Backing up outlook express messages

[Chrissirhc]

Is backing up outlook express messages as simple as copying
c:\windows\application data\Identitys\234237943274982374\Microsoft\outlook express\*

to a folder.

Then when re-installing windows incidently windows 2000 copy the files back into the same folder?

A quick reply would be good
Thanks in advance.

Chris

 

[PRW2000]

As far as i am aware yes but you could just use the expoort util from the file menu in outlook express!

You would then just have to reimport them afterwards!

 

[Chrissirhc]

export only exports to outlook. Then from outlook you can export to csv file but only one folder at a time. If I am incorrect then can you tell me how to do it.

Thanks

Chris

 

[reghakr]

As long as they are from the same version of Outlook express, YES. These are the main files you need:
C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Identities\{YOUR IDENTITY NUMBER}\Microsoft\Outlook Express
Outbox.dbx
cleanup.log
Deleted Items.dbx
Drafts.dbx
Folders.dbx
Inbox.dbx
Offline.dbx
Pop3uidl.dbx
Sent Items.dbx


But I'd still take safety precautions. Here's one way:
OLEXP: How to Back Up and Recover Outlook Express Data

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Outlook Express versions 5, 5.01, 5.5 for Windows 95
Microsoft Outlook Express versions 5, 5.01, 5.5 for Windows 98
Microsoft Outlook Express versions 5, 5.01, 5.5 for Windows 98 Second Edition

SUMMARY
This article describes how to back up and restore your messages, Address Book, mail accounts, news accounts, and message rules in Outlook Express 5 and later. If multiple Identities are in use for Outlook Express, these steps should be repeated for each Identity and the backup data segregated accordingly. This will facilitate restoration of each Identity.

MORE INFORMATION
To backup Outlook Express data:

Copy mail files to a backup folder
Export the Address Book to a file
Export the mail account to a file
Export the news account to a file
Export the message rules registry key

To restore or import Outlook Express data:
Import messages from the backup folder

Import the Address Book file
Import the mail account file
Import the news account file
Import the message rules registry key

Copy Mail Files to a Backup Folder
To make a backup copy of your Outlook Express e-mail message files:
On the Tools menu, click Options.

On the Maintenance tab, click Store Folder.
Select the folder location, and then press CTRL+C to copy the location.
Click Cancel, and then click Cancel again to close the dialog box.
Click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, press CTRL+V, and then click OK.
On the Edit menu, click Select All.
On the Edit menu, click Copy, and then close the window.
Right-click any empty space on your desktop, click New, and then click Folder.
Type mail backup for the folder name, and then press ENTER.
Double-click the Mail Backup folder to open it.
On the Edit menu, click Paste.
Close the Mail Backup window.

Export the Address Book to a File
NOTE: This step is very important when multiple Identities are in use.

To export your Outlook Express address book:
On the File menu, click Export, and then click Address Book.

Click Text File (Comma Separated Values), and then click Export.
Click Browse.
Locate the Mail Backup folder that you created.
In the File Name box, type address book backup, and then click Save.
Click Next.
Click to select the check boxes for the fields that you want to export, and then click Finish.
Click OK and then click Close.

Export the Mail Account to a File
To make a backup copy of your Outlook Express mail account:
On the Tools menu, click Accounts.

On the Mail tab, click the mail account that you want to export, and then click Export.
In the Save In box, locate the Mail Backup folder on your desktop, and then click Save.
Repeat these steps for each mail account that you want to export.
Click Close.

Export the Message Rules Registry Key

Message rules information is stored in the registry. To back up your Outlook Express message rules, export the message rules registry key.

NOTE: This procedure describes how to back up the registry key for the same computer on which the registry keys are going to be restored. This procedure does not describe how to export rules from one computer to another. You cannot move the registry keys from one computer to another by using this method because there is unique Identity Number subkey on each computer.

To export the message rules registry key:
Click Start, and then click Run.

Type regedit in the Open box, and click OK.
Locate and click the following registry subkey:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{Identity Number}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0\Rules\Mail
On the Registry menu, click Export Registry File.

In the Save In box, locate the Mail Backup folder on your desktop.
In the File Name box, type rules, and then click Save.
Quit Registry Editor.

NOTE: For additional protection, copy the Mail Backup folder on your desktop to any of the following locations:

Another partition on your computer.
A network location.
Some form of removable media.

To restore or import outlook express data
To restore data, you may need to re-create the Identities for each user, prior to using the following steps. Repeat each step, as needed, for each Identity.
Import Messages from the Backup Folder
To import your Outlook Express e-mail messages from the Backup folder:
On the File menu, point to Import, and then click Messages.

In the Select an e-mail program to import from box, click Microsoft Outlook Express 5, and then click Next.
Click Import mail from an OE5 store directory, and then click OK.
Click Browse, and then click on the Mail Backup folder on your desktop.
Click OK, and then click Next.
Click All folders, click Next, and then click Finish.
Import the Address Book File

To import your Outlook Express address book:
On the File menu, click Import, and then click Other Address Book.
Click Text File (Comma Separated Values), and then click Import.
Click Browse.
Locate the Mail Backup folder on your desktop, click the address book Backup.csv file, and then click Open.
Click Next, and then click Finish.
Click OK, and then click Close.

Import the Mail Account File
To import your Outlook Express mail account file:
On the Tools menu, click Accounts.
On the Mail tab, click Import.
In the Look In box, locate the Mail Backup folder on your desktop.
Click the mail account that you want to import, and then click Open.
Repeat these steps for each mail account that you want to import.
Click Close.

Import the Message Rules Registry Key
Message rules information is stored in the registry. To import your Outlook Express message rules, import the message rules registry key.

NOTE: This procedure describes how to back up the registry key for the same computer on which the registry keys are going to be restored. This procedure does not describe how to export rules from one computer to another. You cannot move the registry keys from one computer to another by using this method because there is unique Identity Number subkey on each computer.

To import the message rules registry key:
Double-click the Mail Backup folder on your desktop.

Double-click the Rules.reg file.
Click Yes to import the information to the registry.
Click OK.

NOTE: If Outlook Express is running when you import the Rules.reg file, quit and then start Outlook Express again for the changes to take effect.

reghakr