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Emails Missing

Discussion in 'Microsoft Mail (Outlook / OE / Windows Mail)' started by raldridge, 2007/05/11.

  1. 2007/05/11
    raldridge

    raldridge Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Hi All,
    I have just upgraded my OS from WIN98 to WINXP, and I cannot now access my emails before the upgrade which was last Tuesday 8/5/07?.

    Is there a way I can find these emails and import them into my current Outlook Express email client?.

    I used an upgrade version to upgrade from WIN98 to WINXP.
    So these emails should still be on my current drive C:\, not on my other drive D:\.

    I have done numerous searches to find the previous mailboxes but with out success?.


    Hoping someone on this forum can steer me in the right direction, as others have done successfully in the past.

    I am a computer dummy, so please explain in simple steps what to do please?.

    Regards, Robert
     
    Last edited: 2007/05/11
    raldridge,
    #1
  2. 2007/05/12
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Which version of OE were you using on Win98?

    If OE 6 search for *. dbx files - you will need to set the search to include Hidden files and folders.

    Search > All Files & Folders > More Advanced Options
     
    PeteC,
    #2


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  4. 2007/05/13
    raldridge

    raldridge Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Hi PeteC,

    Thanks for your reply.

    Doing what you said certainly found them at last.

    Now could you tell me how to import just the emails prior to Tuesday 8/5/07
    into the sent items,archive and inbox folders in my new XP version of OE.

    Remember the folder names for the from folder and the to folder are the same.

    Hopefully you can tell me in simple steps how to import them?.

    Yes I have IE version 6, which was the latest I could use with Win98.

    Regards, Robert
     
    Last edited: 2007/05/13
    raldridge,
    #3
  5. 2007/05/13
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Relatively straightforward ......

    First step is to locate the *.dbx files and make a backup copy of them to another folder on your hard drive for safety's sake :)

    Then open OE 6 and for each folder create a new folder xxxxOld - i.e. InboxOld, SentItemsOld .....

    Open Inbox and select all the emails - these will be the current ones since 8.5.07 - and drag them to InboxOld leaving Inbox empty. Repeat for all the other folders.

    I would not use the Import function as I am not sure whether of not that will knock out the file xxxOld.dbx - I don't think so, but need to err on the safe side here.

    Copy - don't move, each of the original .dbx files from their current location to the location of your new message store in XP (this is shown under Tools > Options > Maintenance tab - Store Folder) and allow them to replace the existing files in that location, which are now empty.

    Once that is done open up OE and you should find that Inbox contains all the emails prior to 8/5 and InboxOld contains your emails subsequent to that date and so on for the other folders.

    Open InboxOld, select all the mails and drag them to the Inbox. InBoxOld can then be deleted. Repeat for the other folders.

    Long winded, but should work - safely. Don't forget to make the backups first :)
     
    PeteC,
    #4
  6. 2007/05/13
    raldridge

    raldridge Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Hi Pete C,
    Windows will not let me open the the folder to select the files to copy?.
    And Windows will not let me copy the folder either?.

    Any other suggestions?.

    The files were found in C:\ Documents And Settings\ Robert Aldridge\ Application Data\Identities.
    After this there was some code then\ Outlook Express.

    Regards, Robert
     
    raldridge,
    #5
  7. 2007/05/13
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Robert

    This is not as straightforward as I had hoped :(

    Are all the *.dbx files in the location you posted? That is the default message store for XP. The reason that you cannot open the folder is almost certainly because you are not logged on as Administrator and I am guessing that the original email folders may be in the Administrator account and invisible to you logged on as a User.

    How to login as Administrator in Windows XP?

    Log in as Administrator - note that in XP Home this can only be done in Safe Mode ....
    and search again for *.dbx files and make a note of the file sizes and compare with those found in your search while logged on as user. In fact you should find more .dbx files logged on as Administrator if your original .dbx files still exist, which they should.

    I upgraded to WinXP and my Outlook Express Inbox items disappeared ... are they lost?
     
    PeteC,
    #6
  8. 2007/05/13
    raldridge

    raldridge Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Hi PeteC,

    I carried out your instructions about starting windows in Safe Mode and by selecting Administrator.

    As soon as I was in Safe Mode I could not use the mouse anymore. So I did not know how to get the cursor on to Start to go to the Search option.
    So all I could do was switch off the PC at the power socket, then restart as normal.

    All this trouble to get into my previous emails.
    Very annoying.

    What is different about WinXP and Win98, because I have a program written using the Borlnd engine which worked in '98 but not in 'XP?.

    Also in Win98 I could use the mouse while in Safe Mode?.

    Regards, Robert
     
    raldridge,
    #7
  9. 2007/05/14
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    What sort of mouse are you using? - both my wireless mouse and PS2 mouse work as they should in Safe Mode - both MS products.
    Win 98 is 16 bit and XP is 32 bit.

    You may be able to run the program in Compatibility Mode ....

    Right click on the executable file (.exe) > Properties > Compatibility tab and run as Win 98.
     
    PeteC,
    #8
  10. 2007/05/14
    raldridge

    raldridge Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Hi PeteC,
    I am using a microsoft serial mouse.

    I have had a reply from the person who wrote the program.
    He writes,
    "The changes are strong where files are saved on the system. Data files cannot be written to the C:\ Program Files\Sub folders,but must be put into the User Data Area.
    Our Borland products just dont do that with the installer they use. "

    I tried the compatibility in any previous version modes and it did not work.
    This is the error message I got when I tried your instructions on trying to use the compatibility function.

    " An error occured while attempting to initialize the Borland Database Engine ( error $251E ). "

    Regards,Robert
     
    Last edited: 2007/05/14
    raldridge,
    #9
  11. 2007/05/15
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    It had slipped my mind that serial mice do not work in Safe Mode in XP - can you beg, borrow or steal a PS2 mouse for a couple of days?

    I think what Borland are saying is that their program is not compatible with XP - this is not uncommon with what is now very old software.
     
    PeteC,
    #10
  12. 2007/05/16
    raldridge

    raldridge Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Hi PeteC,
    No that is not possible for me to borrow a PS2 mouse for a couple of days.

    Can I access the Start option using the key board? in Safe Mode in XP?.

    Regards, Robert
     
    raldridge,
    #11
  13. 2007/05/16
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    PeteC,
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