Hard time importing mail

[Retired]

I am trying to import the mail and address book from Outlook Express on an
XP machine to Windows Live Mail on Windows 7. I made a move folder On the
Windows 7 machine and put in it the Outlook Express Folder and the
address.wab file from XP. In Windows 7 I choose Import messages, next
window I pick Microsoft Outlook Express 6. Next screen asks me to browse
for the messages. I browse to C:\move\Outlook Express. When I click "next"
I get an error window stating "---------------------------
Import Messages
---------------------------
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.

 

[Gordon]

I am trying to import the mail and address book from Outlook Express on an
XP machine to Windows Live Mail on Windows 7. I made a move folder On the
Windows 7 machine and put in it the Outlook Express Folder and the
address.wab file from XP. In Windows 7 I choose Import messages, next
window I pick Microsoft Outlook Express 6. Next screen asks me to browse
for the messages. I browse to C:\move\Outlook Express. When I click "next"
I get an error window stating "---------------------------
Import Messages
---------------------------
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.

Ensure that you include the file called Folders.dbx otherwise WLM won't
see it as an OE message store.
Also try putting the folder in your Documents folder rather than where
you are doing so.

You don't need to export the wab as a csv - just copy over the wab file.
WLM will import that direct.

 

[VanguardLH]

I am trying to import the mail and address book from Outlook Express on an
XP machine to Windows Live Mail on Windows 7. I made a move folder On the
Windows 7 machine and put in it the Outlook Express Folder

And that "Outlook Express folder" came from what path? Did you copy the
*program's* files or the *data* files under your old XP %userprofile%
path?

The OE *data* files (the .dbx files that you need) on Windows XP are
under:

C:\Documents and Settings\lee_hodsdon\Local Settings\Application
Data\Identities\<OEid>\Microsoft\Outlook Express

where <OEid> is a string identifying your OE identity (you can have more
than one). THAT is from where you get the old OE message store. You
don't need the OE programs.

 

[Retired]

Ensure that you include the file called Folders.dbx otherwise WLM
won't see it as an OE message store.
Also try putting the folder in your Documents folder rather than where
you are doing so.

You don't need to export the wab as a csv - just copy over the wab
file. WLM will import that direct.

The Outlook Express folder that I had copied was empty. I have no idea
how that happened. There was only one identity and one Outlook Express
folder. Nevertheless, I went back and did it again and everything was
there. The import went OK except everything went in to an "imported
folders" folder. I just moved everything where it belonged and all was
well.
The WAB file imported fine too.

Thanks for the help. If you hadn't mentioned making sure the Folders.dbx
was there, I'd have probably been a lot longer discovering that *nothing*
was there.

 

[KCB]

I am trying to import the mail and address book from Outlook Express on an
XP machine to Windows Live Mail on Windows 7. I made a move folder On the
Windows 7 machine and put in it the Outlook Express Folder and the
address.wab file from XP. In Windows 7 I choose Import messages, next
window I pick Microsoft Outlook Express 6. Next screen asks me to browse
for the messages. I browse to C:\move\Outlook Express. When I click "next"
I get an error window stating "---------------------------
Import Messages
---------------------------
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.

The path to the 'Store' folder for OE6 is as Vanguard says, but it is hidden
by default, so you will need to enable viewing of hidden files and folders
in Folders Options. You can also view the absolute path in OE6 by clicking
Tools/Options, then click the Maintenance Tab. You will see a button marked
'Store Folder...' Click the button, and it will show the path to your Store
Folder.

Starting from the left of the C:\ path, left-click drag the entire line to
select it, then right-click it and select Copy. Open up the Run window (Win
+ r), and paste the line there. Click OK, and the folder will open. Copy
everything in this folder to your "move" folder and it should all be there
when you go to import.

 

[Retired]

And that "Outlook Express folder" came from what path? Did you copy
the *program's* files or the *data* files under your old XP
%userprofile% path?

The OE *data* files (the .dbx files that you need) on Windows XP are
under:

C:\Documents and Settings\lee_hodsdon\Local Settings\Application
Data\Identities\<OEid>\Microsoft\Outlook Express

where <OEid> is a string identifying your OE identity (you can have
more than one). THAT is from where you get the old OE message store.
You don't need the OE programs.

Yep. That's where I got it and there was only one identity.
I've probably done this procedure 100 times by now, but this is the first
time it balked.

In my reply to Gordon I explained what *really* went wrong. Some way or
another I had wound up with a totally empty Outlook Express folder.

Thanks

 

[pjp]

I am trying to import the mail and address book from Outlook Express on an
XP machine to Windows Live Mail on Windows 7. I made a move folder On the
Windows 7 machine and put in it the Outlook Express Folder and the
address.wab file from XP. In Windows 7 I choose Import messages, next
window I pick Microsoft Outlook Express 6. Next screen asks me to browse
for the messages. I browse to C:\move\Outlook Express. When I click "next"
I get an error window stating "---------------------------
Import Messages
---------------------------
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.

I just had to go through something similar but I choose to migrate to
Office Outlook rather than Live Mail. I got my old address book across
with minimal effort but I ended up simply remailing to myself all the
emails I wanted to keep active and then collecting them in Outlook. I
just simply could find no other way to do it. Not the best solution but
it worked and I can access the old emails now in new program.

It made it simpler that old was on a pc that wasn't upgraded. It was
more of a move to new pc situation instead. You may have already done in
your old OE by upgrading so option to mail to yourelf may no longer
exist.

 

[Char Jackson]

I just had to go through something similar but I choose to migrate to
Office Outlook rather than Live Mail. I got my old address book across
with minimal effort but I ended up simply remailing to myself all the
emails I wanted to keep active and then collecting them in Outlook. I
just simply could find no other way to do it. Not the best solution but
it worked and I can access the old emails now in new program.

Outlook's Import function seems to work quite well. Do you remember if
you tried it?

 

[Gordon]

The Outlook Express folder that I had copied was empty. I have no idea
how that happened. There was only one identity and one Outlook Express
folder. Nevertheless, I went back and did it again and everything was
there. The import went OK except everything went in to an "imported
folders" folder. I just moved everything where it belonged and all was
well.
The WAB file imported fine too.

Thanks for the help. If you hadn't mentioned making sure the Folders.dbx
was there, I'd have probably been a lot longer discovering that *nothing*
was there.

You're welcome!
Glad it's all sorted.

 

[Gordon]

Outlook's Import function seems to work quite well. Do you remember if
you tried it?

Won't work if OE is not on the same machine AFAIR.
You either need to install Outlook on the old machine temporarily, and
transfer the resultant pst file, or use WLM as an intermediary....

 

[Char Jackson]

Won't work if OE is not on the same machine AFAIR.
You either need to install Outlook on the old machine temporarily, and
transfer the resultant pst file, or use WLM as an intermediary....

I think, in the cases I'm thinking of, both programs were installed on
the same system, which goes along with your clarification. Thanks.

 

[Johannes A Van KootenIN THE UK SINCE LATE 80s]

"Retired" wrote in message
I am trying to import the mail and address book from Outlook Express on an
XP machine to Windows Live Mail on Windows 7. I made a move folder On the
Windows 7 machine and put in it the Outlook Express Folder and the
address.wab file from XP. In Windows 7 I choose Import messages, next
window I pick Microsoft Outlook Express 6. Next screen asks me to browse
for the messages. I browse to C:\move\Outlook Express. When I click "next"
I get an error window stating "---------------------------
Import Messages
---------------------------
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.

 

[...winston]

"Gordon" wrote in message

Outlook's Import function seems to work quite well. Do you remember if
you tried it?

Won't work if OE is not on the same machine AFAIR.
You either need to install Outlook on the old machine temporarily, and
transfer the resultant pst file, or use WLM as an intermediary....
[/QUOTE]
Correct. OL needs to be present.

Install Outlook on XP (ensure OL had been opened at least once to create the default Outlook profile and its default Outlook.pst
file)
Export from OE to Outlook (not the other way around) using the OE export to Exchange option (it will find the necessary default
profile and export OE's contents into the Outlook.pst file.)
Close OE
Open Outlook (if necessary move or copy messages to OL's default or user created folders)

If moving to a new machine...Ensure OL on the new machine has been opened at least once to create its profile/Outlook.pst
file...transfer the XP/Outlook.pst file to the newer machine, rename the old pst file and copy the XP created Outlook.pst file to
the same folder. Open OL.
- Optionally, one can rename the original XP pst file and just open it on the newer machine, then drag/drop messages..once complete
close the XP/OL created pst file.

If done properly (export messages, import contacts into OL) the transition from OE to OL can be done.

Moving from WLM to OL ? Same process (export to WLM to OL, import Contacts from a WLM created Csv or vcf files (or better yet from
contacts.live.com exported csv) into OL).

The real effort is moving from OL to WLM - best accomplished with a Hotmail account and the Outlook Connector in OL by moving
messages to the HM account in the Connector, import contacts into the HM account, sync up to the server, sync down to the same Live
ID in WLM).

 

[...winston]

Easiest route.
Install WLM 2009 on the XP machine and let it migrate OE's messages, address book etc.
Export (using WLM's export option) the entire WLM store to a blank folder on an external device (e.g. usb thumb drive)
Export the Contacts to a csv or individual vcf files to another blank folder (the latter is recommended if you have multiple email
addresses in a given contact)
Copy the blank folder(s) to the Win7 machine (the Documents folder in the user profile or the Public folder is recommended)
Open WLM and import the messages, then open WLM Contacts and import the contacts.

The vcf file is the only way to retain multiple email addresses for a given contact (since WLM's export to csv can only export/map
one single email data field). VCF files can be copied to the Win7 Users/Contacts folder, imported as Windows Contacts, then
imported intact into WLM by using WLM's contact import current Windows User option. ---long process but it retains the data, and
its unlikely that WLM will ever be revised to make the process easier.


--
....winston
msft mvp mail


"Johannes A Van KootenIN THE UK SINCE LATE 80s" wrote in message


"Retired" wrote in message
I am trying to import the mail and address book from Outlook Express on an
XP machine to Windows Live Mail on Windows 7. I made a move folder On the
Windows 7 machine and put in it the Outlook Express Folder and the
address.wab file from XP. In Windows 7 I choose Import messages, next
window I pick Microsoft Outlook Express 6. Next screen asks me to browse
for the messages. I browse to C:\move\Outlook Express. When I click "next"
I get an error window stating "---------------------------
Import Messages
---------------------------
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.

 

[Gordon]

Export the Contacts to a csv

No need to do that at all. WLM will import an OE WAB direct.....

 

[Char Jackson]

Install Outlook on XP (ensure OL had been opened at least once to create the default Outlook profile and its default Outlook.pst
file)
Export from OE to Outlook (not the other way around) using the OE export to Exchange option (it will find the necessary default
profile and export OE's contents into the Outlook.pst file.)
Close OE
Open Outlook (if necessary move or copy messages to OL's default or user created folders)

First, sorry about the mess above. That's how your posts always look
to me, so I'm not sure I should clean it up.

My question is, why is it better to use OE to export to OL rather than
use OL to import from OE? You recommend the former, but I've only done
the latter (and it worked well).

 

[Gordon]

My question is, why is it better to use OE to export to OL rather than
use OL to import from OE? You recommend the former, but I've only done
the latter (and it worked well).

Outlook uses the Modified date of an item for a number of processes,
including archiving. If you import in Outlook, the Modified date is
changed on all items to the date of import. Also the date on Sent Items
is also changed to the date of import.
If you export from OE to Outlook, these dates aren't changed.

 

[Char Jackson]

Outlook uses the Modified date of an item for a number of processes,
including archiving. If you import in Outlook, the Modified date is
changed on all items to the date of import. Also the date on Sent Items
is also changed to the date of import.
If you export from OE to Outlook, these dates aren't changed.

Thanks, I'll look out for that if the opportunity arises again.