-exporting (many,
many times)
I've tried specifying the "root" of an exported directory of Outlook
Express as well as every subsequent subdirectory of the root,
including the directory containing the actual mails.
I've tried importing DBX files and EML files only to find out that
Outlook 2003 doesn't support EML files.

The only consistent responses I've received during the past 3-4 hours
are:

1) Outlook 2003 import screen "disappearing" at the last step without
an error or notification message.
2) The alternate import screen stating the files are in use

What finally worked: (immediately and without flaw or delay)
1) Copyng thje DBX files to a PC with Office 2000 on it.
2) Running import for Outlook Express 6
3) Exporting to a PST file

Flawless and as fast as the processor.

Why would I need to research an import of mail from one version of a
vendors product to the same vendors upgrade of that *same* product
when they have an IMPORT feature for the version of the product I'm
trying to import? - oh - your right - because it doesn't work. I
stand corrected.

The fact that the name changed to "Windows Mail" doesn't change the
fact that "2" - not 1 - "2" IMPORT Features for their own previous
software fails. I saw many posts on the internet for these import
failure issues.

USE OFFICE 2000 TO UPGRADE YOUR MAIL TO OUTLOOK 2003.

Outlook Express 6 -> Outlook 2000 -> Outlook 2003

 

[Gordon]

FINAL FIX:

THIS WORKED FOR ME:

USE OFFICE 2000 TO UPGRADE YOUR MAIL TO OUTLOOK 2003.

What a LOAD of crap - you were obviously doing something COMPLETELY wrong as
the procedure has worked for THOUSANDS OF OTHERS without having to resort to
your mangled convoluted method.

 

[Brian Tillman]

I've tried:

Importing via Outlook | Import from another Program or File
Importing via Outlook | Import Internet Mail and Addresses
Exporting from Outlook Express

Place the DBX files into some folder. Start Windows Mail. Click
File>Import>Messages. Select the appropriate version of Outlook Express.
Click Next. Select the "Import mail from OE store directory. Click Next.
Browse to the folder containing the DBX files and import them. When done,
click File>Export>Messages, select Microsoft Office Outlook and click OK.

 

[F. H. Muffman]

Place the DBX files into some folder. Start Windows Mail. Click
File>Import>Messages. Select the appropriate version of Outlook Express.
Click Next. Select the "Import mail from OE store directory. Click Next.
Browse to the folder containing the DBX files and import them. When done,
click File>Export>Messages, select Microsoft Office Outlook and click OK.

I think you needed to put a few "FREAKIN'"s in there to make it more legible
to the OP. =)

 

[john.atkins]

Can't import dbx files directly into Outlook. But you can import from
Outlook Express which has those files open into Outlook:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA010943871033.aspx

(Why are you using MS products if they so clearly anger you so much?)

 

[thomasjbs]

Place the DBX files into some folder. Start Windows Mail. Click
File>Import>Messages. Select the appropriate version of Outlook Express.
Click Next. Select the "Import mail from OE store directory. Click Next.
Browse to the folder containing the DBX files and import them. When done,
click File>Export>Messages, select Microsoft Office Outlook and click OK.

Thanks Brian, but that's exactly what I did.

Put files in C:\temp\username
I did this multiple times as I said previously.
I've performed many imports to/from Outlook on XP and 2000.

I did the *exact* same steps on 2000 that I did on Vista/Windows Mail.
Flawless on 2000, strange errors and disappearing windows on Vista.

 

[thomasjbs]

What a LOAD of crap - you were obviously doing something COMPLETELY wrong as
the procedure has worked for THOUSANDS OF OTHERS without having to resort to
your mangled convoluted method.

If you perform an Internet search, you will find *many* references to
the *same* error message I reported.
The fact that it worked for *thousands* of customers doesn't mean that
the other millions of failed conversions are unimportant or
insignificant.

Please restate your solutions as to:
1) Why the Windows Mail cannot file the DBX files in the directory
specified(they are still there)
2) Why the second method of importing Outlook Express messages results
in a disappearing message window
3) Why the migration is flawless using Windows 2000 as the transfer
medium

It is very common to blame the end user of doing something wrong when
you don't know why it's happening.

 

[thomasjbs]

Place the DBX files into some folder. Start Windows Mail. Click
File>Import>Messages. Select the appropriate version of Outlook Express.
Click Next. Select the "Import mail from OE store directory. Click Next.
Browse to the folder containing the DBX files and import them. When done,
click File>Export>Messages, select Microsoft Office Outlook and click OK.

This process results in "No Files Found" or something to that effect
- very common issue if you search google for failed Outlook Express
imports.

 

[thomasjbs]

Can't import dbx files directly into Outlook. But you can import from
Outlook Express which has those files open into Outlook:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/HA010943871033.aspx

(Why are you using MS products if they so clearly anger you so much?)

lol

good point.

It's not the products in general that anger me so much. It's the once-
in-a-blue-moon-migration that fails with strange errors.

I would have thought that the import procedure would have improved by
now. There are *many* different versions of Outlook Express out
there. And a Microsoft mail migration utility would be nice.

As I said - I spent 2-4 hours trying to do the exact same thing (in
Windows Mail) that worked the first time using Outlook Express and
Office 2000. (10 minutes in Office 2000 and Outlook Express 6).

 

[thomasjbs]

If you perform an Internet search, you will find *many* references to
the *same* error message I reported.
The fact that it worked for *thousands* of customers doesn't mean that
the other millions of failed conversions are unimportant or
insignificant.

Please restate your solutions as to:
1) Why the Windows Mail cannot file the DBX files in the directory
specified(they are still there)
2) Why the second method of importing Outlook Express messages results
in a disappearing message window
3) Why the migration is flawless using Windows 2000 as the transfer
medium

It is very common to blame the end user of doing something wrong when
you don't know why it's happening.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

er - OFFICE 2000 - not Windows 2000.

 

[Gordon]

This process results in "No Files Found" or something to that effect
- very common issue if you search google for failed Outlook Express
imports.

And that is usually because you have failed to copy the file called
folders.dbx.

 

[Gordon]

There are *many* different versions of Outlook Express out
there.

Three to be precise. not as many versions as Outlook.....

 

[F. H. Muffman]

Three to be precise. not as many versions as Outlook.....

5, actually.

4.
5.
5.5.
6.
6 w/ sp2.

Still less than Outlook, I agree.

 

[Gordon]

5, actually.

4.
5.
5.5.
6.
6 w/ sp2.

Still less than Outlook, I agree.

5.5 and 6 w/SP2 are a BIT pedantic.....

 

[F. H. Muffman]

5.5 and 6 w/SP2 are a BIT pedantic.....

SP2 added fixes to OE, enough that I'm mildly surprised it didn't get a Dot
version change.

5.5, I'll admit, I don't know what might have changed there.

 

[Brian Tillman]

There are *many* different versions of Outlook Express out
there. And a Microsoft mail migration utility would be nice.

No, only 4: Outlook Express V4 (and V3, IIRC, but who uses that any more?)
uses files with type .mbx and Outlook Express V5, V6, and "V7" (AKA Windows
Mail on Vista ) use .dbx. The files for V5, V6, and Windows Mail appear
interchangeable to me.