Troubles importing back saved OE6 message folders

Hello folks,
I had to reformat and reload everything. I saved the dbx files on CD-roms, and rel-loaded them into a folder from which I intended to import them back. When I go to perform the import, I get the following error message:
"No messages can be found in this folder or another application is running that has the required files open.
Please select another folder or try closing applications that may have files open. "
Now, I had Autocad loaded on the PC as well, and it also had files with dbx extension with an ACad type icon. The same icon was also applied to the OE folders.
I suspect that to be the source of my problems. How could I restore those files so OE will see them? The problem still exist even on a PC with AutoCad active.
This a very important problem (work related) and any suggestion/help is highly appreciated.
Thank you in advance.

 

There's a wealth of information regarding OE import/export at this site. If you don't get it sorted with that info, post back and we'll give it an individual shot.

Good luck!

 

I'm headin' fer the goose hair so I'll post this method that I have used for OE backup and restore, in case it has any value to you:

Open Outlook Express.

Click on the TOOLS Menu and select OPTIONS

Click the MAINTENANCE Tab and then click on Store Folder

You now see the location of your Mail Folder.
Highlite the Folder Location and press CTRL+C to copy the location.

Click Cancel and then Cancel again to close all boxes.

Click the Windows Start button and the click Run. In the open box press CTRL+V to paste the mail location, then click OK.

You should now have a window containing you e-mail database files.
From the EDIT Menu, click Select All. Edit Menu click COPY. Now close the window.

Right click your desktop, click NEW and then FOLDER.
Type a name for the folder and hit ENTER.

Double click the Folder you just created to open it. From the EDIT Menu select PASTE. Close the window.


You have now backed up your E-mail Messages

To Restore your Messages at a later date.
Open Outlook Express, File - Import - Messages . Select Microsoft Outlook Express 5. Click Next.
Then select "import from a OE5 Store Directory ". Click OK, then browse to the folder you created earlier, click next, the rest is up to you which folders you wish to import. Do be careful because the program will merge all the messages into the existing folder and you could end up with a mix you don't want. You may want to move your existing messages to a separate folder that you can create in OE.

Hope that helps. G'nite.

 

Here is one idea.

I don't know why but when you save to cd and copy the stuff back, a read only attribute is placed on the files.

Right ckick on a .dbx file and uncheck "read only" then try the import.

Maybe help, maybe not....

 

Thanks folks for your invaluable inputs.
All the suggestions posted are good, but I goofed when I copied the dbx files. I learnt from Zephyr's link that the folders.dbx is essential for restoring the saved message folders. Guess what?
I didn't save that one! Kick myself somewhere? Didn't know is a valid excuse?
Those messages are critical and I really need to retrieve them.
I tried creating a new folders.dbx files within the backup folder. Didn't work. Creating a new empty folder in OE with same name as the backed up ones and deleting the empty folder, hoping that would fool OE to accept the one with messages didn't work.
Any tricks somebody might have tried in similarly messed up situation? Some tweaks in the registry to fool OE?
Tried a tool dbxtract, but after running it, there was nothing created in the output folder. Anybody knows how it is supposed to be executed? Or some other tools that I could try?
Any suggestions welcome.
Thanks sincerely for helping.

 

You have little hope unless you happen to have a backup copy that you didn't think about. Not likely I suppose.

You could try a Data Recovery software. Here's a freebie

It's certainly worth a shot if the file are important. Even though you have reformatted, if the particular disk area that held the folders.dbx file hasn't been written to yet, you'll have a shot at getting it back.

Good luck!