Importing from Outlook Express

[John]

Just bought a Vista laptop and am attempting to load old outlook messages from earlier laptop to Windows mail. In the past I've backed up my express mail by saving the dbx files stored under "Documents and Settings" to a spare hard drive although I don't save the full path. When I try to import these files into Windows Mail using the "import routine" and I lead the program to the backup location on the spare hard drive it comes back with a message that the directory is empty - apparently it is not looking for dbx files. I'm new to Vista so I don't know where the message folders are stored on my hard drive - would there be some way to transfer the dbx files directly onto the Vista hard drive or how can I get the import routine to work - does outlook have to be on the same machine as windows mail for the import routine to work.

Would be much obliged for any advice.

John McKee

 

[Holger Metzger]

Just bought a Vista laptop and am attempting to load old outlook messages from
earlier laptop to Windows mail. In the past I've backed up my express mail by
saving the dbx files stored under "Documents and Settings" to a spare hard drive
although I don't save the full path. When I try to import these files into
Windows Mail using the "import routine" and I lead the program to the backup
location on the spare hard drive it comes back with a message that the directory
is empty - apparently it is not looking for dbx files. I'm new to Vista so I
don't know where the message folders are stored on my hard drive - would there be
some way to transfer the dbx files directly onto the Vista hard drive or how can
I get the import routine to work - does outlook have to be on the same machine as
windows mail for the import routine to work.

Would be much obliged for any advice.

The Windows Vista help system has detailed instructions on this.
Windows Mail -> View Help -> click on "Import messages to Windows Mail from other
e-mail programs" -> under "See also": "Import messages into Windows Mail from
Outlook Express"

 

[BurrWalnut]

Here is the full procedure:

1. Go to Outlook Express > Tools > Maintenance Tab > Store Folder.
2. Make a note of its location and navigate to it. If you haven't moved it,
it's here C:\Documents and Settings\{user name}\Local Settings\Application
Data\Identities\{long name}\Microsoft\Outlook Express. You may have to show
'hidden' files in Folder Options to see it. Close Outlook Express.
3. Copy the whole folder to an external source. Remove any ‘Read only’
attributes via right-click > Properties.
4. In Windows Mail go to File > Import > Messages > OE6 > Next > Import Mail
and follow the wizard to import your mail boxes from the exported folder you
made earlier.
5. Once these are imported, a sub-folder named Imported Folder is created
for each one imported. Go to it and drag the messages to the proper boxes.

As an alternative to 2 above, you could move the mail boxes to an
‘easier-to-get-at’ location, i.e. Open My Documents and create a folder named
Mail Boxes. Now go to Outlook Express > Tools > Maintenance Tab > Store
Folder > Change and type the location of the new folder, e.g. My Docs\Mail
Boxes. Close Outlook Express. The store location is now easier to navigate to
and it is not hidden.

 

[Frank Saunders MS-MVP IE,OE/WM]

Just bought a Vista laptop and am attempting to load old outlook messages
from earlier laptop to Windows mail. In the past I've backed up my express
mail by saving the dbx files stored under "Documents and Settings" to a
spare hard drive although I don't save the full path. When I try to import
these files into Windows Mail using the "import routine" and I lead the
program to the backup location on the spare hard drive it comes back with a
message that the directory is empty - apparently it is not looking for dbx
files. I'm new to Vista so I don't know where the message folders are stored
on my hard drive - would there be some way to transfer the dbx files
directly onto the Vista hard drive or how can I get the import routine to
work - does outlook have to be on the same machine as windows mail for the
import routine to work.

Would be much obliged for any advice.

John McKee

If you used Outlook Express on the old computer, see
http://www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx#oe2wm

 

[Dave]

When you navigate to the folder containing the .dbx files, don't open the folder.


--
Vista Home Premium 32 SP1
http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview

Just bought a Vista laptop and am attempting to load old outlook messages from earlier laptop to Windows mail. In the past I've backed up my express mail by saving the dbx files stored under "Documents and Settings" to a spare hard drive although I don't save the full path. When I try to import these files into Windows Mail using the "import routine" and I lead the program to the backup location on the spare hard drive it comes back with a message that the directory is empty - apparently it is not looking for dbx files. I'm new to Vista so I don't know where the message folders are stored on my hard drive - would there be some way to transfer the dbx files directly onto the Vista hard drive or how can I get the import routine to work - does outlook have to be on the same machine as windows mail for the import routine to work.

Would be much obliged for any advice.

John McKee