how to copy mail from 4.7 to 6.2

I was using 4.7 on my old PC, and I installed 6.2 on my new PC. How do I copy my old email folders to 6.2? I've tried to copy them directly as subfolders of the mail directory in my user profile (\windows\application data\mozilla...\mail), but I wasn't able to actually see the folders through my inbox. I've also tried copying the entire old user profile as a subfolder of mozilla\profiles, but once again, I couldn't access any of the old folders through 6.2. Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

Welcome to the Forum!

Hi iamshell,

The mail folders (the ones with no extenstions) are the same format in both programs, and may be directly copied from one mail directory to the other, in Windows Explorer.

Post back if you have more questions.

Ramona

 

Thanks for your help - the part I'm having problems with is figuring out WHICH folder to copy my saved email to. In 4.7 I copied mail folders by just pasting them into the "mail" folder in my user profile.

In 6.2, the "mail" folder in my user profile has subfolders "local folders" and a folder with my ISP name. The folder with the ISP name has an inbox subdirectory. I've tried copying old mail folders to each of these locations, each time the saved email shows up in windows explorer, but not in the folder list in the upper left of the Netscape screen.

What destination do I copy to so I can open the messages in the folders? Thanks!

 

Hi iamshell,

Don't copy your 4.7x Mail files to the "Local Folders" in 6.x, or to the Inbox subdirectory.

You should be able to copy them to:
C:\Windows\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\YourProfile\xxxx.slt\mail\mailserver

In other words, the folder that isn't Local Folders. I don't have Mail & Newsgroups with my 6.2.2, but I do have Mail with Mozilla0.9.9.

In order to create your situation, I copied my 4.79 Mail Inbox to Mozilla.

With Netscape/Mozilla closed:

In Windows Explorer, I copied the Inbox (no .snm extention) to the Mozilla Mail folder. Windows asked if I wished to replace the existing Inbox file. I answered yes, as I had no files in the Mozilla Inbox.

If you have messages in your Netscape 6 Inbox, and you don't want to lose them by copying over your Inbox file.

In the 4.7x Mail folder, right click Inbox
Select "Open with notepad "
Highlight and copy everything in the file

Open Netscape 6.x Mail folder, right click Inbox
Select "Open with notepad "
Paste the file contents from 4.7x

If you have more questions, please post back. Let us know if this works!

Ramona

 

mail still not copying from 4.7 to 6.2

Thanks Ramona for the great instructions! I've found the "copy files" instructions in several places but you're the first person to actually explain where to copy them to.

Unfortunately, it still didn't work. In Windows Explorer I can see that the files are there, as subdirectories of my server folder, and if I open them with wordpad, I see the text of the messages. But some of the folders aren't showing up in the folder list in Navigator, and the ones that are show up empty (when I click I don't get a list of messages). I tried copying over my Inbox file, and according to Windows Explorer, it worked. When I open the Inbox folder through WE I can see the messages I copied, but when I open the Inbox through Navigator, the original messages I copied over are stilll there, but none of the ones I copied.

The only thing that worked was your suggestion of using notepad to copy and paste, but it really seems like there should be an easier way! Could the problem be because I'm copying from PC to disk to a different PC?

I think I'll just download 4.79 and use that version to store my archived email, unless there was something in your instructions that I'm not doing right. I've copied from PC to PC and between versions of 4.7 before without trouble, so I don't know what's going on here.

Thanks for your help though!

 

BINGO!

Hi iamshell,

Could the problem be because I'm copying from PC to disk to a different PC?

I do believe we have finally nailed down the problem.

If you copied from a CD, check your file attributes to see if they are "Read Only ". If so you will need to deselect the "Read Only" attribute.

Right click on the file, and select "Properties ". This will give you the File Attributes property sheet.

Once you have done this, your files will become visible in Netscape.

Ramona

 

Hi Ramona! Thank you!

The "old email" folder was "Read Only ". But I can't get the computer to save the changes when I unselect it. I clicked the box, and got a confirm attributes window, but after I clicked okay and checked properties again, it was back to "read only ".

Also, some of the subfolders in my "old email" folder don't say "read only ", but say "archive." What does this mean?

Thanks,
Shelli

 

Hi iamshell,

Very strange that you can't disable the "Read Only ". Instead of trying to change the old email Folder, try changing each individual file. That should work. Did you try changing the attributes on the disc itself and then copy to the HD?

Archive means saved, or backed up. The files on the disc are saved/archived.

Post back if you continue to have problems.

Ramona

 

Did you resolve, iamshell?

iamshell...I am curious to know if you were ever able to resolve getting your mail folders to appear in 6.2. I'm having same problem.

If resolved, please explain how, as this same problem is making me crazy! Thank you!

 

I haven't had much luck. I gave up trying to copy the files from 4.7 on my old PC to 6.2 on my new PC. What I finally did was downlaod 4.79 on my new PC and restore the email files from my backup disk. So now I can at least view my old emails using 4.79.

As for getting them to show up on 6.2, I'm still running into a brick wall. I tried Ramona's suggestion to copy directly into the Mozilla folder. That has worked for some files and not others, and I can't account for why. It definitely doesn't work for copying folders (subdirectories). The only success I have has been opening the subdirectories and copying one file at a time.

The next thing I tried was copying using the notepad. That only worked if I copied into the inbox - I couldn't directly copy individual folders. For example, lets say I have a "old email" folder in 4.7. When I tried opening it with notepad, and pasting it into the 6.2 mail folder, it showed up as either a MSF or TXT file in Windows Explorer, but didn't show up at all in my folder list.

And, when I copied into Inbox (following Ramona's instructions), 6.2 created a second folder called "inbox.txt" instead of copying into the main inbox.

The only thing I can think of is to use notepad to copy file by file into the inbox, then re-file all the emails. Seems like there should be an easier way though. I think I could have avoided the whole situation by first installing 4.79 on my new PC, and then upgrading, but I didn't think of that until I had already configured all the info on 6.2, imported files, etc., and I didn't want to go through the hassle.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Shelli

 

Hi iamshell,

Looks as if you are still really having a hassle with your Netscape 6. If you have followed all the steps I suggested and no joy, then I really don't have any other tricks in my bag.

The only alternative you have, as I see it, is to uninstall/reinstall Netscape 6. Now that you have 4.79 on your new PC, Netscape 6 should automatically transfer your 4.79 profile. You might take a look at this: Performing a "Clean" Install for Netscape 6.2

Some people never get Netscape 6 Mail to work, others use it with no problems whatsoever. Keep in mind that it is not a finished product, and we are beta testing for Netscape... Frankly my dear, I would use 4.79 as my default Mail program.

Ramona

 

Ramona, thanks for all your help. Like I said, it's not working out the way I would have liked, but I have sort of found a way to work it, and 6.2 does have some nice features which make it more worth the hassle.

I just wish the Netscape people would consider that there might be users who aren't just upgrading, but who are restoring backed up files etc. and have incompatiblity problems.

One more question though- I don't know if this is a Netscape problem or an XP problem, but in Windows Explorer, I can't get the C:\Windows\Application Data path to show up at all. To find the Mozilla folders, I had to do a search, save it, and just go back to it each time I need to copy something.

 

Hi iamshell,

I agree that Netscape 6 does have some great new features, and when Netscape 7 is released we will really see an excellent browser! Mind you, I am not discouraging its use, I am discouraging folks from using it as their default browser, for Mail & Newsgroups.

In Windows XP, the C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\profilename\xxxxxxxx.slt files are hidden by default. To view these files:

Open the View menu for the Mozilla directory and choose "Options "
Click the "View" tab
Under Hidden Options, click "Show all files "

I believe the Netscape engineers do consider that users don't wish to lose their preferences from Communicator, and that is why the transfer of information is automatic. But as this is still a work in progress, it may be not be perfected until a few more releases. Do frequent backups of your Profiles folder, and your Users folder in Communicator.

Cheers!

Ramona