HELP with OE remail back up

derrick

I have just tried to back up my emails using the following I received from this section earlier this year but have messed up:-

OE >tools >options> maintenance> store folder> in store location window copy path to folder location, paste into IE browser, erase the "outlook express" from the end of the path, click go > copy and paste the folder to backup source.

I had done that OK, but when I put it into a folder on my desktop, I dragged and dropped I know I should not have done that, as I have now lost everything from my OE folders and drafts, sent items etc.

The emails do seem to be in this desktop folder but how do I get them back to their respective folders?

I have done a system restore to yesterday, but that has not helped, is there a way to easily return them to where they where an hour ago?

When I open the folder and click on an item, it says " windows cannot open this item"

espresso

Copy the files back to where they originally came from.

derrick

espresso wrote: »

Copy the files back to where they originally came from.

I have done that, but now have: Outlook Express, Outlook Express (2) and email back up

The two OE's have practically nothing in them, but the Email Backup seems to have the emails in it, but not in "folders" and i cannot open them from that folder?

espresso

So you have not copied them back to exactly where they came from. You should have just backed up the files in the original Outlook Express folder to somewhere safe. If you copy these files back into Outlook Express, it should be back as it was. Outlook Express (2) can be deleted.

More info here.

derrick

I backed them up to desktop, but instead of copying and pasting, I dragged and dropped, therefore eliminating them from where they where originally stored, I have got them back,(I think) to where they where stored, hence the " email backup folder" but they are not in OE when I open OE, and I cannot open them when I click on the folder "Email backup" as Windows says it cannot open them!

derrick

How do i copy them back to OE?

espresso

The path to your Outlook Express folder will be something like this:

C:\Documents and Settings\FredBloggs\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{F452F804-390D-4DB9-95ED-784532A01784B}\Microsoft\Outlook Express

You should have copied the contents of this folder to back them up, therefore you need to copy them back to this same folder on your machine.

They will then be back where they were originally and you will also have a safe backup copy.

derrick

Yes that does seem to be right,(but without the "outlookexpress" on the end as that was how the original advice was given, but how/where do I copy it back to?

espresso

If you have moved the folder called Outlook Express and all of it's contents, it needs to be copied back to the end of that path, which is where OE expects to find it's files and folders. i.e. OE > tools > options > maintenance> store folder should be similar to the path in post #7.

derrick

Yes it does seem to be there,but I want the emails back into OE, but from that point I cannot move them or open them, I have had them there since post #3

espresso

Have you shut down OE and re-started it since putting the files back?