export/import messages in OE5/Entourage X - where's the logic?

[mikejaz]

I'm hoping one of the "gurus' who haunt these groups might be able to
enlighten me about the logic, or lack thereof, in attempting to get
email messages out of one version of Microsoft's "wonderful" email
client and into another.

Specifically, I'm having a problem with my G4/733/os9.2.2 and Comcast
cable internet...I think they're on to me that I've got more than one
computer hooked up thru a switch, and they've put the kabosh on the
G4's NIC. I'm rectifying that situation soon...but for the short
term, I'd like to be able to export my email messages out of that
computer, which is using Outlook Express 5.02, and into my iMac
233/os10.3, which is running OfficeX:Entourage.

first thing I notice is the folder structure is different. In OE,
each user (or "identity") has a seperate folder contained in the
"identities" folder, and each has a "messages" database contained
within. However, in Entourage, the folder "Main Identity" contains
the only message database; each individual is contained in the
"OfficeX Identities" folder, but this folder does not contain any
message databases.

alright, so much for my dissertation on the always-fun folder
structure of MS's email product. To cut to the chase, why isn't there
an "export messages" command in OE? Or, failing that, why can't
Entourage figure out that, when using the "import" command, that the
Outlook Express 5 stuff that you want to import might not be on the
computer you're using, but rather on another computer on the network?
Generally, when you ask an app to import, insert or attach a
file/folder, you go into a "browse" dialog where you can tell the app
where and what to import...not so in Entourage-land!

So how do I do this? A nice user named Chris R had a solution he used
to get Entourage/Mac messages out to his Outlook/Windows machine,
using an intermediary IMAP server. The problem for me with this
solution is:

1) I have no idea what an IMAP server is.
2) I want a solution that's simple enough that my wife (who can't
believe that something as simple as copying messages into another
email client can be THIS HARD) can do it. I don't think bouncing
stuff to intemediaries is simple enough.

Finally, if I haven't already exhausted your patience, a little
theoretical musing would be appreciated. What's the logic behind all
this - why's it so hard just to copy a few email messages from one
version of a program to another? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Dave Cortright]

Two things to try:
1. Copy your Microsoft User Data folder over from the OE computer to the
Entourage one, then try to import.
2. Failing that, you can always select message in OE (e.g. Cmd-A) and then
drag them to an empty folder on your desktop. This will export each message
as a separate file which can then all be dragged into Entourage.

 

[Barry Wainwright]

I see your query has been answered by DC, so I'll just comment on this
aspect:

To cut to the chase, why isn't there
an "export messages" command in OE?

There is very little advantage to a programme supporting 'export to
another_app' features, since they are generally only used once, by people
who won't be using your app again. So, when measured against
frequency/importance criteria they generally score very badly and hence
become low priority and are frequently dropped when time/cost constraints
become pressing.