importing OUTLOOK EXPRESS email folder from one installation to another

[TuffGuy]

how can i import a folder with emails from one installation to another? NOT how to restore a backup, but how to add a transferred email folder to the already restored backup.

 

[khtm]

You should post this question in the Sofware or Operating Systems forum.

 

[TuffGuy]

yeah, you can't do that with express.

but i'm gonna try a little trick...

 

[Nemesis77]

Locate the OE-files (you can find out where they are by right-clicking on one of the mailboxes in OE (Outbox, Inbox)). Delete those files. Copy the files from the previous installation there (inbox, outbox etc). Restart OE. That's it.

EDIT: make sure you are not running OE when you copy the files, I dunno what it would do then.

 

[Ryan]

I have had the same problem. i have tried copy the mail directory - but that didn't work.

 

[Magicthyse]

I posted how to find the location of the OE store in this thread.

 

[Nemesis77]

<< I have had the same problem. i have tried copy the mail directory - but that didn't work. >>



Strange, that's what we do at work, and it works every time.

 

[hungrypete]

copy the entire mail directory to a local drive, import the folders you want.

 

[Bomberboy]

Ok heres what I do.

Under Win2k:

Documents and Settings -> (User) -> Local Settings -> Application Data -> Identities

Then click on one of the number folders.

Microsoft -> Outlook Express

Check if the files are dated today. If so, these are the ones you are looking for. Copy these to a cd or disk and transfer them to the new installation. Try to put them back into the identical directory structure on the fresh install.

When you open outlook for the first time, go to import -> Outlook 5 -> Check the box that says import from a directory -> Select you directory

And you are good to go.

 

[Ryan]

In IE 6, whenever I copy the folders over, then try to open outlook express - it crashes.

 

[Magicthyse]

What a lot of people don't seem to realise is that you can put OE stores anyplace you want in your locally accessible drives (I don't think it works with network drives, even if mapped to a drive letter - how'd they do that?). If you follow my link and find my post in that thread, then you can find out EXACTLY where your Outlook Express store is, and back it up. You can then re-import into another PC or installation of OE.

 

[Nemesis77]

<< In IE 6, whenever I copy the folders over, then try to open outlook express - it crashes. >>



I dunno 'bout OE6. But I have done that numerous times with OE5.

 

[Ryan]

How can I get IE5 back? Is there any way to uninstall Outlookexpress6?

 

[vi edit]

outlook express stores all folders in their own .dbx files. Pull up the find files and do a seach for *.dbx. You should see a whole slew of them out there.

You can copy one folder, or all folders from one place to another. If you have one install of OE running, and you want to move it to another install, pull up the second outlook, go to "tools" properties, and maintance, then check the "store" folder option to see what path it's located in. If you have more than one user on the machine, you'll have multiple profiles and you'll have to verify which user is tied to which profile.

If you are doing a fresh install of outlook, you need to actually open up outlook express, and set up the user profile before you copy over the *.dbx files.

 

[Nemesis77]

<< How can I get IE5 back? Is there any way to uninstall Outlookexpress6? >>



If those mailboxes are from OE6, I'm not sure that can you import them to OE5. OE6 propably accepts OE5 files, but not vice versa. Of course, I could be wrong here (haven't tried it with OE6 yet)

 

[hungrypete]

you cant just copy it in there, copy the mail to a local drive and import it, thats all it takes man

 

[Ryan]

<< outlook express stores all folders in their own .dbx files. Pull up the find files and do a seach for *.dbx. You should see a whole slew of them out there.

You can copy one folder, or all folders from one place to another. If you have one install of OE running, and you want to move it to another install, pull up the second outlook, go to "tools" properties, and maintance, then check the "store" folder option to see what path it's located in. If you have more than one user on the machine, you'll have multiple profiles and you'll have to verify which user is tied to which profile.

If you are doing a fresh install of outlook, you need to actually open up outlook express, and set up the user profile before you copy over the *.dbx files. >>



I have done that - and it crashes whenever I start my mail up Importing also doesn't help - OE6 can't see the DBX files.........

 

[Ryan]

Just so you guys don't think I'm a retard and I don't know what I'm talking about - I have copied mail files before on 3 different computers and it worked on them...

 

[vi edit]

delete the folders.dbx file

If it doesn't exist, Outlook Express will recreate it. I've seen that file get corrupted and kill OE. Try deleting it and restart OE.

 

[Ryan]

<< delete the folders.dbx file

If it doesn't exist, Outlook Express will recreate it. I've seen that file get corrupted and kill OE. Try deleting it and restart OE. >>



I did that, and here's the error that I got:

"Outlook Express
Outlook Express could not be started. It may not be installed correctly. Make sure that your disk is not full or that you are not out of memory. Contact microsoft support for further assistance. (0x800c012e, 5)"

Then I click ok, and I get:

"Outlook Express could not be started because MSOE.DLL could not be initialized. Outlook Express may not be INstalled correctly."

Hmmmm

 

[hungrypete]

its reinstall time man might have to manually clean up before reinstalling...

i do this at work all day, we are cheap and use OE because its fun to get viruses ;\ but often OE will get corrupted, and its easiest to just reinstall, back up your mail folder and address book and wipe that stuff

 

[Ryan]

Sniff - but I don't want to!!!!

 

[TuffGuy]

what you guys suggested didn't work. you can't just copy the email folder (folder.dbx) into another person's account and have it read. i guess that the OE engine needs to know what it's looking for.

what i ended up doing is backing up the OE files from the second computer, creating a new identity and using the file structure from the second computer's OE files. then, i switched back to the main identity and imported the folder from the new identity.

OE is not as good/simple/manageable as eudora. sadly, that's all they use here at work.