How can I read my stored Outlook Express DBX files?

[Marnie Juel Shaw]

I used to use Outlook Express on my old Windows XP computer. I have all my
of Outlook Express dbx files stored on an external hard drive. I have copied
them over to my new Windows Vista computer. Outlook Express is not on my new
Windows Vista computer. I am using Office 2003 with Outlook 2003. I have
been unsuccessful at dowloading any of the free Outlook Express downloads I
can find on the Internet. I have been unsuccessful at importing the DBX
files into my Outlook 2003. How can I read my stored Outlook Express DBX
files?

Sincerely, Marnie Shaw

 

[F. H. Muffman]

I used to use Outlook Express on my old Windows XP computer. I have all my
of Outlook Express dbx files stored on an external hard drive. I have
copied
them over to my new Windows Vista computer. Outlook Express is not on my
new
Windows Vista computer. I am using Office 2003 with Outlook 2003. I have
been unsuccessful at dowloading any of the free Outlook Express downloads
I
can find on the Internet. I have been unsuccessful at importing the DBX
files into my Outlook 2003. How can I read my stored Outlook Express DBX
files?

You need to get them into Windows Mail, the vista version of Outlook
Express. To do that, beats me.

A quick google found these steps:

1. Create a directory under the current user's Documents, such as
Documents\OEMail. This directory needs to be within the user's space, such
as under Documents, in order to prevent possible access permissions
problems.
2. Copy all the dbx files from one Outlook Express Identity into this
directory, ensuring that folders.dbx is included.
3. Go to Edit | Select all in Windows Explorer and select all the dbx files.
Then right click on the selection and choose Properties and ensure that the
read only attribute of the files is unchecked.
4. In Windows Mail go to File | Import Messages and choose Outlook Express 6
format and choose to import from a directory.
5. Then use the Browse button to browse to the directory of dbx files. Make
sure that when you set the directory that what is listed in the path is
correct (NOTE: Vista can put the wrong path in here sometimes, so instead of
c:\mypath it puts c:\mypath\mypath, so check the path to verify that it is
correct, and if it is not correct then fix it by clicking the Browse button
a second time and then leave the selection blank and clicking Okay.).
6. Then select the files from which you wish to import messages and click
Import.

 

[Marnie Juel Shaw]

Thank you very much F. H. Muffman. Going into Windows Mail (which I had
never heard of previously) worked wonderfully. I am grateful indeed,
especially thinking of the hours I spent on this problem earlier in the day.
I found Windows Mail in my program list and entered it, not bothering to
create a new email id, etc. being as I am and will be using my Outlook 2003.
I went into Import and imported in one of the Identity files and, like a
charm, there are the emails for that identity! Awesome!

Sincerely, Marnie Shaw (CALGARY, Alberta, Canada)

 

[Shawn Kennedy]

I did all of those same steps but get a message when I select NEXT after
browsing to the correct folder that says "No messages can be found in this
folder". Folder DBX IS present, along with all of my personal folders.

 

[Peter Foldes]

Shawn

You will need to ask in a Outlook Express (OE) newsgroup and not here on Outlook
(OL) which is a part of Office

On the web:
http://www.microsoft.com/communitie...px?dg=microsoft.public.outlookexpress.general