Locally stored EMail with MSN

[Tom H]

When I went to a cable modem account I switched from MSN 9 Dial-up to a
Hotmail account. Now I am unable to read any EMails I saved locally on my
computer using MSN Dial-up. I am able to start MSN in the offline mode put
get the following error messages. At sign in (MSN cannot verify that the
Microsoft Passport Network ------- You can still read EMail -------). After
in MSN displays all folders incuding online and locally. I can open local
folders and the content is displayed but I get the Error messg. (MSN ERROR
REPORTING were sorry but MSN Explorer has experienced an internal error and
will restart). These locally stored Emails are very important and I need to
be able to move to hotmail or print them out.

 

[PA Bear]

Forwarded to MSN Discussion newsgroup via crosspost.

 

[Tom H]

How do I get into the MSN Discussion newsgroup via crosspost.

 

[PA Bear]

You're already there! =>
http://groups.google.com/group/micr...hread/e22c57b316d6e9bc?hl=en#44cede75dd6241cd

As long as those replying to this thread continue the crosspost, replies
will be available in either newsgroup.

 

[StephenB]

How do I get into the MSN Discussion newsgroup via crosspost.

You're there now, along with the original newsgroup you posted to.

Since your MSN account is apparently no longer a paid account, you can't sign
into MSN via MSN Explorer. However, you also have a problem with MSN Explorer
that may require a reinstall to fix, but then we're back in the same boat with
no account.

Here's how to manually recover your saved mail.

The mail is located in a hidden folder. You need to open Windows Explorer and
then select Tools/Options and turn on show hidden files and folders as well as
how protected system files. On XP, browse to c:\documents and settings\[user id
- the name that you log onto your PC with]\local settings\application
data\microsoft\msn\db30

On Vista, browse to C:\Users\[UserID]\Local\Microsoft\MSN\db30

You mail is inside this db30 folder.

You will find files with an extension of .sdf - ignore these. You're interested
in the ones that look like: username-msn-com.1a0, 1a1, etc.

and also within the folders \Mail(MSN user ID)\ with extensions of .000,
starting with stm0x...

You can copy and rename these files to have an extension of .eml.
Double-clicking them will open them in Outlook Express (or Windows Live Mail if
you have installed this - http://get.live.com). You can then move them
to a folder in OE if desired for future access.

On 10/5/07, "ComputerGuy" posted this tip in the MSN Discussion newsgroup:
"...here is one little piece of advise. After renaming about 50 of the thousand
plus emails it hit to me to just go into windows explorer, tools, folder options
and add file the file extension of .000 and give it the same properties as a
..eml file thus saving me hours of having to rename all the files. Not really
needed when it is only a couple of messages but when there are hundreds or even
thousands of files, this will save much pain and suffering."

And, Earle H. offered an additional tip:
Open a Command Prompt (Start/Run/cmd) and navigate to the folder that you copied
the contents of the \db30 folder to and type the following command -

REN *.000 *.EML
And then press enter. This will rename all files in that folder with an
extension of 000 to now have an extension of eml.

 

[Earle Horton]

Forwarded to MSN Discussion newsgroup via crosspost.

Continued MSN service using your old user name and password is available for
$9.95 a month using your current cable ISP. If you pay $9.95 for one month
of service you "should" be able to open MSN and get verified by the
Microsoft Passport Network. Then you can forward the emails, "Save As" or
move the folders to online storage, whatever you like. Then after the
initial month simply cancel that service or convert to Hotmail Plus, which
is a more reasonable $19.95 a year.

Here is a trick. Log in to MSN (after paying $9.95 to reactivate the
account) and move all the local folders to online MSN folders. Then after
your initial month is up cancel the service and log in to Windows Live
Hotmail using the same user name (e-mail address removed) and password. Voila! It is
for all intents and purposes now just a Hotmail account with "@msn.com" in
the name. All your folders will now be in online storage, accessible via
the Hotmail web site but not via MSN Explorer.

The method suggested by Stephen Boots is good too but you may not be as
comfortable renaming files and moving lots of raw ".eml" files around. If
these emails are very important then paying Microsoft $9.95 for the
privilege of moving them to Hotmail doesn't seem like so much.

Cheers,

Earle