XP to Win 7 - alternative to Outlook Express?

YorkshireTraveller

It's about time that I upgraded my computer from XP to Win 7 (not brave enough to make the jump to 10 just yet!).

I've been a long-time user of Outlook Express which is not compatible with Win 7. Can the forum suggest alternatives that I could use to import my OE folders/address book/mail rules to and then move to Win 7?

Thunderbird looks good to me but wondered if I was missing any other alternatives?

EssexExile

Isn't Outlook on W7 (almost) the same as Outlook Express on XP? I went from one to the other & I don't remember any problems, but it was a while ago.

YorkshireTraveller

EssexExile wrote: »

Isn't Outlook on W7 (almost) the same as Outlook Express on XP? I went from one to the other & I don't remember any problems, but it was a while ago.

I think that W7 has Windows Mail.

Oblivion

I use Windows Live Mail on my Windows 7 machines. I like it very much.


https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=29224

Justice13075

I think you are making a big mistake Windows 10 in my opinion is far superior to windows 7 and you can you use Thunderbird as your email which is every bit as good as outlook

tronator

EssexExile wrote: »

Isn't Outlook on W7 (almost) the same as Outlook Express on XP? I went from one to the other & I don't remember any problems, but it was a while ago.

There is no Outlook in Windows 7. You always have to buy it seperately. And Outlook and Outlook Express were never (almost) the same.

@OP: I use Thinderbird. Thunderbird has an import function, but I think it needs to be installed on the same PC. I never had to deal with that, so I can't say for sure. As for your folders, if you use IMAP then they will be there already without the need of importing.

Maelwys

EssexExile wrote: »

Isn't Outlook on W7 (almost) the same as Outlook Express on XP? I went from one to the other & I don't remember any problems, but it was a while ago.

Outlook 2010 (and 2013 32-bit) will still import everything from OE directly. Outlook 2013 64-bit won't though. The easiest method is to install Outlook 2010 on the old box, import everything from OE, then move Outlook's PST file to the new PC.

victor2

Thunderbird is free, Outlook isn't.
Must admit I prefer Outlook, but that's only because I needed Office 2010. I did dabble with Thunderbird for a while and found it OK, but switched to Outlook when I got Office Pro.

aerostar

Thunderbird and OE
Guidance only


Install Thunderbird on XP

Cancel out new address, goto horizontal bars top rightish next to search, and select tools, then select import, then dot in import everything, click next, should show OUTLOOK EXPRESS, make sure dot is in that then click Next, and wait, it may take sometime depending how many emails etc.
you will get a progress bar going across the screen.

When done check Thunderbird works ! (you need to have the mail server passwords handy )

Note all mail and folders will be in Outlook Express Import folder, you can move the OE import folders to the Tbird inbox as necessary.

Then

Download Mozbackup here http://mozbackup.jasnapaka.com/
Do Your backup and copy/save it and the Mozbackup program to a memory key.

For double safety if you have space on a key, on the XP machine, click start, run, then type in
%appdata%
You will see a directory list, look for Thunderbird and copy that to memory key. Note you may have to change your folder settings to show hidden files and folders if it does not show.

Thunderbird directory in APPDATA, contains everything, mail, settings, addresses, and saving this gives you a second backup that can be used in emergency.

When you have your Win 7 running install Thunderbird, run it once, and cancel out setting up servers etc, shut Thunderbird down.

Then run Mozbackup, and use that to restore from your memory key the backup file it made.

You should then have it all up and running.

There are plenty of links for help if you Google OE to Thunderbird and win 7.

http://mozbackup.jasnapaka.com/soubory/mozbackup-howto.pdf
Video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1geEkkPfVAM

Use the above at your own discretion, I have done this quite a few times, just make sure you keep the backups in case anything goes wrong.

macman

Windows Live Mail or Thunderbird: not a lot to choose between them, and both free.

Neil_Jones

Yorkshire_Traveller wrote: »

I think that W7 has Windows Mail.

Windows 7 does not have any email client at all by default.

You can download Windows Live Mail, as part of the Windows Essential package, and that is the direct replacement for Outlook Express in Windows 7.

Or failing that, there's full-blown Outlook as part of Office, or Thunderbird. Good thing about Thunderbird is that you can copy the entire profile folder to another computer and it takes your extensions, mail, settings, everything with it. Same principle applies to Firefox as well.