Resolved XP mode: How to access data files produced in it.

I have a Windows 7 computer, and at least temporarily, I want to run Outlook Express inside Windows 7. I've found that by upgrading to Windows 7 Pro(which I've done), I was able to bring up Outlook Express successfully inside of Windows 7 in the XP Mode.

I've been told that the data files that Outlook Express creates in XPmode are contained in one big .vhd file as a virtual drive. I've found that drive.

I need to copy files into the folder that contains the Outlook Express .dbx (its data) files. So far I've been unable to find those .dbx files using Windows Explorer from either XP mode or Windows 7. But if they are inside of the .vhd file, that might explain why the .dbx files cannot be found using those tools.

Is there a method or tool to go into the .vhd file to copy files into it, and erase files that are already there?

Terry

 

Try this:

1. In XP mode, load Outlook Express and click Tools > Options > Maintenance > Store Folder... (button) > then highlight and copy ([Ctrl-C]) the complete, displayed l-o-n-g path.
   
   
2. Click Cancel, Cancel again, and then close Outlook Express.
   
   
3. Back in Windows XP, click Start > Run, paste ([Ctrl-V]) in that l-o-n-g path and press [Enter].
   
   You should now be looking at the current Outlook Express .dbx files in Windows Explorer.
   
   
4. Open another Windows Explorer window (Start > My Computer), and down under "Other ", click the Windows 7 "C:" drive (or any other available drive) and drill your way down into the folder where you stored your other Outlook Express .dbx files.
   
   
5. Once you've found them, drag them across and drop them into the first Windows Explorer window you opened.​

(Note: You may want to make a backup copy of the current Outlook Express .dbx files somewhere before you overwrite them).


--- edit --- Looks like it took me to long to reply.

 

Pete,

Thanks for the information. I tried what you suggested, and it did not work for my situations. See next post.

Terry

 

Spyware Dr

Thanks for the answer. This worked fine, and I'm good to go. Now I just need to figure out where the Address List is, but the email all carried over.

Thank you,

Terry

 

You more than welcome.

If you used the default username of "XPMUser" in Windows XP Mode, the Address Book file would be named "XPMUser.wab" and reside in "C:\Documents and Settings\XPMUser\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book ". On the original machine the Address Book file would be named "{username}.wab" and be stored in "C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book ".

If the original machine is still running and you have access to it, to load Windows Address Book click Start > Run, type in wab and press [Enter]. Then click File > Export > Address Book (WAB), give the file you're creating a name and select the folder you'd like to store it in. Now back over in XP Mode's Outlook Express do a File > Import > Address Book... to import that file you just created.

 

SpywareDr

When I use XPmode on the Windows 7 machine, and start down through the directories, here is what I run into:

C:\
C:\Documents and Settings
C:\Documents and Settings\XPMUser
C:\Documents and Settings\XPMUser\My Documents
and at that point all I see are two folders, "My Music" and "My Pictures "

But when I use actual folder for the .dbx files that you helped me find in your previous post earlier in this thread, the path looks like this:

C:\Documents and Settings\XPMUser\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{long alphanumeric string}\Microsoft\Outlook Express

So the problem when drilling down is that I never saw the folder "Local Settings" so I couldn't find the folders from the top.

And even if I walk back up from "Outlook Express" to the XPMUser folder, when I get to that folder, "Local Settings" does not show.

This has been my fundamental problem, because I'm familiar enough with Outlook Express to know what folders to look for, but when in the XPMode, they don't show up.

Your trick with getting into Outlook Express in XPMode and using the Maintenance tab to find the "store folder" was a good way to find where the .dbx files were stored, but I don't think there is something analagous to that in OE for finding the .wab folder.


There must be a trick here that I'm missing.

Thanks

TQ

 

Another way to find the ".wab" file is to do a Start > Search > All files and folders, in the "All or part of the filename:" box, type in: "*.wab ", (without the quotes), click "More advanced options" and make sure "Search system folders ", "Search hidden files and folders" and "Search subfolders" are selected and then click the Search button. Once it finds it, the path to the file will be in the "In Folder" column.

If that Search doesn't find it, load WAB or OE and create at least one Contact, exit, then try the Search again.

 

That did the trick. I thought if you searched for a file, it would still find it, even if hidden. Obviously not.

Thanks again