email backup

[Djeno]

Hi eveybody!

I have my current desktop for almost two years, and I feel that it is time to perform clean install on it. However, I am not sure how to back up my files, the Outlook Express files in particular. I'm affraid that if I do something wrong I will erase the emails (many of them!). I would also like to know how to activate the Outlook Express once formatting is done? I guess that it would be useful to add that I am using XP Home.


Massive thanx!

Djenno

 

[bibzte]

From

http://www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx

read the following...


How do I back up my files and settings?
To backup and restore OE5 messages, make a copy of all the files in the folder that contains the dbx files. Do a search for *.wab and back that up as well (address book). Also export these 4 registry keys:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities\{GUID}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express
Where GUID represents your Identity number.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Account Manager

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WAB\WAB4\Wab File Name


To restore the messages on a reformatted machine, or to move them to a new machine, copy all the backed-up files to the exact directory where they were located in their previous life. Then, before opening OE, import the 4 keys into the registry. If OE has already been run on the computer to which you are restoring, then delete those 4 keys from the registry (back it up first) before importing the 4 saved ones.

To backup and restore a single OE5 mail folder, save the appropriate dbx file. To restore, create a new folder in OE5 (call it archiv1, for example) and access it once. Then close OE and find archiv1.dbx and delete it. Make a copy of the folder you want to restore and rename it to archiv1.dbx. Then copy that file into the directory where the previous file was deleted. Open OE and the messages you wanted to restore will be accessible via opening that archiv1 folder.
----------------------------
Having just crashed my puter recently and lost everything not saved, I'm getting into the habit of regularly save dbx files (and of course Windows files/programs) onto CD.

That same site mentioned above has an excellent free utility (they accept donations) for saving and restoring dbx files.

It took me a long time to figure out that e-mail folders and files were stored where they are stored, and as "dbx"!

Good luck and let me know how you make out. By the time you read this, I bet you already have it figured out!


Bibzte

 

[bibzte]

See also:

http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/Q257/4/99.asp&NoWebContent=1

That is an excellent article on how to get OE emails from one computer to another...the "other" computer can be the same computer that was just reformatted (had hard drive erased, repartitioned, and Windows XP reinstalled).

Bibzte

 

[sixtyplus]

Hi Djeno,
there is an excellent back-up program (free) which you can download here:

http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/default.aspx