DAGGIT! Outlook Express folder won't import

[Jan Alter]

I thought I'd remembered how to move mail messages from one computer to
another, but I'm flummuxed as to what I'm doing wrong in Outlook Express 6.
I have a dbx folder that I want to import sitting in a folder on the
hard drive in XP Pro. I indicate and check that it's an OE 6 store
directory that I've copied onto the C drive. I've made sure that the dbx
folder is ready to archive and that I can see the dbx extension. And yet
when I point to the folder that the dbx folder is in I get a message that
says, "No messages can be found in this folder or another application is
running that has required files open. Please select another folder or try
closing the applications that may have files open." Anyone have any
suggestions as to how I can get OE to see the folder and import it? I've
already gone to the Control Panel to make sure I can see system folders and
extensions from Folder Options.

Thanks,

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

Have you tried the Outlook Express News Group:

news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6_outlookexpress

 

[PA Bear]

References:

Backup & Restore OE Data
http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/backup/index.htm
http://www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx

OE Files & Settings
http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/files/index.htm

Importing OE Data
http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/faqs/how.htm#importOE5
http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/faqs/how.htm#importdbx

OE Freebie Backup
http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx

Using WinXP's FAST Wizard, by MVP Gary Woodruff
(Please read the caveats about Outlook Express)
http://aumha.org/win5/a/fast.htm

--
OE6-specific newsgroup:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6_outlookexpress

~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-Windows (IE/OE), AH-VSOP

What You Should Know About Spyware
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/devioussoftware.mspx

 

[Jan Alter]

Hi,

I can't thank you enough for suggesting the Files and Settings Transfer
Wizard. Using the Wizard and saving OE files and settings to a USB drive
and then burning them to a CD and recopying it to the laptop's hard drive
and running the Wizard again copied all the files as well as the 5 different
OE mail accounts. I only had to enter the passwords again and all the e-mail
messages, folders and newsgroups were moved. Wonderful!
I would truly like to know why I couldn't import the messages using OE
and the program not being able to see the store folders, but at least I know
there's more than one way to get the job accomplished, and in the event of
moving the mail can be moved.
Thanks so very much.

 

[PA Bear]

YW & thanks for posting back, Jan.

The answers to all of your questions are contained in one or more of the
links I posted. Among them are:

- How to import a single DBX file
(http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/faqs/how.htm#importdbx)

- In Windows XP, the Outlook Express user files, including *.wab and *.dbx
files, are by default marked as hidden. To view these files in Explorer, you
must enable Show Hidden Files and Folders under Start | Control Panel |
Folder Options | View.
(http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/files/store.htm#storemain)

- To be able to import (not copy/paste) all DBX files from another
identity's store, the file Folders.dbx must be included or the import won't
work.