About Outlook Express

[Aurel]

I was wondering where it keeps the mail ?
I'm about to reinstall Windows and want to save the info.

[Jorden]

Easy...

Open Outlook Express.
Press file, Export.
It should be possible for you to export your addressbook and all messages to elsewhere.

After you reformatted and reinstalled Windows, use Import to get the addressbook and messages back.

Jord.

[Aurel]

Thanks Jorden ! I'm not going so far as in reformatting my drive, I'm just reinstalling Windows.
The adress book I managed to export but when I try to export the messages it gives me the following error: "The export could not be performed. An error occurred while initializing MAPI."
So I saved each and every last e-mail and attachement as a mail/word file, just in case.

[LAMFDTK]

C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Mail

C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book

[fds]

I assume you are using Outlook Express 5, OE4 was a bit different.

By default it stores your mail under Application Data\Identities\{bunch-of-numbers}\Microsoft\Outlook Express

Application Data is inside your profile's folder. So for example in Win2000 it is in \Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings. In Win98 with only one profile, it is simply inside the Win98 folder.

You can modify where it stores your mail in the registry. HKEY_CURRENT_USRE\Identities\bunch-of-numbers\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0

"Store Root" tells you where the mail of that identity is stored.

Or you could just do a search for *.dbx

[Hunsow]

That export/import thing never worked for me, always gave errors in any version. Just backup those .wab and .dbx files and copy them back after reinstall.

[Aurel]

Thanks guys
The adress book was in C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book
and the messages were in C:\Windows\Application Data\Identities\{bunch-of-numbers}\Microsoft\Outlook Express.


[This message has been edited by Aurel (edited 30 January 2000).]

[Rob G]

If you're using OE5 you don't need to hack the registry.

Go to Tools menu, then Options, then Maintenance, then Store Folder.