How do I back up Outlook Express?

[konichiwa]

I'm about to do a reformat, and I need to back up a few things. First of all, favorites. I assume I just need to copy the favorites folder, right? Nothing more to it...Outlook Express? How do I do that? At the very least (and most importantly) I need to backup my messages and folders, but I'd like to be able to backup my preferences and/or user settings.

I think that's all...can anyone tell me how to do that?

 

[AlphaIVT]

Also, how do you backup your Outlook 2000 settings and messages to Outlook Express? I just did a reformat and had to install O2k to use my email. any help would be appreciated

 

[konichiwa]

Thanks for crapping on my thread. :Q

 

[ltk007]

To back up your mail and news accounts its easy. Just go to tools/accounts. Then choose the mail or news account you want to save and go to export on the right side.

 

[Valhalla1]

I believe it stores everything in a single file, something.ost or something like that. I would tell you but I'm at work away from my home pc. I know in win2k its in /documents + settings/admin/application data/microsoft/outlook or something

 

[AlphaIVT]

its *.pst, but thats for OUtlook 2k ,i'm not too sure for OE. i want to go back to OE now, its quite faster IMO .

 

[Lord Evermore]

Search...it's your friend...

Outlook Express folders are stored in subdirectories in the Application Data folder in \Windows. Just backup that entire last folder (Outlook Express; do not backup any of the higher directories because they won't work later).

Also do the backup your accounts in the Tools menu thing (do it before backing up the mail folder).

Then when you reinstall, copy the backed up mail files to the new directory, THEN import your backed up mail accounts (don't do it the other way around or you risk losing new mail).

 

[prodigy]

You can try File >> Export also.

 

[Lord Evermore]

Exporting in Outlook Express only allows you to export to OTHER mail clients, not to an OE-native format that you could then restore.

 

[perry]

See if this doesn't help any.

 

[Prodigy^]

Ok koni, I'll give you a straight answer instead of this

Favorites: Yes, copy your 'Favorites' folder in your Windows dir.

OE: Copy all .dbx files in the folder called something like this:

C:\windows\application data\identities\{210E7620-93D5-11D4-A1DF-BAEB5E74F7FA}\microsoft\outlook express\

the {210E7620-93D5-11D4-A1DF-BAEB5E74F7FA} may vary those .dbx files are all you need to copy.

 

[Format C:]

Express Assist 2000 for Outlook Express

Outback Plus for Microsoft Outlook

 

[Moonbeam]

I haven't been able to get it to go forward much less back it up.

 

[damocles]

I see this topic a lot. Microsoft has made a simple job a nightmare (IMO), it fails my user friendliness test

 

[DABANSHEE]

Just go to the 'C:\Windows' folder & right drag the 'Application Data' folder to another drive or another partition, then click 'copy' in the right click contextual menu that pops up.

Then after you have gone through the Format c:/install windows routine, you go to the new 'C:\Windows\Application Data\Identities' folder & write down the name of the folder inside (or 'copy' the name to the clipboard). It should look something like this, '{E4C03280-ACD1-12Y4-973S-865EDE60G825}' (except the odds are about a million to 1 on that the numbers & letters will be different.

Now go to the old 'Windows\Application Data\Identities' folder & give the folder inside it the same name as the folder inside your new 'C:\Windows\Application Data\Identities' folder.

BTW, when you creat your new internet account, make sure you give yourself the same name in 'Outlook Express' as you had in your old 'windows' partition. Otherwise you'll have to rename your backed up old 'address book', inside the backed up 'Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book' folder, to match your new 'Outlook Express' name, otherwise you'll have to creat a new 'Address Book' all over again.

Now right drag your old '\Windows\Application Data' folder into your new 'C:\Windows' folder, & click 'copy' in the right click contextual menu that pops up.

Now open 'Outlook Express' & it should look just like it did in your old parition, except the appearance will be in the MS default mode.

I learnt this routine through the scientific method of trial & error, so there's probably a better, easier & quicker way of doing this if you can be bothered finding it.