Copying old Outlook Express folders into Windows Mail

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ruth
  • Start date Start date
R

Ruth

I just set up my new PC with Vista Home Premium. From my old machine, I
copied all my email folders onto a CD and then put them on my new computer.
I did this by:

- right-clicking the Inbox folder and choosing properties
- copying the location of Inbox.dbx
- pasting the path into an Explorer window and deleting inbox.dbx, thus
opening the location of the .dbx files
- copying all the .dbx files to my CD

Now on Vista I can't find the location of folders, and searching the help
for .dbx or folder backup doesn't give me any useful info. When you
right-click a folder in Windows Mail and choose properties, there is no
longer a location.

I have been told that Windows Mail is backwards compatible with Outlook
Express and that I should be able to just copy the .dbx files into the
location... if I can find it!

Any ideas? I set my folders to display hidden files and I used advanced
search that looked in system folders.
 
Ruth said:
I just set up my new PC with Vista Home Premium. From my old machine, I
copied all my email folders onto a CD and then put them on my new computer.
I did this by:

- right-clicking the Inbox folder and choosing properties
- copying the location of Inbox.dbx
- pasting the path into an Explorer window and deleting inbox.dbx, thus
opening the location of the .dbx files
- copying all the .dbx files to my CD

Now on Vista I can't find the location of folders, and searching the help
for .dbx or folder backup doesn't give me any useful info. When you
right-click a folder in Windows Mail and choose properties, there is no
longer a location.

I have been told that Windows Mail is backwards compatible with Outlook
Express and that I should be able to just copy the .dbx files into the
location... if I can find it!
Click to expand...

Who said that? The message stores are 100% different.
Any ideas? I set my folders to display hidden files and I used advanced
search that looked in system folders.
Click to expand...

First, be sure you copied ALL the dbx files for mail including the
Folders.dbx file

Create a folder named C:\Old Mail
File | Import | Messages | Microsoft Outlook Express 6
Select NEXT
then Browse button
navigate to the C:\Old Mail folder
Select it then press next

Make the choice of all folders or selected folders and finish up the import.
 
Dear Ruth, DGuess and Steve

I tried all that (changing security settings, making sure not read only,
doulbe-checking the folders.dbx file), but still have the same problem. The
import worked just fine with XP, but Vista seems to have a few new steps. Has
it worked for you?
 
below.....

Ruth said:
I just set up my new PC with Vista Home Premium. From my old machine, I
copied all my email folders onto a CD and then put them on my new computer.
I did this by:

- right-clicking the Inbox folder and choosing properties
- copying the location of Inbox.dbx
- pasting the path into an Explorer window and deleting inbox.dbx, thus
opening the location of the .dbx files
- copying all the .dbx files to my CD

Now on Vista I can't find the location of folders, and searching the help
for .dbx or folder backup doesn't give me any useful info. When you
right-click a folder in Windows Mail and choose properties, there is no
longer a location.

I have been told that Windows Mail is backwards compatible with Outlook
Express and that I should be able to just copy the .dbx files into the
location... if I can find it!

Any ideas? I set my folders to display hidden files and I used advanced
search that looked in system folders.
Click to expand...
Ruth/anyone....the location can be found in similar manner to in OE, but via
TOOLS/Options/Advanced/Maintenance/Store Folder

That brings up a display of the
path......C:\Users\Chuck\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail where "Chuck"
would be your user name.

I did have trouble finding it in Explorer until I went in and had it display
hidden files and all that rot as described somewhere above.

Its there, but isn't arranged exactly as displayed......as an example I
added a folder which I expect at same level as INBOX and it shows that way in
windows mail, but in the actual file path it shows up under the INBOX as a
subfolder.

Now I am moving my mail folders and will attempt to find safe home for
them....

Chuck
 
Douglas MacKevett said:
Dear Ruth, DGuess and Steve

I tried all that (changing security settings, making sure not read only,
doulbe-checking the folders.dbx file), but still have the same problem.
The
import worked just fine with XP, but Vista seems to have a few new steps.
Has
it worked for you?
Click to expand...

Yes, works fine for me. Just imported in from another computer, no
problems.
 
I can see how you earned your MVP.....your process as noted below was right
on. Only hiccups were some rather large folders I had....but most of 1000s
of mail messages were moved successfully.......keep up the good work.
 
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