Moving Outlook Express to new machine

[kelly]

I need to move an Outlook Express account from an old XP machine to a new one. I think all I have to do is to copy the address book (<user>.wab) and all the files in the Identities folder.

I seem to remember a note that the account should be set up first. Anyone remember that discussion?

[casey]

I just recently moved to a new machine. I used

http://ask-leo.com/askleoresults.html?domains=ask-leo.com&q=how+do+I+move+my+outlook+express+folders+to+my+n ew+machine&sitesearch=ask-leo.com&client=pub-6711026890334492&forid=1&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23FFFFFF%3B VLC%3A0000FF%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3 AFFFFFF%3BALC%3A0000FF%3BLC%3A0000FF%3BT%3A000000% 3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BLH%3A50%3BLW%3A2 11%3BL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fask-leo.com%2Fimages%2Faskleonew50.png%3BS%3Ahttp%3A%2 F%2Fask-leo.com%3BFORID%3A11&hl=en

[kelly]

In the article that you posted Leo says to Export everything and then Import to the new machine. Is there any reason (other than a version conflict) that you can't simply copy the files from the old machine and paste into the new machine?

[Dan18960]

Tony,

For your tech notes:

Outlook Express move to new system:


Open Outlook Express on machine to be replaced.
Go to File / Export / Address Book. Select Text File (Comma Separated Values).
Select a folder where you are going to copy from, place a name for the address book .csv file, and make sure you select all the objects in the address book data fields (ie First Name, Last Name, etc. etc.)
Close Outlook Express.
Double Click on My Computer / double click on C:\ (or your drive of the operating system) / double click on Documents and Settings / find your user's profile and double click / NOW if the profile is not set to show hidden files and folders - go to the Tools menu / options / and enable showing hidden files and folders.
Double click on Local Settings / double click on Application Data / double click on Identies / double click on Microsoft / double click on Outlook Express (I usually stop here and just copy the entire folder). Highlight the .dbx files and copy to the same folder you saved the address book .csv file to.Now on the New System:

Double click on Outlook Express. You will be prompted through setting up an account - continue BUT don't use a correct password (explain later).
After you have setup the account, you are ready to import the address book. You should have made a copy of the original machines "transfer" folder either on an external hard drive, thumb drive, cd/dvd, or a network drive.
Open up Outlook Express / Go to File / Import / OTHER ADDRESS BOOK! Then it will ask for the location of the .csv file you made for your address book and import it into your new machine.
Go to your "transfer" media and copy your .dbx files from Outlook Express.
Reference step 5 above EXCEPT you are reversing the copy and paste.

[kelly]

Please talk about the incorrect password in step 1 of part 2.

Also - is there any reason why the Address Book must be Exported/Imported rather than copied as you recommend with the .dbx files?

[Dan18960]

Usually the default in OE is to immediately check for email - by using an incorrect password - you will fail to connect and not have to worry about losing any recent emails.

Remember you are setting up the account "structure" identity and you want to port over the old emails. Once you port over the .dbx files you overwrite any other eml files that have been downloaded.

The reason for the csv vs copy and paste of the address book is to avoid the corruption of the wab and wa~ files. By exporting the address book and then importing it, it uses the existing wab and wa~ files you created when you created the OE profile. And you ALWAYS want to have both the wab AND the wa~ when you move. So why take the chance of corrupting a clients (or your own) address book when MS did make this the most simple step in any of their processes? ? ?

[mylanta]

Dan exporting address book only takes it to ms Exchange format or .csv text and that just doesn't work. So much easier to go Doc's and settings, user, Application Data, ms, Address book and copy and paste wherever you like. same for copying messages Docs and settings, Local, Application Data, identities, Ms, Oe and copy that whole folder somewhere...Import is fine.
When setting up OE you have the option to not bring in email after setup...I always choose that and then uncheck in tools, options,General, "send and receive messages at startup" so the user needs to click open "send and receive" to get email anyway. That is so much better especially if on dialup as who wants to open program to find an email and have to wait for whole server to download at the same time!
Oh and before all that of course a need to go to Folder Options in CP and uncheck all 3 references to hidden files so they are all enabled or you will see none of that.

[writeco]

I see this type of posting a number of times. It occurs to me that, if you invest in a backup program for Outlook or Outlook Express, you not only can do that transfer but you now have a program to backup critical Outlook and OE files. I cannot imagine how I would re-create an address book or critical saved e-mail folders in case of crash and backing my OE files is performed once a week.

[kelly]

Today I transferred an OE identity from an old machine to a new one using Dan's suggestion from 5 posts earlier. Worked like a champ. Only glitch was that user had 'Remember password' checked on the old machine and couldn't remember what it was. We ended up calling Comcast to reset the password.

-td

[Dan18960]

Tony,

Glad to see you found my method a piece of Cake. I have been doing it that way since OE made it's first appearance WAY BACK WHEN.

Of course, the user would have had to remember their password no matter which method you would have used.

[mylanta]

I don't understand what you are talking about. When I hit export for address book it offers Microsoft Exchange or text file???And what do you do with that?
And Export messages is to Outlook or Microsoft Exchange and you do what with that? I remember we used to be able to export address book anywhere, and I remember doing it to a floppy but now it goes nowhere. You can export it where you want from inside the address book if that's what you mean.I don't see how you do anything with messages. Easiest way would be to move the "store" in Maintenance to a cd or mobile hard drive then open and close OE and it would go there.

[kelly]

File -> Export -> Address Book -> Text File (CSV)
-td

[Terry Hanushek]

Tony

I have the same capability. I use it every so often to save my address book by exporting it to a removable drive. If OE takes a hit, I can recover my Address Book. Sometimes I also use Dan's method to copy my .dbx files.

Rich

You should be able to export your address book to a text file (comma separated values) - .csv file. This format is imported on the other machine. A .csv file is one of the lowest common denominators for data transfer between machines / applications.

Terry

[mylanta]

Tony

I have the same capability. I use it every so often to save my address book by exporting it to a removable drive. If OE takes a hit, I can recover my Address Book. Sometimes I also use Dan's method to copy my .dbx files.

Rich

You should be able to export your address book to a text file (comma separated values) - .csv file. This format is imported on the other machine. A .csv file is one of the lowest common denominators for data transfer between machines / applications.

Terry

Yeah that's really useful...except what do I do with the Excel file it makes?
I thought this was supposed to be easy...my way takes 5 seconds.

[Dan18960]

EXCEL FILE - Rich just because Excel can SUPPORT a text delimited file doesn't mean that it is the ONLY app to support delimited text.

You do the Export as a .csv and the Import as "other address book" and OE supports the delimited format.

Your way may take 5 minutes - but the OE export / import is quicker, supported, and no "possible" loss of addresses.

The nice thing is that there is only one file to port - the import creates the .wab AND the wa~ files for OE.

[mylanta]

But Dan I thought this was supposed to be simple? If you go into the address book and click export, you can do it to a floppy which I do monthly anyway so I can update all machines from master and it takes 10 seconds. I know I can import the text file and change it back to wab but why? You make it so complicated Al will never be able to do this! KISS remember?

[Dan18960]

Al? ? ? ?

Oh you think he REALLY is going to give up Windows 98 FIRST EDITION :tape2:

[mylanta]

Never...it will be buried with him....I only meant you have to explain this to the average user...Al's name came to mind even though other than in equipment where he is heading backwards, his user skills have taken a leap forward through the years.

[kern]

But Dan I thought this was supposed to be simple? If you go into the address book and click export, you can do it to a floppy which I do monthly anyway so I can update all machines from master and it takes 10 seconds. I know I can import the text file and change it back to wab but why? You make it so complicated Al will never be able to do this! KISS remember?

I agree with you Rich- simplest way to export or import the address book is to open Address Book, click File, click Import or Export, select "address book WAB" option, and save it to the media of your choice. Then repeat the process on the new pc. Done!