Retrieving Files/Email from Dead PC's HDD

[Guest]

Motherboard on wife's PC died. While I shop for new PC, can I simply temp
install her HDD on my own PC so she can retrieve her old email info, address
book, and data files? Both PCs are XP Home SP2 NTFS with current updates
applied. Not interested in a dual boot fracas.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Motherboard on wife's PC died. While I shop for new PC, can I simply temp
install her HDD on my own PC so she can retrieve her old email info, address
book, and data files? Both PCs are XP Home SP2 NTFS with current updates
applied. Not interested in a dual boot fracas.

You probably can but you need to state which EMail
program you use (Outlook? Outlook Express? Other?),
then post your question in the appropriate newsgroup.

 

[HotJuly]

If your comp's hardware, especially the motherboard, are very similar you
can probably put your other hdd in and boot from it, although you will have
to know how to change jumper (little boot) on the back of the hdd. Of course
if you just take the other one out altogether and use your hdd, then you
dont have to worry about changing the jumper on the back.pins. Have a look
at what some others sent me in another thread I posted.


The old email should be located in this other directory on the other hdd.
Documents and
Settings\user name\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\random
string\Microsoft\Outlook Express. The user name field will be whatever
name you used on the old computer and the random string will be exactly
that. Some of these folders are normally hidden so you will have to
tell Explorer to show hidden files.

also try doing a search for search using windows explorer for inbox.dbx

Once you find them, then import them to your new outlook express on our
booting hdd.
------0-----------

If your backup files did not include "Folders.dbx", this method of importing
will not work as OE will not "see" the *.dbx

files without Folders.dbx. To work around this, click File| Identities| Add
New Identity. Switch to the new Identity when

prompted, but cancel the new account wizard that starts automatically. Click
Tools| Options| Maintenance| Store Folder to

determine the location of this Identity's store. Close OE and open the store
folder in Windows Explorer. Copy your old

*.dbx files into this store folder, then delete the file "Folders.dbx". Open
OE and it will create a new Folders.dbx that

includes the old *.dbx files. Click File| Switch Identities and return to
your original Identity. Click File| Import|

Messages| OE5 (or OE6)| Identity and select the new Identity. After the
import is complete, you can delete the new

Identity, and then manually delete its store folder.


-----------------------0-------------------


Do a search for any *.wab files on your computer and if there are more than
one, look for the one
with a current date on it and that will be the one. Then you may need to
rename it to the name of
the one on your new computer & move it to the location of the one on the new
computer.

 

[Guest]

Thanks HJ,
I think your answer provides just what I need. I don't plan to boot from the
old HDD, only try to install it temporarily (as either the slave or as the
second Cable Select drive) then retrieve address book, email, and any MS
Office files that my wife wants to keep - and add them to what's on the
primary HDD that came with my new system.
Thanks very much, Gary