How do I save contents of folders in outlook express

researcher

I've looked everywhere, and can't find out how to save specific folders (and their contents) in outlook express to a cd rom.

When I end a project it's an ideal way of keeping all the data, and it's easily sorted by name, or date received etc + it has the email address attached to it. So far I've managed to save the folder - but not the contents (100's of emails). I can save the emails individually, but I don't want to do that?

If it would be easier I can save them to Outlook instead?

blinky

All the mail are kept in *.dbx files (e.g. inbox.dbx) etc.

The location of these depends on the operating system - XP they are somewhere in c:\Application Data\ by default.

If you search for them you need to go into the advanced options and set it to show hidden and system files.

Once you've found the files to backup quit Outlook Express (it locks the file) and simply burn the files to CD

http://www.sitedeveloper.ws/tutorials/outlook.htm

ManAtHome

Find the .dbx file for the folder you want to save and copy it to CD, other HD etc.. Easiest doing a search, locations vary depending on which version of Windows you have.

Edit: follow blinky's process - it does work, I have heaps of saved folders relating to old projects.

researcher

ok - I had actually found the .dbx files and burned them to a cd a couple of days ago - problem is how do I open them. I've viewed the cd on my OH's pc and all I see is his inbox - when asked what programme to open with, I highlight outlook express, and then select msimn as it appears to be the only suitable programme (I've unticked 'always use this option'). What am I doing wrong?


I have tried the tutorial - but as I'd already located the files it didn't help ... just thought - maybe it tells me how to open the file too. Will just check now. Sorry if I'm wasteing your time!

derrick

As for as I know you can only open emails in an email format? i.e outlook. If you have saved them from outlook I think you have to open them in outlook,

ManAtHome

Yeah, MSIMN is Outlook Express - sorry, should have said for OE you have to copy the .dbx files back in, for Outlook you can 'point' to them with Tools/Services.

blinky

Don't open them that way.

Either import them (File -> Import) in Outlook Express. Alternatively to revert back to an older inbox (after a reinstall or corrupt dbx) copy them into the folder which you backed them up from

http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx

moneyuser

If you just want to back up the emails then just create a folder with the same name as the email folder on your local hard disk. Resize OE and the explorer window with the newly created folder. Select all the emails from the OE folder (Shift+end) and drag them over to the folder on the hard disk. Then you can burn the hard disk folder to cd and double click on the emails to open them.

flang

easist way is to go into outlook express, right click over inbox and go to properties and it will give you the file location where the dbx files are saved. Burn these to disk.
To import them back into outlook, right click properties over inbox, open the file location and copy all the dbx files from disk replacing the files that were already there.
Hope this helps

derrick

Below is how I was informed how to do it and it worked




BACK UP E-MAILS TO CD OR FLOPPY DISC

Ensure Outlook Express is closed down?

Start, search, in the search for files or folders names box enter, *.DBX and ensure it is set to search

the "LOCAL HARD DRIVES", (need to look in hidden files/folders) Click search.

It should find several folders called, "inbox dbx, out box dbx, sent items dbx, folders dbx, etc. Click edit on the top and click "select all"

Right click once in the blue area, in the main search section, a drop down window will appear, click send to, another window will open, select dvd r/w drive f, (or floppy) click once on this drive to send these files to the drive.

Once these files have been written to the drive, a balloon window will appear @ the bottom of the screen informing you that you have files which are ready to be written to CD, click the balloon window on the bottom right to open the writing software, click next to begin writing the files to CD.

That's it, the e-mails are now backed up and stored on CD.

Chippy_Minton

researcher wrote:

ok - I had actually found the .dbx files and burned them to a cd a couple of days ago - problem is how do I open them.

Create a new OE identity, copy the .dbx files from the CD to a folder on your hard drive (say C:\Email), and change the Store Folder of the new identity to that folder (Tools | Options | Maintenance | Store folder).

Alternatively, import the messages into the new identity. See 'Restore the Archive' at http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/backup/partial.htm#multiple