Outlook Express/Windows Mail ???????

[quickburst]

Bought the wife a new laptop. Her old desktop ran WinXP, the new Laptop runs Vista. I've been dealing with Vista for quite some time and really don't have a problem with it.

Here is what I need help with. Her old e-mail program was Outlook Express, the new mail program is Windows Mail. How do I convert her outlook email to Windows Mail?

Is it a .dbx to .eml converter I need? If so is there a free one? I hate to pay good money for software I will need only once.

Once again .... I'm clueless.

 

[Peartree]

Dave,

Don't forget to copy over your wife's contact lists too. If she's like a lot of us, that list gets to be pretty extensive and is painful to try to rebuild. Outlook has a function that will save the entire contact list as either a .wab or .csv file whichever your new mail program will want. For directions goto 'Help' in Outlook, and search for the word 'copy.' It will be there under 'copying address books.'

Likewise under 'copying e-mail messages' there is a subheading named 'exporting messages' that explains how to export messages to Outlook or MS Exchange. With luck, the new MS mail program will be able to read one of these. If it works, this should copy all of the mail folders.

Once upon a time I came across a function that copied all of this stuff in the event of a complete backup or moving to a new computer but I'm not sure where (or what) that was anymore. Maybe someone else here can help further.

 

[falingtrea]

Instructions from Microsoft:

https://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/help/53e5df86-5ffb-43cf-a0c8-164e3fe7994f1033.mspx

Hopefully they will work for you.

 

[jorpet]

Windows Mail is just the latest incarnation of Outlook Express. I believe the data is identical between all versions of Outlook (Express, Windows Mail and Outlook).

I would look for a .OST file as the main data store containing all of the mail messages. If she has an archive folder look for a file ending in .PST. Look for .PAB

All the files should be under a directory like C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\ - or - C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook.

Usually just copying them across and replacing the current files will work.

 

[falingtrea]

Windows Mail is just the latest incarnation of Outlook Express. I believe the data is identical between all versions of Outlook (Express, Windows Mail and Outlook).

I would look for a .OST file as the main data store containing all of the mail messages. If she has an archive folder look for a file ending in .PST. Look for .PAB

All the files should be under a directory like C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\ - or - C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook.

Usually just copying them across and replacing the current files will work.

Heheh, this is Microsoft we're talking about. Their modus operandi is - pay for the simple solution (Outlook) or jump through hoops for the free one (Outlook Express/MS Mail).

 

[cls]

download and install Thunderbird - it will ask you if you want to convert existing (MS) email.

Thunderbird's a better mailer anyways, if you are not obligated to connect to Exchange (corporate stuff).

 

[jorpet]

I had to go through this for my wife when I bought her a new laptop a bit over a year ago. I forgot about the steps it took. The MS link is a good one for the steps to go through. I forgot that Express stores the messages as files rather than in a single file for the whole data store. Once they are all converted it should be fine.

I went with the full Outlook 2007 on our other machine since I was getting the full Office 2007 since I wanted Access and Publisher. Of course having a friend at MS who can get the full professional version for cheap helps too...