Need help recovering emails from OE 5 not in OE6

[resa73]

I upgraded my pc from Windows Me to Windows XP and it also upgraded my OE5 to OE6 and now all of my email messages are gone. I had sent the whole OE folder to a zip file before doing this but it isn't doing any good. Please tell me there is a way to recover the emails that were here prior to upgrading!m

 

[jonlog]

You should have exported your OE5 notes instead of just copying it then zipping them. Then you could have IMPORTED those notes into OE6.

Like this (in OE5):

Click on FILE/EXPORT/MESSAGES.

Select to export them as SV files. (make sure to remember where you exported them to.)

Then in OE6 you should have selected FILES/IMPORT/MESSAGES.

You did not do that so what you have left may still be extractable but I do not know how.

>>I upgraded my pc from Windows Me to Windows XP and it also upgraded my OE5 to OE6 and now all of my email messages are gone. I had sent the whole OE folder to a zip file before doing this but it isn't doing any good. Please tell me there is a way to recover the emails that were here prior to upgrading!m <<

Unzip your email files. Then try to copy those notes into the OE6 INBOX folder see if that works. That probably will not work as expected though.

John

 

[resa73]

Thanks anyway!

 

[gpalmer711]

You might still be able to recover those emails, first I need some more information from you.

When you say you copies the whole OE folder do you mean that you went to C:\program file\outlook Express and copied it to a zip file?

If not what did you do?

What version of Windows were you running before you upgraded?

Greg Palmer

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Any feed back is appreciated.

 

[resa73]

Greg, yes that is exactly what I did. I was running Windows Me

 

[resa73]

actually it was copied to a zip drive

 

[gpalmer711]

Ok right try the follwoing.

Open My Computer, Click on Tools > Folder options > Click View Tab.

Untick the 2 boxes named Hide File Extensions for Known File Types and Hide Protected Operating System Files. Also select the Show Hidden Files and Folders option.

Now Click on Start > Search > For Files or Folders.

Click Change Preferences and the Click Change File and Folder Search Behaviour. Click Advanced and then click ok.

In the File name box type Inbox.dbx and then click on Search. It should find at least two entries, let me know what the folder names are for the all the inbox.dbx files.

Greg Palmer

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Any feed back is appreciated.

 

[SYAR2003]

XP cleans the .\windows folder on install doesn't it.
If ME stored the inbox.dbx at
.\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express\Mail folder i suspect it's gone.
Lets hope it was stored under Program files.

SYAR

 

[resa73]

Should I be searching the Zip drive or C drive?

 

[resa73]

C drive says there is no results to display

 

[gpalmer711]

Ok well the DBX files for my Outlook Express are at C:\Documents and Settings\Greg\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{AF8D241D-3422-4073-911C-3606A87EC27A}\Microsoft\Outlook Express

Just change the Name Greg for your login name, also the long identity number should be different on your machine.

Go to that folder, can you see anything there?

Also what drive is Windows XP installed on?

Greg Palmer

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Any feed back is appreciated.

 

[resa73]

XP is installed on Cdrive. The folder C:\Documents and Settings\Todd\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities
has tons of things in it. How do I know which one to use?

 

[resa73]

in one of them I have two folders, one named outlook ex and one named outlook express.. the one has files in it that are named the names of the folders I originally had in my email.

 

[resa73]

Greg, I had three identities on the my previous version and I think I found all three of them. I have those identity numbers.

 

[resa73]

What do I do now that I found the identity numbers? How do I transfer them OE 6?

 

[gpalmer711]

Right First take a copy of the 3 Identity folders incase anything goes wrong.

In outlook express Click on File and then Import, Select messages, Select Outlook Express from the list. Browse to one of the identities and click on Ok. Follow any further on-screen prompts and it should import the Emails for you.

You can repeat the process for all identities and different folders, i.e. address folder.

Greg Palmer

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Any feed back is appreciated.

 

[resa73]

Greg, I am copying the files now. When I import, it doesn't just say outlook express, it says outlook express 4 or 5. I am assuming I choose 5?

 

[gpalmer711]

Thats correct

Greg Palmer

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Any feed back is appreciated.

 

[dentarthurdent]

Why not just search ALL hard drives/zip drives for *.dbx files ?
If you don't find any then you have lost your mail - sorry.

If you do find any (doesn't matter where they are) then create a folder called c:\mail (or something similar) and copy all the .dbx files into it.

Open OE6 and click 'File', 'Import', 'Messages'.
Choose Outlook Express 6. Click Next.
Choose 'Import Mail from an OE6 store directory' and click 'OK'.
Browse to c:\mail as the directory you wish to import from.

Choose 'All Folders'.

OE6 will attempt to get what it can from c:\mail. After it is finished have a look through your email and see if you have your missing mail. If you don't then at least you know that you have checked every single .dbx file you have access to.

Cheers,
Will.

 

[resa73]

Ok, it is saying NO messages can be found in this folder of another application is running taht has the required files open. Please select another folder or try closing applications that my have files open.

AHHH! I wanna scream! I can see the files.. they still have the titles I gave each folder! Am I going to be able to get this stuff?