Welcome
to the How to e-mail Section!
This section
covers:
Outlook
Express "Export"
Lets suppose that you are getting a new computer and you want to save
all your email from Outlook Express. The following procedure tells you
how yo do this.
Note:
This procedure works for any version of Outlook Express into the same
version of Outlook Express. It may work for different version but the
author hasn't tested this. Also ensure that you have applied the latest
Window Updates too.
The below
procedure does not export the e-mail addresses.
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Export
Feature?
There
actually is an Export feature in Outlook Express that you can use
to move your e-mail messages to Outlook or Microsoft Exchange.
However,
if you are trying to export your messages from Outlook Express
into a file that you can later import, this Export feature is useless. |
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Exporting
the Goods
What
we need to do is to find the files that Outlook Express uses to
store your messages and copy them to a CD or another computer.
0.
Create a new folder on your desktop and call it email.
1.
Open Outlook Express and Click Tools from the Menu.
2.
Click Options. |
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3.
Click the Maintenance Tab.
4.
Click the Store Folder Button.
The
Store Folder is where Outlook Express keeps all of your messages.
If
you have multiple identities set up on Outlook Express, the stored
folder will be for the identity you are using.
Identity
Use
Each Identity is assigned a long value that is used to represent
the user's name. For example Bob = {4D4C352A-4DD7-4BD8-98F1-0277286DF4E5}.
If
you have 6 identities set up then each identity would have its own
individual value, which you can see in the path below. |
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5.
Notice that Outlook Express keeps all your email files buried deep
inside a Windows folder. You can click on the path and use the right
arrow key to view the full path. |
This path
in Windows XP is: "C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Local
Settings\Application Data\Identities\Long Value\Microsoft\Outlook
Express." Windows 98 and ME will have a different path.
6. Click
the Change... button and select the email folder you just created in step
0.
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7.
Click OK and close Outlook Express.
8.
Open Outlook Express and check to see that your messages are all
there. When you opened Outlook Express all of your email message
files were "Exported" to the email folder located on
your desktop.
9.
Copy the email folder onto a CD or another computer.
NOTE:
Sometimes,
I simply copy the files located in the Storage Folder and don't
bother "exporting" them to another folder. This has worked
successfully for me but by doing the above you could discover that
your data is corrupt.
When
you directly copy everything from the Storage Folder, you also get
all the POP3 settings. |
As a final
step, you should record all the POP3 settings, your username and password
and your email address. If you are using dial-up, get the phone number
that the computer dials. You should also save
your email addresses.
POP3
Settings
I
took a look at how Outlook Express keeps its POP3 settings and found
that it stores them in the registry under:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Internet Account Manager/Accounts/somenumber/thedata
My somenumber folder is called
00000005
Once you’ve found the data, select the somenumber folder and from
the menu click File and Export. A window opens that lets you save the
data somewhere. Enter a name for the file like POP3 and save it. When
you want to put the data back, just right click on this file and click
Merge.
Technical
Data
In the Outlook
Express Folder are several files with the dbx extension. This extension
is a database type used by Microsoft. Here is a brief description of what
they are:
Folders.dbx
- This is the main index where all your messages are located.
Deleted
Items.dbx - Deleted email is stored here.
Drafts.dbx
- Draft emails are stored here.
Inbox.dbx
- All your email in the Inbox is stored here.
Offline.dbx
Outbox.dbx
- All email to be delivered is stored here.
Sent
Items.dbx - All email that has been sent is stored here.
Pop3uidl.dbx
Deleting
all the above folders is not a problem. The next time you open Outlook
Express, it creates all the above files - but now they are empty.
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