Windows 8.1 - Helppppp!!!!!!

Simon7685

I have bought a new laptop and much to my dismay it has come with Windows 8.1, why oh why did they have to make something so user unfriendly???? It is an absolute nightmare, 4 days now I have been trying to get it set up and move things from one laptop to the other.

I have a lot of emails stored on my Windows 7 laptop and all I want to do is move them from there to this new laptop. All day long I have been trying and I can't do it. So at the point of being sat here contemplating suicide, can someone give me some simple instructions on how to do it.

I have exported the emails to a USB flashdrive using the export command from the windows 7 laptop. I cannot find anywhere on the 8.1 laptop that refers to importing them in the mail program.

I googled it, I have tried allsorts but I cannot find it.

I am now at the stage of contemplating going to Currys and buying Windows 7 and replacing this nightmare version of 8.1, it is so complicated.

Any help would be gratefully received and may save the life of the middle aged user in the process!

Thanks in advance

I_have_spoken

What mail program were you using on the Windows 7 laptop?

Simon7685

It says it is windows live mail.
thanks

Oblivion

I've never used Windows Easy Transfer so can't comment on its effectiveness but it might be a way ..


http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/transfer-your-data-with-windows-easy-transfer/


The utility should already be pre-loaded on W7 and W8 machines ...... just checked mine and it is. Start Button and just type Easy Transfer in the search box.

emptybox

Simon7685 wrote: »

It says it is windows live mail.
thanks

Well then the easiest solution would be to install Windows Live Mail onto your new laptop, and then import the emails through that.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-live/essentials
(you can choose not to install all the progs, if you wish)

I doubt the Windows 8 'Metro' Email client can import mail? Might be wrong.

RumRat

If the live account is set up for IMAP just log into your mail account on your new computer and they should automatically be there.

grumpycrab

Taking a step back, if you think you've been mis-sold 8.1 (expected 7) or believe you can exchange for 7 or get your money back consider this now. Buying 7 is an extra expense and effort which shouldn't be necessary.

If you want to give 8.1 another chance read on. I imagine the "modern" interface is getting in the way of the "traditional" user interface. Install a decent start menu (eg Classic Shell) which will give you access to "programs" and "apps" (ignore the latter). If the modern interface gets in the way return to the desktop with key combination Windows+D. Also set up 8.1 to boot to desktop by default (I assume you have already done this.)

Windows Live Mail. This is a clunky email client from Microsoft. Thunderbird is better in my view but stick with WLM if that's what you're used too.
WLM for 8.1 is downloaded as part of Essentials
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-live/essentials
(select UK English and only select Windows Live Mail when given the option.)

Next. Which Mail protocol did you use? If its IMAP (as mentioned in previous post) then no transfer of mails is required (unless you have created local/personal folders). If its POP then, yes, you should export data from W7 and import to W8.1.

securityguy

grumpycrab wrote: »

If its POP then, yes, you should export data from W7 and import to W8.1.

RFC1730, which defines IMAP version 4 (let's be charitable and accept that previous versions had limited uptake) is dated December 1994. That's not quite 20 years ago, but near enough. There is absolutely no excuse to not be using IMAP, with if necessary appropriate client-side caching, for email. If you have to "move" email from one machine to another, it's because you're doing it wrong. How on earth do people synch their email between multiple devices without using IMAP?

POP3 is the stuff of shoulder pads, perms and noise-gated snare drums, and should be left in the 1980s where it belongs (POP3 is standardised by RFC1081, November 1988). It's deficient in every way. Please stop.

vyle

OP, are your emails not still on your mail server? If they are, just retrieve them using whichever email client you wish to use, or log into your webmail page to access them.

If you've deleted them from the server and saved them on your computer, then how have you saved them? As text file? Are they in a proprietary format that is restricted to windows live mail?

If the latter, then as others have suggested, all you need to do is install windows live mail and import from the usb drive.

Simon7685

OK losts of useful advice given thank you but some of it I don't understand:o...........

Maybe if I try explaining where I am it might help. I can find my way round most windows editions but I am no expert at all. 8.1 I am totally confused by.

I now understand from reading some of the advice above that the default email program is not the same in 8.1 as it was in Windows 7. I sort of got that but just assumed they were in fact the same. Which is why I can't find a way to import my saved emails over.

So currently I have a lot of emails stored in various folders within windows live mail on Windows 7 and I want those emails to be stored on my new laptop and available to view.

If the default mail program in 8.1 is not live mail but this metro client that some of you have referred to, I need to ditch it and get windows live mail downloaded and installed on the new laptop. I assume I will be able to do this by going onto microsoft.com?

Once installed I will then need to get them imported from the memory stick I exported them to.

So am I approaching this right? Sorry if I don't understand some of the answers above but I am not very computer savvy and need simple processes to be able to follow:o

I think I can probably get used to 8.1 in time, I just was not expecting it to be so far away from windows 7. I guess I am getting old and now understand how my Mother feels, when she can't operate the new TV:D

Oblivion

Just download Windows Live Mail (it's one of several programs included in Windows Essentials) to your Win 8.1 machine from here ...


http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-live/essentials-other#essentials=overviewother


Then import your settings and emails into it using a USB stick.