Transferring NS 7 data from one pc to another

Someone help please! I'm having a lot of trouble transferring my mail, addresses, and prefs to a new computer.

Old system running Windows 98 NS 7
New system running XP Home, NS 7

I've referred to Netscape solutions and other articles on web but can't quite get it to work right.

If I copy all of the profile folder it doesn't recognize the directory and I can't seem to choose this data as a directory. If I copy all non-extension files from all the sub folders it still doesn't work.

Can't find any file named prefs.js and when I rename the .slt folder it doesn't work!

Help Ramona!!!

 

Welcome to the Forum, tm5wilson!

Hi tm5wilson,

First: did you archive the files from the "Old" PC on CD? If so, the File Attributes may be "Read Only ", which you will want to disable.

Let us know, and we can go from there.

Ramona

 

Here are the basics... Ramona will chime in with any corrections.

On the new system, create a new profile, and set up the mail account. Note the location of the Netscape profile on WinXP (may be hidden):

C:\Documents and Settings\<user name>\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\<profile name>\

On the old system, find your profile, and note the files you will need to copy, such as bookmarks.html, your mail files (without extensions), your address book, etc.

C:\Windows\Application Data\Mozilla\Profiles\<profile name>\<*.slt>

Now you should be able to copy the files, without much trouble, replacing existing files where necessary (inbox, sent, etc)

You cannot simply copy the whole profile directory to a new machine because the directory name is "salted" for security. If you need to use your prefs.js on the new machine, you will have to use a text editor and "find and replace" all instances of the old profile path names with the new profile path names. It may be easier to simply start from scratch in some instances...

As I do not use Netscape's mail, you may wish to wait for Ramona to chime in, since she is the resident Netscape Guru.

tranquilo

 

OK...

I'm using a network drive to copy the files and here's what I'm trying right now:

Since I had so many sub-folders in the inbox and message rules I think it wasn't working to copy the xxxx.slt folder as a whole. I copied all non-extension files and created like sub folders from mozilla/profiles/default/xxxx.slt and am moving them to the network drive to copy directly into mozilla/profiles/default user/xxxx.slt.

Hopefully this will work.... I'll write back...

 

DIDN'T WORK...

Non of the files I transferred were read-only from what I can tell...

Any suggestions? I seem to be following the directions but they are starting to confuse me after trying this so long...

 

I FOUND prefs file and opened it...

Do I need to change directory to mozilla/profiles/default user/xxxxxnew.slt from mozilla/profiles/default/xxxxxold.slt?

There are a lot of lines that have that text...

 

Nope...

tried that and it still wouldn't come up...

When I open Mail it goes to local host and doesn't even check my mail. Do I need to set up a working mail system before I copy everything?>

 

It would be best to set up your mail accounts in Netscape first, then copy the files over, as all the correct mail directories will be created (../*.slt/mail/mail_account_name/your_mail_files_here). After that, close Netscape edit the paths in the prefs.js file.

Change from:
mozilla/profiles/default/xxxxxold.slt

to:
mozilla/profiles/default user/xxxxxnew.slt

Don't forget to copy rules.dat for your mail filters (you may know this already).

list of files for mozilla/netscape
http://gemal.dk/mozilla/files.html

tranquilo

 

OK thanks...

Got most of everything working good enough but I'm having some problems with my message filters. Looks like the rules can't find the folders even though they are there.

I'll go through each one and make sure they are pointing to the right folders.

Thanks a bunch for both of your help!

The key was to copy all files without extensions directly into the mail account folder and then copy the rules.

THANKS!!!

 

Wow! Looks like I missed quite a bit by taking time to eat and watch Survivor. Sorry tm5wilson, but I see that tranquilo has you on the straight and narrow.

On your rules.dat, there is an extra step involved, which I mention on the Transfer Netscape 7.0 Profiles from PC to PC page, and that is: How to Edit the rules.dat file.

This works for some users, but not all. You can try it, or it may be easier to start from scratch.

Ramona

 

This is what happens when you take time to eat!

tranquilo

 

Some other things...

Ramona, thanks for updating your Netscape Solutions site with new file names and super good instructions.

I was able to better understand this morning when I was making sure I had every file I needed transferred over.

Another thing that helped me was to understand that my old folder in win 98 was named WINDOWS/application data/mozilla/profiles/DEFAULT/xxxx.slt and the new one is documents and settings/user/aplication data/mozilla/profiles/DEFAULT USER/xxxx.slt. Changing the entire lines in prefs.js to the correct location.

THANKS AGAIN!!!

 

Hi tm5wilson,

I'm glad that those guidelines were more clear! You are more than welcome!

Ramona

 

STILL HAVING ISSUES

Now I'm having some problems...

1] When receiving mail that would normally be moved to a different folder with a message filter, NS doesn't recognize any folders even though they are there.

2] I'm using NS Mail as my mail program on a network and normally have the settings to leave messages on server, delete when they are deleted locally, download new messages when they arrive. Now it keeps downloading messages that I've already gotten from days ago.

3] My settings for storage of sent items in the sent items folder won't hold. Everytime I click OK and then reopen mail account settings it changes back.

HELP?

 

If you have used your old rules.dat file, you may need to just start over with a fresh rules.dat. You might try a new rules.dat file, and just entering a few filters through the gui, and see if it is working. If so, you have found the solution.

It probably doesn't recognize that you have those messages already. If you haven't downloaded too much new mail, and still have access to your old profile, you might try copying the popstate.dat file from your old profile's mail directory. This file keeps track of which messages have been downloaded, and since you are working with a new popstate.dat file, it has no idea which messages have/have not been downloaded. However, it should be noted that this has not been tested here, so backups are recommended. In any event, this problem will likely clear itself up as soon as the old mail is removed from the server.

This one I leave to the resident guru Ramona, as she is more familiar with N7's mail than I am.

HTH

tranquilo

 

Hi tm5wilson,

I would start from scratch on the filters, as tranquilo suggested. As I stated in an earlier post, the conversion doesn't work for all users.

On your sent mail folder problem:
are you configuring the setting in Mail & Newsgroups Settings|Copies & Folders? Is the correct Email Account selected under "Sent Folder on: "?

If all settings are correct, close Netscape. Do a "Find" for sent.msf and delete the file. It will be rebuilt when Netscape is reopened.

Let us know if this helps.

Ramona

 

OH MAN!!!

OK, so before I could get to this I came in this morning to work and opened NS mail and there was nothing there, like I'd deleted all my accounts or something.

So I go into the prefs.js file and everything is different. How does this happen? In my mail folder are my messages and rules, etc. but the prefs file is telling the program that they are not there...

Anyway, any help would be apprecitated cuz now I'm really frustrated with this Netscape stuff... I can't beleive there isn't some sort of data transfer wizard or export to NS 7 or any back up option with nescape to make transferring easier and reliable. (venting)



THANKS FOR YOUR HELP IN ADVANCE!

 

Hi tm5wilson,

I hear your frustration, and venting is good!

Your prefs.js file is most likely corrupt. Your best bet is to create a new Profile, set up your Mail & Newsgroups Account, then copy over the files from your old PC.

Once you have the new Profile up and running, and all your files in place, back up the new Profiles folder. Give the new Profile a few days, then delete the problem Profile.

Back up the Profiles folder on a frequent basis.

Ramona