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Thread ID: 21879 2002-07-06 04:49:00 Outlook Express 6 - Recover Folders Mike Corkin (894) Press F1
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60274 2002-07-06 04:49:00 Had a hard disk failure. Previously as a backup had total Outlook Express 6 folder copied to a CD. Now want to get all folders complete with their messages, attachments, etc into newly installed Outlook Express 6. Have used Microsoft Help Desk but no luck. Copied CD file to hard disk - changed all to archive files (from read only). Tried to import but Import Wizard says there are no files in the Copy Folder (all are DBX files). So then used Windows Explorer to transfer some trial folders direct into the Windows Application Outlook Express folder. According to Windows Explorer they are there okay but they do not appear when I open Outlook Express. I really need these folders as there is business data as well as lots of travel one from the kids. MS Help directed me to DBXtract which does make the files readable but not within the current Outlook Express and not in date order. Also, the address book seems to have disappeared - where does it get hidden? Is it not in the normal Outlook Express folder? Also, some of the original folders contain messages with attachments that I want to recover. Can anyone help? I'm not much of a Computer Geek so help will need to be spelt out.
Thanks
Mike Corkin
Mike Corkin (894)
60275 2002-07-06 07:02:00 First bit of bad news - Outlook will store the address book in a *.wab file
Looks like this is gone. You can search your C drive for *.wab to see where it is normally located on your PC
Marty2001 (421)
60276 2002-07-06 07:06:00 Although the news may not be all bad - you may have had a contacts folder - which will then be saved as contacts.dbx in your saved folders.
Did Microsoft get you to do all of the things at this link for Outlook Express?
www.sitedeveloper.ws
Marty2001 (421)
60277 2002-07-07 00:19:00 Thanks for your help Marty but still no luck. The address book is history - it was not backed-up. I have all the message folders but cannot get them into the latest installed Outlook Express. I created a back-up of the current folders from the newly installed Outlook Express following the instructions you referenced me to, and then physically moved one of my previous backed-up message folders into the new back up folder using Windows Explorer. When I went through the import restore exercise, the system recognised every folder except the original that I had physically moved in. When I look at its properties and everything else, it seems to be exactly the same sort of dbx file but with a different modified date.

I am at a bit of a loss what to try next. It is frustrating to have all the previous message folders containing 100's of individual emails, but being unable to easilly access them. At least as a result of this exercise, I now know the correct way of backing up, rather than just making a physical transfer through Windowers Explorer

Cheers
Mike
Mike Corkin (894)
60278 2002-07-10 06:30:00 Marty

If you are there. MS Help solved problem. Created a new 'Mail' folder on desktop and copied old Outlook files to it. Then used "import" to get them all into Outlook Express and this time it worked.

THanks your help
Cheers
Mike
Mike Corkin (894)
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