Need help recovering Outlook Express mail

[resa73]

I upgraded my pc from Windows Me to Windows XP and it also upgraded my OE5 to OE6 and now all of my email messages are gone. I had sent the whole OE folder to a zip file before doing this but it isn't doing any good. Please tell me there is a way to recover the emails that were here prior to upgrading!

[bazcor]

Unfortunately Outlook Express doesn't keep its messages in the OE folder. Not sure where win ME keeps them but under XP my inbox is at:-

C:\Documents and Settings\Baz\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{012CD0E5-1741-45A6-8C82-B9538D531C2F}\Microsoft\Outlook Express


You will be searching for files with an extension of .dbx like inbox.dbx, unfortunately I'm not sure what happens to these in the process of upgrading to XP or even if they are preserved. Maybe someone else might know this and chip in.

Good luck ...

[Bovon]

Every version of Windows I have run (95 to 2K) Outlook Express has two different folders. One Outlook Express folder is the control application...with msimm.exe which is the executable for Outlook Express. Then, there will be a second Outlook Express folder...quite often as a sub, sub folder of Windows (right here in Win98, it is Windows>Application Data>Identities>{a folder with 32 mixed letters and numerals}>Microsoft>Outlook Express. This is the one that contains the email...if this folder with the .DBX files in it was not saved, and the hard drive was wiped clean...the old emails are history.

I back my Windows OS up to a CD about once a month...complete with Outlook Express...I have lost emails in the past...and have learned the hard way.

[Wolfreakyn]

Can't help the lost stuff, but got to Tools->Options->Maintenance, Click Store folders->Change and make it My Email somewhere near the root then the next time you open Outlook all your mail will be there to back up.