How do I retrieve old emails after installing Windows XP pro over XP home?

[Guest]

To all you computer whizze

I had to reinstall windows because I got hit by a virus. I ended up using an XP pro disc, and figured everything would be okay. During installation, my computer told me that it was making a backup file so that I could go back to the way things were before installing XP pro, which made me hopeful that I wouldn't lose my old emails.

After the installation, however, I found that all my emails from Outlook express were gone. Actually, I think I didn't even have outlook express after the installation, although I could be wrong - I ended up installing Office Pro, and Outlook express may have deleted Outlook express

Is there anyway to get back my old, important emails? Are they stored in some windows folder I don't know of? I made a copy of the "My Documents" folder before installation XP Pro - is it somewhere in there? I looked in the Local Settings folder, for a .dbx file, as recommended by Frank Saunders, but couldn't find anything.

If the emails are gone, I'm wondering why windows wouldn't let me know that they would be lost during reinstallation. In any case, my fingers are crossed. Any help

Thanks in advance

 

[Gordon]

-----Original Message-----
To all you computer whizzes

I had to reinstall windows because I got hit by a virus.

I ended up using an XP pro disc, and figured everything
would be okay. During installation, my computer told me
that it was making a backup file so that I could go back
to the way things were before installing XP pro, which
made me hopeful that I wouldn't lose my old emails.

After the installation, however, I found that all my

emails from Outlook express were gone. Actually, I think
I didn't even have outlook express after the installation,
although I could be wrong - I ended up installing Office
Pro, and Outlook express may have deleted Outlook express.

Is there anyway to get back my old, important emails?

Are they stored in some windows folder I don't know of? I
made a copy of the "My Documents" folder before
installation XP Pro - is it somewhere in there? I looked
in the Local Settings folder, for a .dbx file, as
recommended by Frank Saunders, but couldn't find
anything.

If the emails are gone, I'm wondering why windows

wouldn't let me know that they would be lost during
reinstallation. In any case, my fingers are crossed. Any
help?

Thanks in advance
.

How did you reinstall? Did you format your HDD? If you
did, then I'm afraid your emails are gone for ever unless
you made a separate backup.

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

It depends on what you did. If you installed as an upgrade, the old docs and
email may still be under another user profile in the Docs & Settings area.
If you installed clean and overwrote the old system, then the files are
lost. The upgrade path from Home to Pro is a one-way trip - you cannot
uninstall and go back.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone

To all you computer whizzes

I had to reinstall windows because I got hit by a virus. I ended up using

an XP pro disc, and figured everything would be okay. During installation,
my computer told me that it was making a backup file so that I could go back
to the way things were before installing XP pro, which made me hopeful that
I wouldn't lose my old emails.

After the installation, however, I found that all my emails from Outlook

express were gone. Actually, I think I didn't even have outlook express
after the installation, although I could be wrong - I ended up installing
Office Pro, and Outlook express may have deleted Outlook express.

Is there anyway to get back my old, important emails? Are they stored in

some windows folder I don't know of? I made a copy of the "My Documents"
folder before installation XP Pro - is it somewhere in there? I looked in
the Local Settings folder, for a .dbx file, as recommended by Frank
Saunders, but couldn't find anything.

If the emails are gone, I'm wondering why windows wouldn't let me know

that they would be lost during reinstallation. In any case, my fingers are
crossed. Any help?