Outlook Express 6.0

[phoneblock]

Had to format my hard drive, running Win 98 with IE 6.0. tried to export my email for backup, couldn't do it, so just copied the outlook express folder containing the .dbx files, assuming that when i re-install, and paste the files back in the default location, that the app would read the database files again when I next launched it.

No Joy! Just installs copies of the standard .dbx files again and show empty folders ( sent, recieved, draft, trash, etc.)

I now have the files backed up but can't get at the data. I can open them with notepad, but it is a real pain.

Can I import them back into Outlook Express 6.0, or is there any other way I can read/print/save them correctly??

Yeah, I know, should have used full blown outlook and exported the .pst file

Any help greatly received, Cheers guys & gals

[NooNoo]

Yes oe6 its relatively easy

Put your good dbx's in c:\oldmail (for instance)

File import messages, select outlook express 6 (even it was 5), next, click the radio button import from outlook 6 store directory.

Then when its imported you can use tools options maintenance to change the store folder to somewhere sensible instead of the place they bury it.

[phoneblock]

Thanls NooNoo,

I am sure that I have already tried this, but it didn't work.

OEX6 wouldn't recognise the old .dbx files, and just re-created the standard default .dbf files instead. It gave an error message advising that no message files were in that location, or that the files were already in use/open ???

Got me foxed:-)

Any other ideas??

[Lowland]

I may be way off here, but...

You copied the .dbx files to another location on your hard drive..

Then formatted it....

That would have deleted them.

Good Luck!

[NooNoo]

You can open them with notepad?

That means they are not dbx files anymore....

[phoneblock]

Hi NooNoo,

I can open them with the "open with" function, and not associate the file with notepad. It opens the .dbx file in text format, so I can abstract some of the mail details, but it is a very drawn out process.

Would be better if I could restore these .dbx files into Outlook Express, and let the app. open them. But it seems to ignore the .dbx files I put in its default location, and then creates blank "empty" files, leaving my full.dbx file un-opened.

Should have used Outlook with a .pst file!!!!!

Any further ideas??

[NooNoo]

I tried opening oe files with notepad, I got no useable information... I think your files are not oe format any longer.

[techs]

What are the attributes, read only?

[phoneblock]

Well done Techs, looks like you found the answer.

Not put it in action yet, will try this tonight, but there is an article on the MS KB regarding the "read only" attributes of backed up .dbx files.

It would appear that if you copy/backup OLEX 6.0 message store .dbx files to CD-RW it changes the attributes to read only. The way round this is copy the files to floppy or hard drive, change the attributes then restore using the import function in OLEX 6.0.

Thanks for your help guys.

[phoneblock]

Really getting hacked off now!!

Followed instruction on MS KB articles Q252603 & Q270670, changed the attributes on the .dbx files from read only, and completed an import to retore them to OLEXP. HOORAAYY!!

BUT!

It could now see the files and proceeded to import only some of them. It only imported the standard default folders, sent, draft, trash etc. All other user created folders such as Business, Jokes, etc, would not import.

So, as the read attribute had been removed I tried to physically copy the files and paste them into the OLEXP message store: Windows\Application Data\Identities\Hexadecimal_string\Microsoft\Outlo ok Expres folder, but OLEXP still would not recognise the files or import the folders.

So far I have only managed to completed a "limited" restore of the default folders, just need to import 23 user created folders now!

Anybody got any idea's, this is really causing me grief now!!!!

[craigmodius]

try creating a new folder in OE with the same name as one your trying to import. then see if it will import from your backup.

worth a shot~

[The Computer Valet]

Slightly O/T I suppose...

Recently I had to move some Outlook Express data to Outlook.

Sounds simple?

Well, I thought so, but if you export from OE to O, it goes directly to the O on the _Same_ machine.

It's as if there's no provision for making a file out of OE that can be transported to another machine and imported into Outlook.

In my case, I couldn't export into Outlook on the same machine and then transport it because that would have made two PST files which I would only be able to import into the working Outlook at a Personal Folder -- which I didn't want to do.

I might be totally off base here, which is why I'm asking and hoping there is a better solution.

[Archer]

As a last resort you could try a third party application like thisGenie Backup Manager 1.1 or this e-Backup 1.42

[TinyTim]

http://chattanooga.net/~scochran/DBXtract.htm

Check It Out....