Backup Outlook Express
"How can I backup my Outlook Express emails and address book? I tried the Export function but that doesn't work. I can't even drag and drop from the Inbox folder to a diskette or CDROM. Help!"
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Backing Up Your Email
It's really too bad that Microsoft didn't include a simple one-click backup option in Outlook Express. After attempting it myself, I began to think that they purposely made it hard to make a backup of your emails and address book. Here's a step by step guide to burning a backup CD with your Outlook Express goodies...
Start by putting a blank CD in the computer. You should see a little popup window asking what you want to do next. Select "Open Writable CD Folder" and press OK. If your computer doesn't prompt for an action when you insert the CD, just go to My Computer and open the CD Drive folder.
To backup your Outlook Express email messages, follow this procedure:
- Open Outlook Express. On the Tools menu, click Options.
- On the Maintenance tab, click Store Folder.
- Select the folder location (hold down left mouse button and drag across the folder name from left to right) then press CTRL+C to copy the location.
Note: Part of the folder name may be hidden, so be sure to copy the entire string. In a typical Outlook Express installation, the folder name will be something like this, but the characters in the brackets will be different for each computer:
C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{3D3B1757-A978FC42}\Microsoft\Outlook Express
- Click Cancel twice to close the dialog box.
- Close Outlook Express.
- Click Start, and then click Run.
- In the Open box, press CTRL+V to paste in the folder name, then click OK.
- When the folder opens in a new window, click Edit, then Select All.
- Drag the selected email folders to the CD Drive folder.
To backup your Microsoft Outlook Express address book, follow this procedure:
- Click File, Export, then Address Book.
- Click Text File (Comma Separated Values), then Export.
- In the File Name box, type C:\addrbook.csv, then click Next and Finish.
- Locate the C:\addrbook.csv file using My Computer, then drag it to the CD Drive folder.
If you want to go beyond backing up your messages and address book, you can also back up your email account information. This includes your email username, password, mail servers, and other settings that you specified when creating the account in Outlook Express. To backup your account data, follow this procedure:
- Click Tools, then Accounts
- Click the Mail tab, then select the account you want to export
- Click Export
- In the Save In box, type C:\ACCTNAME.iaf, then click Next and Finish. (The "ACCTNAME" will be the actual account name, already filled in for you -- no need to change it.)
- Locate the C:\ACCTNAME.iaf file using My Computer, then drag it to the CD Drive folder.
Note: If you have multiple Identities in Outlook Express, you must repeat the message, address book and account backup process for each identity, storing them separately, so you can identify them later in case they need to be restored from backup.
Now go to the CD Drive folder, click on "Write these files to CD" and the CD Writing Wizard will help you complete the process of burning the CD in just a few clicks.
Got any email backup tips? Post your comments below.
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Check out other articles in this category:Posted by Bob Rankin on February 7, 2006 05:16 PM
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Most recent comments on "Backup Outlook Express"
(See all 40 comments for this article.)|
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I copied successfully my OE emails to disc as instructed. I understand that .dbx is a database and that I can read it only via the Outlook Express program itself. What I don't understand is the mechanics of doins so. For example, I start OE then go to "open" but I can't find a way to navigate to a location (either CD drive or a copied .dbx file. I would appreciate some help please. EDITOR'S NOTE: You can't navigate there. You have to put the DBX file in the Outlook Store Folder. See the article for help determining the folder location. |
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thanks you so much i got it, i got it |
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I think it must be stressed that Outlook files are not amenable to manual fiddling. Backup procedures must follow the parental-like directions demanded by Outlook. No assumptions can be made. These are not like ordinary files we are all accustomed to copying, moving and such. Your steps show how to "stay within the lines". |
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I backed up my email messages and copied it to another computer's store folder. After, I opened OE6 and tried Import > Messages... > Microsoft Outlook Express 6 > Import from an OE6 store directory > Chose the Store Folder > Clicked Next. I then get an error messaged stating: EDITOR'S NOTE: You copied your backup to another computer's store folder? Why? Is that other computer accessing or using the file? I'd move it to some other folder, where OE cannot find it. |
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I had been using very similar instructions to yours above when I was on Win 98. (I'm now on MAC and using their mail program.) My girlfriend is on Win XP. She has several Outlook Express folders she has created to retain her e-mails by subject. When I look in the folder you've suggested, I find only the .DBX folders generated by OE, such as Inbox, Outbox, Sent, etc. I can't find any of the folders with the names she created (as I used to under Win 98). Where are they so I can back them up? Are they hidden somewhere (else)? I tried loading the backup to a different computer running XP and OE and was only able to see the messages stored on the main OE folders (as I expected). |
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This is great!. So I did it and it worked but I can't open the folders from Outlook on my cd and can't figure out how to do it. I need to reinstall my computer in a week. Please help granny out here. EDITOR'S NOTE: You can't open the folders directly. You'll have to import the messages from the folder into Outlook. |
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when I drag the C:\addrbook.csv file I get an error message: Cannot copy...Access is denied. Make sure the disk is not full or write-protected and the the file is not currently in use. None of those things apply...what now? Thx! EDITOR'S NOTE: Did you already burn the folders to the disk? If so, the CD is finalized and will be read-only. |
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just about to pull my hair out trying to get the 'read only' file in properties to stay applied. I've been trying to import .dbx files off and on for almost a year. your instructions are the most clear but it still isn't happening. EDITOR'S NOTE: What happens when you try to import? |
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I heard about not bad application-outlook password backup, is a program, that helps users to display passwords and logins for all mail accounts, created in Microsoft Outlook as well as for files with *.pst extension, that are stored to keep your mail messages, can easily recover forgotten password for all Microsoft Outlook accounts, can copy recovered data to a text file, Outlook 2003 mail account and password backup is easy. |
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How do I move around names in the Address Book for Outlook Express? This is to be from one folder to another. |
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