Hello gumyearn,
Thank you for your question.
As this article below mentions, this is neither as intuitive nor as
easy as it should be. However, the procedure listed in the article is
exactly what you need and works as described as I have done it many
times. Pay attention to details such as creating folders with EXACTLY
the same names and you should be good to go!
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1057425,00.asp
PC MAgazine
Transfer Outlook Express Addresses and Messages
By Neil J. Rubenking
October 30, 2001
"...On the old computer, select Address book from OE's Tools menu and
choose File | Export | Address Book (WAB) from the address book's
menu. Note that you don't get the WAB option in OE's own menu.
Transfer the exported file to the new computer. Now launch OE on the
new computer and select File | Import | Address book. Select the
transferred WAB file and then settle back and wait; a large address
book can take quite a while to import.
Before transferring message folders, right-click Deleted items and
choose Empty 'Deleted Items' Folder. Now select File | Folder |
Compact All Folders. Select Tools | Options, click the Maintenance
tab, and click the Store Folder button to get the location of the DBX
files that represent message folders. Do the same on the new machine.
Here's the tricky part: Launch OE on the new machine and create a set
of folders that match those on the old machine precisely. Shut down OE
and copy the DBX files from the old machine to the new system. You've
successfully transferred your message and address book information."
Should you wish to buy a software solution for this procedure (and
future backups and restores), youmight look at ABF Outlook Express
Backup:
http://www.abf-soft.com/outlook-express-backup.shtml
ABF Outlook Express Backup is a backup and synchronization tool for
the popular Outlook Express mail client. It allows you to backup and
restore your messages, address book, settings, mail and news accounts,
message rules, blocked senders lists, signatures, stationeries, and
even your favorites.
Search Strategy:
transfer outlook express and address book
I trust my research has provided you with a solution. If a link above
should fail to work or anything require further explanation or
research, please do post a Request for Clarification prior to rating
the answer and closing the question and I will be pleased to assist
further.
Regards,
-=clouseau=- |
Request for Answer Clarification by
gumyearn-ga
on
11 Nov 2003 23:02 PST
I transferred the address book easily, thank You!
I found the DBX files in my old machine fine. Idon't have a working
removable Memory device big enough to transfer the files. I hope I
can transfer a few of them at a time, zipped.
But on the new machine, Store Folder said it is at C:\
documents and Settings\Lee Mei\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{...
But there is no "Local Settings" nor subsequent folders. Searched the
whole C drive and could not find them. Help!
In case this is relevant: on my new machine, Outlook Express did work
in September when I first tried. But when I launched it again and
again yesterday, it did not receive new mail and could not be shut
down. The dialog box said "not responding", and prompted me to report
the error, which told me to do Windowsupdate. I tried but the
downloading failed midway. Today, I did all 15 critical Windows
updates. Launched OE again and it was the same thing. I lauched OE
one more time to re-check the location of the DBX files, and found the
OE to have received new mail.
|
Clarification of Answer by
clouseau-ga
on
12 Nov 2003 08:20 PST
Hello gumyearn,
Let me respond to your questions:
"...I found the DBX files in my old machine fine. I don't have a
working removable Memory device big enough to transfer the files. I
hope I can transfer a few of them at a time, zipped..."
Yes, as long as you have Outlook Express closed while you are doing
the transfers and unzips you should not have a problem. Do set up the
folder names before you start transferring your .dbx files.
"...But on the new machine, Store Folder said it is at C:\
documents and Settings\Lee Mei\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{...
But there is no "Local Settings" nor subsequent folders. Searched the
whole C drive and could not find them. Help!..."
There are a couple of possibilities here:
1. You are not showing Hidden Files and Folders and these are there,
but hidden from your view. Try going to Windows Explorer / Tools /
Folder Options and making sure "Show Hidden Files" is checked.
2. Go to Start / Search / Files and Folders and search for *.dbx to
see where they really are.
The fact you are having other problems with Outlook Express might be
troublesome and is beyond the scope of this question. Hard to tell if
it is just settings that might be incorrect for your email and SMTP
servers, a setting for Authentication that might not be set correctly
or a number of other possible issues.
I'm assuming that you are trying to retrieve email from one account on
your new computer and that same email IS accessible on another
machine. If that is a correct assumption, then I would double check
every setting for that email account between the two machines and have
it working BEFORE copying over the new .dbx files. And do set the new
machine to "Leave a copy of Email on the Server" so that it can always
be retrieved from your other computer before being deleted at the
server - just to be sure nothing slips through the cracks.
Regards,
-=clouseau=-
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
gumyearn-ga
on
12 Nov 2003 23:46 PST
Dear Clouseau-ga,
I thought of looking for any .dbx files in my new computer, there were
none connected to Outlook Express, but a lot under the AutoCAD program
files. Both my machines have AutoCAD installed. What a mystery!
Looking forward to your help,
Lee Mei
|
Clarification of Answer by
clouseau-ga
on
13 Nov 2003 07:48 PST
Hello Again Lee,
I think it is very safe to trust the location of the store folder for
the .dbx files related to Outlook Express. In my case, the path is
slightly different. You mention:
C:\documents and Settings\Lee Mei\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{...
In my case, they are found at:
C:\Documents and Settings\clouseau\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express
The fact that you can not find them causes me to think that either you
have settings for showing files, system files and common extensions
all hidden (check under Tools / Folder Options / ... in Windows
Explorer) OR perhaps your account as you are logged on does not have
full Administrator Priveleges. Have you checked this and perhaps
logged in as Administrator to see if the file are visible then?
I would double check the above. I think it would be very odd for OE's
setting for store folder NOT to actually point to the directory where
these files actually are. And if OE HAS received mail, then the files
should be established and viewable. It is possible that the Inbox,
Sent, Deleted, Outbox and Drafts.dbx files are not created until the
first actual use of OE, so be sure the email you mentioned was
received was not just the self generated "Welcome" message by OE, but
an actual email message that was retrieved from an email account. This
may cause these files to be established at first successful email
download.
Do let me know if this above helps to locate these files!
-=clouseau=-
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
gumyearn-ga
on
14 Nov 2003 20:15 PST
Yes, hidden system files was the problem. Thank you sooo much. Now
come I did not think of it?
But the saga never ends. All the attahments (including simple word
files) of the emails in my folders are considered by Outlook Espress
as unsafe and access was blocked. I tried transferring a folder
without zipping it and it still had the same problem. I went into
Options of OE, Security, and chose a lower level, it made no
difference. Guess I can try re-transferring that folder after this
setting change.
I also changed some other things about default dial up, etc, without
fully understanding them. Now OE was working well, received message,
and can be shut down, tho it does not disconnect until machine is shut
down. Did not find a way to save copy of mail on server.
In fact I saw there was new mail from Google Answer. I did not open
it (since I prefer working on the old machine), and have set msges to
be considered read only after 20 sec. But to my surprise, can't find
any mail today on my old machine.
If you can help on the attachments, would appreciate it. Sorry this
questions is branching out so long. Is there a way to increase you
award on it. I am sure glad there is Google Answer, and patient
experts like you.
Lee
|
Clarification of Answer by
clouseau-ga
on
14 Nov 2003 20:56 PST
Hello again Lee,
"Yes, hidden system files was the problem...
I thought this might be the case. I'm glad it solved that part of the problem!
...All the attahments (including simple word files) of the emails in
my folders are considered by Outlook Espress as unsafe and access was
blocked...
I **suspect** this has more to do with an antivirus program on your
new machine. If you have an AV program, disable it before trying to
move over these folders and messages.
...Did not find a way to save copy of mail on server...
Without making this setting change, you will have some of your new
mail on your new machine and some on your old machine. When you do
copy over the folders to your new machine, any email picked up there
that did not have the "save a copy on the server" set will be lost
forever! You can find this setting by going to Tools / Accounts /
Email - then your selected email account. Go tot the Advanced tab and
on the bottom you will see this setting. Now, if you retireve new mail
on the new machine, you will also be able to retrive it on your old
machine and you should have a copy should anything be lost when you
copy over your old email folders.
..If you can help on the attachments, would appreciate it. Sorry this
questions is branching out so long...
Hopefully this will get you over the last hurdle with attachments. You
do have Outlook Express closed when you try to copy over your folders,
do you not? If not, that is most definitely the problem. If you do,
then most likely it is an AntiVirus problem.
You can not change the price of a question once it has been answered,
but if you feel my answers have exceeded your expectations, you can
add a tip when rating the answer.
Do let me know if the above gets you up and going.
Best regards,
-=clouseau=-
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
gumyearn-ga
on
15 Nov 2003 22:53 PST
Hi,
I disabled the McAfee and then copied the files again from the
removable disc, but the attachments to the filed e-mails still could
not be opened. "OE blocked addess to the following unsafe files:..."
May be I need to do more on the OE security settings?
I was able to "save copy of mail on server", thank you!
The OE on the new machine is still not able to shut down, almost all
the time. But everything works until the shutdown.
Lee Mei
|
Clarification of Answer by
clouseau-ga
on
15 Nov 2003 23:21 PST
Hi Lee,
Try this setting:
Go to Tools / Options / then to the Security tab. You should find a
checkbox that says: "Do not allow attachments to be saved or opened
that could potentially be a virus."
Uncheck this box and I think you should then be good to go.
-=clouseau=-
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
gumyearn-ga
on
16 Nov 2003 14:01 PST
That sure worked. All the attachments I sampled can be opened,
wityout disabling McAfee. But then does this leave me vulnerable to
viruses? Does McAfee still work with this setting?
Thank you for checking my questions so frequently!
Lee
|
Clarification of Answer by
clouseau-ga
on
16 Nov 2003 14:47 PST
Hello again Lee,
Personally, I find that setting in Outlook Express too severe. I often
get Word Documents as attachments for example, and while the
possibility for a Word document to carry a virus DOES exist, I would
rarely open one from someone I did not know. In my case, I use Norton
AntiVirus and it would catch the virus upon opening it should I choose
that and if the document did contain a virus. I **assume** McAfee
works in a similar manner, but not being a McAfee user, I can not be
sure.
Similarly, I would VERY rarely open an attachment with an .exe
extension unless I was expecting it to come. Norton would catch a
problem here as well, so I always feel very secure in potential email
viruses on my machine.
I'm glad you are now up and working as you desired and the transfer of
old email has been accomplished for you. I trust this completes your
original question.
Best regards,
-=clouseau=-
|
Request for Answer Clarification by
gumyearn-ga
on
16 Nov 2003 23:08 PST
The only kink appears to be OE not being able to shut down properly on
my new machine, and it warns that unsaved work would be lost. If you
could help me on this one as well, I would really appreciate. If not,
I may have to post another question to Google Answer.
Very impressed by your prompt answers! Thank you!
Lee
|
Clarification of Answer by
clouseau-ga
on
16 Nov 2003 23:18 PST
Lee,
I really think that should be a new question as it is well outside the
scope of the original transferring of address book and older email
question. Whichever researcher picks up on that will need to know a
variety of other data such as how you connect to pick up mail, what
settings you have selected, when exactly OE fails to shut down, what
happens then and on and on.
I'm glad I was able to help with the original problems.
Regards,
-=clouseau=-
|
