Importing problem with Outlook Express 5

[jbrooks]

Help....Help....,please.

As you can guess, my whole life is in my Outlook Express files & folders and I'm needing some help please.

I have my .idx. .dbx, mdx Outlook Express files manually stored in a backup folder. I formatted my hard drive and reinstalled Outlook Express 5. When I import my files that I had in my backup folder (to a freshly installed Outlook Express with ONLY default folders), the files and folders are not indexed correctly - they are not in the original hierarchy order and some messages aren't even in the correct folders?

Thank you.

Can someone tell me how to import these files back into a newly installed Outlook Express program where there are no files, but when imported will maintain their original hierachy order of placement?

 

[Stuartp]

In order to get messages back, you will need to use Windows Folders, not OE itself.

After reformatting, open OE just once, so it will create folders for you. Then close it down again.

Now navigate to your folder where OE stores its stuff. On my Win2K system this is C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{24C6DD70-126D-4D3E-A4BC-D0575A37947C}\Microsoft\Outlook Express

Instead of choosing Administrator, choose whatever your login is to your win2k system, the rest should be the same. Now copy all your backup files from your backup folder into this folder, overwriting where necessary, and when you open OE your messages should be back where they were at the point when you made the backup.

Hope this helps for what you want to do.

Incidentally, IMHO the methods OE provides for backing up and restoring data are not really that good. I always advise people to use the full version of Outlook 2000 because it has many much better features, and backing up and restoring is one of them - all data is stored in one folder - Outlook.pst. You just copy this, then when restarting Outlook import Outlook.pst and everything goes back quickly and easily! Even contacts, which are always being lost from OE in this situ. So much better!

Stuart

 

[Stevieh]

Have you tried a program called Express Assist, this very useful program will make backups of all of your OE5 folders so when disaster strikes you can easily restore any or all of your lost messages, contacts or Favourites.

It would certainly have made light work of the problem you currently have.

I would really recommend that you use this program.