Author Topic: Lost my Outlook Express Addy's and Messages (Read 398 times)

Toad · « **on:** September 04, 2006, 08:34:30 PM »

Long story short: Bad ram tanked my Windows XP.

Had to buy a new XP Home (don't ask; the dog ate my homework) and reinstall.

Was hoping I'd be able to find all my old files that I saved as "old C drive". I found all my Word docs but I cannot find the Outlook Express Address Book and Message folders. I have Outlook installed right now on the new C drive and tried to import, but apparently it doesn't know where to look and I don't know how to tell it to look in the old C drive.

Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round.
Help me, get my data back in Outlook,
Won't you please, please help me?

eagl · « **Reply #1 on:** September 04, 2006, 08:43:21 PM »

outlook express mail files are stored as .dbx files, so do a search for .dbx files, move to some convenient location, and import them as necessary. I dunno about the email addresses though.

Toad · « **Reply #2 on:** September 04, 2006, 09:34:20 PM »

Well, I think I managed it.

I found the .dbx and .wab files in the "old c drive". I started the new Outlook EXPRESS and imported in to that.

Then I went to Outlook and imported from the new Outlook EXPRESS.

The message said the import was successful BUT... I can't find the .dbx files in Outlook. The Addy's are there though.

Hmmmmmm?

eagl · « **Reply #3 on:** September 04, 2006, 10:17:03 PM »

Outlook doesn't use .dbx files, just outlook express. Outlook puts everything into one big .pst file.

Toad · « **Reply #4 on:** September 04, 2006, 10:46:45 PM »

Yeah, I kept hacking around and it looks like it moved most, maybe all, of the messages and put them in a big file.

I can live with it now. I needed the Addy's the most.

Plus, I imported them into the new OE, so they're in there too if I really get desperate.

Thanks for the help.

Roscoroo · « **Reply #5 on:** September 05, 2006, 01:29:33 AM »

look in your old c drive ...

Program files/ outlook express

look for a application named

wab

click on it it should open up as an address book , you can now export them to you new hard drive's OE.

Bogie603rd · « **Reply #6 on:** September 05, 2006, 10:03:57 AM »

Your better off without outlook express. The cause of your old hard drive jamming on you could have propably been due to outlook express. How do I come up with such a wacky idea you say? Well, as you have already heard, outlook express downloads all mail INTO your computer, then from your computer opens it up and reads it. It's simple enough to get an e-mail virus, its even easier when the virus was downloaded to your computer, and now your opening it up using outlook express.

Also, it can reduce disk space as happened to one of my dad's helpers. He hadn't checked his mail in 1 month, next time he got on that laptop (50 GB HD) he couldn't save anything cause outlook had saved all his mail to his hard drive and choked the disk space. So, long story short, your better off without outlook express!

Toad · « **Reply #7 on:** September 05, 2006, 09:14:36 PM »

It was actually bad ram that corrupted the XP files apparently.

I'm using the Outlook now; I only used the OE to move the old files. I could not move them directly from the old OE to Outlook. I had to move from old OE to new OE and then to Outlook.

Long way round the barn, but it worked.

Thanks to all.

Bogie603rd · « **Reply #8 on:** September 07, 2006, 09:15:26 AM »

Bad RAM stinks, stuck a corrupted stick of RAM in my system once, gave me the "time machine" virus.

Boroda · « **Reply #9 on:** September 07, 2006, 02:04:47 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Toad
Well, I think I managed it.

I found the .dbx and .wab files in the "old c drive". I started the new Outlook EXPRESS and imported in to that.

Then I went to Outlook and imported from the new Outlook EXPRESS.

The message said the import was successful BUT... I can't find the .dbx files in Outlook. The Addy's are there though.

Hmmmmmm?

IIRC Microsoft "import" procedure kills imported wab and dbx files.

I can't find any reason why they implemented it this way.

Roscoroo · « **Reply #10 on:** September 07, 2006, 04:01:37 PM »

i think i just grabed my saved "WAB" file and placed it back in my OE last time .

Now For Bogie , you can set OE so it doesnt let the attachments come thru , that and a good email AV scanner you should be safe .

A bad ram stick doesn't cause a virous .... you have to catch one 1st for the ram to get infected .

straffo · « **Reply #11 on:** September 07, 2006, 04:09:01 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Toad
It was actually bad ram that corrupted the XP files apparently.

I'm using the Outlook now; I only used the OE to move the old files. I could not move them directly from the old OE to Outlook. I had to move from old OE to new OE and then to Outlook.

Long way round the barn, but it worked.

Thanks to all.

Get thunderbird , it's free, robust and the UI is good.
http://www.mozilla.com/thunderbird/

Sundowner · « **Reply #12 on:** September 08, 2006, 06:46:30 PM »

Grats on the data recovery, Toad.

Now start BACKING UP your important personal files on seperate media on a regular basis.
I suggest a drive to drive mirror scheme with automatic scheduled backups.
Lots of apps out there that do this painlessly.

Best of luck to ya,
Sun