How do I back up Outlook Express files?
 

Trying to do some housekeeping and back up my files to an external hard drive.

But how do I copy over all my e-mail stuff including address book please?

Please tell me it's easy :) david

Simple, but not that straight forward:


Emails:
Tools > Options> Maintenance, then click the Store Folder

That should should show the current folder location of all your emails. Copy the folder address (highlight, ctrl+C).

Then paste (Ctrl+V) that address into the address bar in "my computer" and it should take you straight to where all the emails are stored.

Copy all of this to your backup drive (inbox, sent, drafts etc.).

To restore emails is the reverse - copy the files back into the store folder.



Email accounts:

Tools > accounts

Highlight the email account you want to backup, then click export. Then save the file to your backup drive

Do this for every email account you have configured

To restore do the above but just click import instead.



Address book:

Open the address book

File > Export

Check a file type (CSV, I think), give it a file name and save it to your backup drive.

Restore is the same just you select import.

Well if that works you can have the weekend off :) :)

Cheers, David

Emails... far better to File > Export > Messages. ;) Then File > Import > Messages to load them back in if you need to.

in Express? :wonder:

AFAIK you can only do that in Office Outlook and Vista Mail

Yes... it is in Express, as I checked it before posting and have used it a number of times before. :)

Oh well, its been a while. And I can't check it as my XP boot partition isn't working (new Mobo - yet to reinstall the OS, vista didn't complain though :eek: ).

I'm sure there was a reason for copying all the emails direct from the store folder though but I can't remember why. :wonder:

I'm doing well :thumb: (thanks to you chaps)

I now have copied messages to my external drive.

I think these are .dbx database format? Is there any way I can actually look at individual files and perhaps print off some stuff directly from the external drive? I can't use Windows to do this. Is there a freebie programme that I can download to help? d


Using XP btw

David, do a google search for a dbx viewer. It will give you to see each dbx (one for every folder in Outlook Express.

Darren

Will do - ta very much :thumb: :thumb:

I also forgot to say that I find copying all the DBX files as ALI-B said is more reliable than the File\Export messages option.

I've had corruptions using the File Export option where as the dbx files are all separate so gives you a bit of extra protection.

Darren