How to import E-mails from Windows Mail into Outlook 2007 on Windows 7

[Peter Griffin]

Hi,

I used Vista before I upgraded now to Windows 7. On Vista I used Windows Mail as my e-mail client. Now on Windows 7, I would like to use Outlook 2007 and import my old e-mails.

Before I upgraded to Windows 7 - using Vista - I exported all my e-mails from Windows Mail to my external harddrive, where I have now .eml files and in each subfolder with e-mails I have one winmail.fol file.

Having installed Windows 7 and Office 2007 now, I tried simply to import the exported files from my external harddrive by: "File -> Import -> Import Internet Mail and Adresses -> Choosing the folder back up folder with the e-mail files -> OK" However, I always get the error message: "the mail folder could not be opened. If another application is using this file, please close it and try again. " I don't understand what is wrong and what has to be changed that it works.

Things I have tried:
*On Windows 7 now: I have activated Windows Mail and imported the exported files, which worked fine. Therefore, I am currently using Windows Mail as my standard client on Windows 7. Now on Windows 7, I have exported my e-mails again from Windows Mail and tried subsequently to import the new exported files into Outlook 2007 as described above. I get the same error message ("the mail folder could not be opened..").

*On Windows 7: I have downloaded and installed Windows LIVE Mail. Imported my original (exported under Vista) e-mails from my external harddrive and exported them again, in the hope that Outlook 2007 might be more willing to import Windows LIVE Mail exported files. It didnt work either.

*On Windows 7: I opened the folder with the e-mails on my external harddrive and Outlook 2007 and dragged the .eml files into Outlook 2007. It worked, in a sense, that I had the e-mails and the content of these e-mails in Outlook 2007. What this method doesnt, is to import the Title of the e-mails and the time when it was received etc. So this method is useless.

*On Windows 7: I was always able to import my contacts into Outlook 2007.


I really hope someone can help me and describe what I could do to import my e-mails.

I appreciate any help.

Cheers
Shinedown2010


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JetBrains Resharper 4.1: Product Review
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[Russ Valentine]

You can only import from Windows Mail. You can't import the files
themselves. It has been ever thus.

 

[Peter Griffin]

Thanks for your answer Russ. But, I feel you haven't really read my post.

The import to Windows Mail on Windows 7 did work and I am actually using Windows Mail now as my default e-mail client, having also all my old E-Mails in there. But I cannot import these e-mails to Office Outlook 2007. I keep gettting the error message



Russ Valentine wrote:

You can only import from Windows Mail. You cannot import the filesthemselves.
22-Jan-10

You can only import from Windows Mail. You cannot import the file
themselves. It has been ever thus
-
Russ Valentine

Previous Posts In This Thread:


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In - Memory Data Compression with .NET PART II
http://www.eggheadcafe.com/tutorial...bc-144ff77d8cff/in--memory-data-compress.aspx

 

[Russ Valentine]

Your post was read and answered. Which part did you not understand?
If you insist on trying to import files Outlook cannot understand, you will
continue to fail.
You must import from Windows Mail (which I suspect you aren't even using).

 

[Error]

I mean.. I'm saying: "The import to Windows Mail on Windows 7 did work and I
am actually using Windows Mail now as my default e-mail client" and you tell
me I wouldn't even use it, that gives me the impression.

I think that, from what you say, Outlook 2007is actually supposed to
automatically detect that I use Windows Mail and import the files
automatically from Windows Mail. But it doesnt, if I ask Outlook to import
Internet Mail and Adresses it asks me for a folder that I have to select -
always. And no matter which folder I choose, it gives me the error message.

 

[Russ Valentine]

Outlook isn't supposed to automatically detect anything.
If you want to import from Windows Mail, just tell Outlook to do so:
File > Import and Export > Internet Mail and Addresses > Outlook Express or
Windows Mail

 

[Error]

Hi Russ,

thats what I do.

But Outlook always asks me to choose a folder from where I want to import.
See here:

http://www.imagebanana.com/view/a9t5queh/1.jpg

No matter which folder I choose, I will get the error:

http://www.imagebanana.com/view/1597uw9/2.jpg

However, it is different if I would want to import account settings from
windows mail. Outlook just asks me from which client:

http://www.imagebanana.com/view/jyi1kbnw/3.jpg

I assume Outlook should do the same when I try import e-mails. But as I said
it doesn't, it asks me for a folder from which I want to import and I don't
know what to do.

 

[Error]

Hi Russ,

thats what I do. But Outlook always asks me to choose a folder when I want
to import. See here:

http://www.imagebanana.com/view/a9t5queh/1.jpg

But no matter which folder I choose, Outlook will give me the error:

http://www.imagebanana.com/view/1597uw9/2.jpg

If I would want to import account settings, then Outlook easily just asks me
from which client:

http://www.imagebanana.com/view/jyi1kbnw/3.jpg

I assume, Outlook should do the same, when I want to import e-mails. But it
doesn't. It asks me to choose a folder, and I dont know what to do.

 

[Russ Valentine]

Cannot repro this behavior. Sorry. Suspect there is more to your story--like
the program from which you are tying to import.

 

[Error]

I just tried another possibility. If you click in Windows Mail on
Import/Export and then choose Microsoft Exchange, you can actually also
export directly to Outlook.

But when I try this, I get an Error that there is mistake in the
MAPI-initialization. I assume this behavior should only happen if you don't
have Outlook installed. This gave me the thought, that Windows Mail does not
recognise my Outlook 2007 - and my Outlook 2007 does not recognise my Windows
Mail. The reason might be, that I have Windows 7 in German (which also sets
the language for Windows Mail) and my Office 2007 is in English. So there
might be the bug that they cannot work togehter when languages are different.

However, this leaves the aspect unexplained, why I cannot import into
Outlook 2007 even if I choose any folder Outlook asks me for.

 

[Russ Valentine]

These errors indicate you do not have fully functioning and compatible
installations of both Outlook and Windows Mail on the same partition.

 

[Error]

I FINALLY SOLVED IT!!!!!

JUST WANTED TO SHARE THE INFORMATION HOW TO:

THE PROBLEM IS, THAT ON WINDOWS 7 YOU'RE ACTUALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO USE
WINDOWS MAIL ANYMORE (WINDOWS WANTS YOU TO USE WINDOWS -LIVE- MAIL). HOWEVER
AS I DIDNT LIKE WINDOWS LIVE MAIL I MADE WINDOWS MAIL WORK AND USED IT. THE
PROBLEM IS THIS WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY WITH OUTLOOK AND I THINK YOUR SYSTEM
STILL ACTS AS IF IT WOULD NOT BE ON THE COMPUTER.

WHAT I DID:
1) ACTIVATED WINDOWS MAIL ON WINDOWS 7
2) I IMPORTED ALL MY ORIGINAL BACK UP FILES (WHICH I EXPORTED FROM FROM
WINDOWS MAIL WHEN STILL USING VISTA - BEFORE UPGRADING TO WIN7) TO WINDOWS
MAIL.
3) I INSTALLED WINDOWS LIVE MAIL
4) I IMPORTED ALL MY E-MAILS AND CONTACTS FROM WINDOWS MAIL INTO WINDOWS
LIVE MAIL.
5) AT LEAST NOW, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO IMPORT ALL E-MAILS FROM WINDOWS LIVE
MAIL TO OUTLOOK 2007. BUT IN MY CASE OUTLOOK WAS STILL ASKING FOR A FOLDER-
AND NO MATTER WHICH ONE I GAVE I GOT AN ERROR.
6) NOW HERE IS THE CLUE!!: YOU HAVE TO SET OUTLOOK 2007 AS YOUR DEFAULT
CLIENT!! HOW? OPEN INTERNET EXPLORER -> GO TO EXTRAS -> INTERNET OPTIONS ->
CLICK ON TAB "PROGRAMS" -> AT INTERNET PROGRAMMES, CLICK THE BUTTON TO
SET/DEFINE PROGRAMMES -> NEW WINDOWS WILL OPEN, CLICK THE FIRST ONE
"DEFINE/SET DEFAULT PROGRAMMES" -> DOUBLE CLICK ON OUTLOOK 2007 SO IT JUMPS
IN THE RIGHT COLUMN -> OK.
7) NOW TELL WINDOWS LIVE MAIL TO EXPORT TO OUTLOOK: FILE -> EXPORT ->
E-MAILS -> CHOOSE MICROSOFT EXCHANGE -> WINDOWS LIVE MAIL SHOULD NOT EXPORT
ALL E-MAILS TO OUTLOOK 2007. DO THIS STEP AGAIN FOR CONTACTS IF YOU NEED.

AS I HAVE WIN 7 IN GERMAN, MY PATH DESCRIPTIONS FOR WIN LIVE MAIL AND THE
INTERNET OPTIONS MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENT NAMES AS IT IS ACTUALLY CALLED, BUT
SHOULD BE CLOSE ENOUGH.

IT SOUNDS ALL MORE COMPLICATED THAN IT IS. BUT IF HAVE TO ADMIT THAT IT WAS
QUIET ANNYOING TO GET IT FINALLY WORKING. I WILL FROM NOW ON USE ONLY
OUTLOOK 2007 AND NEVER AGAIN SWITCH BETWEEN WIN MAIL (OE) AND OUTLOOK.

HAVE FUN!!AND THANKS TO MICROSOFT AT THIS POINT TO PROVIDE SUCH A "HELPFUL"
ERROR MESSAGE AND A PRODUCT TO CUSTOMERS WITH SUCH "EASY HANDLING" AT
SHAMELESS PRICES.

 

[Russ Valentine]

Thanks for shouting your solution for which few would have any need unless
they did what you did. Not many users would.

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]]

THE PROBLEM IS, THAT ON WINDOWS 7 YOU'RE ACTUALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO USE
WINDOWS MAIL ANYMORE (WINDOWS WANTS YOU TO USE WINDOWS -LIVE- MAIL).
HOWEVER
AS I DIDNT LIKE WINDOWS LIVE MAIL I MADE WINDOWS MAIL WORK AND USED IT. THE
PROBLEM IS THIS WILL NOT WORK PROPERLY WITH OUTLOOK AND I THINK YOUR SYSTEM
STILL ACTS AS IF IT WOULD NOT BE ON THE COMPUTER.

You need to replace your keyboard. The Shift key appears to be stuck.

Why didn't say at the outset that you are running a non-supported shoe-horned
configuration? I'm amazed when people do something on their PC that's totally
out of scope and then expect everything to work correctly.

 

[Chad]

Hey guys,

Dont mind the lack of help from the angry nerds here.. I have come across
this with several clients who have migrated to windows 7. These people seem
to fail to realize that the common average user might not be familiar with
the triple export and import hack needed to get one's email from a former
microsoft product to a current one. This issue is terrible at best and M$
should have a tidier way to handle it. I have clients with .eml files in
subfolders which used to sit in their Inbox under Windows Mail sitting on
their desktop and outlook has no way of reading them. I'm currently looking
for a way to import the subfolders so that the clients inbox looks like it
used to.. More to come.

 

[Gordon]

"Chad @ EventHorizonTech.net" <Chad @
(e-mail address removed)> wrote in message

Hey guys,

Dont mind the lack of help from the angry nerds here.. I have come across
this with several clients who have migrated to windows 7. These people
seem
to fail to realize that the common average user might not be familiar with
the triple export and import hack needed to get one's email from a former
microsoft product to a current one.

Eh? What "triple" import and export?

 

[Gordon]

"Chad @ EventHorizonTech.net" <Chad @
(e-mail address removed)> wrote in message

Hey guys,

Dont mind the lack of help from the angry nerds here.. I have come across
this with several clients who have migrated to windows 7. These people
seem
to fail to realize that the common average user might not be familiar with
the triple export and import hack needed to get one's email from a former
microsoft product to a current one. This issue is terrible at best and M$
should have a tidier way to handle it. I have clients with .eml files in
subfolders which used to sit in their Inbox under Windows Mail sitting on
their desktop and outlook has no way of reading them. I'm currently
looking
for a way to import the subfolders so that the clients inbox looks like it
used to.. More to come.

My Outlook 2007 will import direct from Windows Mail. What Outlook version
are you talking about?

 

[Chad]

From what I recently just came across, the client had vista, they exported
all their data as windows mail (because they didnt have outlook installed on
that machine so they could not export to exchange). After saving their
personal data and loading Windows 7 on their machine, they copeid the
exported windows mail data over to their desktop. They installed outlook 2007
because there was now windows mail feature offered. Outlook will not import
the data. So its looking like i will have to set up windows live mail for
them, import the data, then export it to outlook from there.. It really is
crappy setup, and microsoft is to blame.

 

[Gordon]

"Chad @ EventHorizonTech.net"

From what I recently just came across, the client had vista, they exported
all their data as windows mail (because they didnt have outlook installed
on
that machine so they could not export to exchange). After saving their
personal data and loading Windows 7 on their machine, they copeid the
exported windows mail data over to their desktop. They installed outlook
2007
because there was now windows mail feature offered. Outlook will not
import
the data. So its looking like i will have to set up windows live mail for
them, import the data, then export it to outlook from there.. It really is
crappy setup, and microsoft is to blame.

Why is MS to blame? Windows mail is a FREE as in FREE email client.
Why will Outlook not import? What happens when they try?
Of course they COULD have installed Outlook on Vista and then tried the
import/export first, before installing 7...

 

[Chad]

Sure windows mail a free client.. Outlook isnt. And really, does it make
sense for the person who is wiping their hd and loading win 7 on it to first
install outlook on their vista machine, export the mail from windows mail to
outlook.. save the .pst file on a disc, wipe out the HD, load windows 7 on
it, load outlook AGAIN, and import that data? I do a little programming on
the side and believe me if I had made an application that required that type
of insane data migration just to upgrade, I wouldnt have any sales.