How to Back Up/Export/Import Outlook Express Data

This article contains the following:

To backup Outlook Express data
Copy mail files to a backup folder
Export your Address Book to a file
Export your mail account to a file
Export your news account to a file
To restore or import Outlook Express data
Import messages from your backup folder
Import your Address Book file
Import your mail account file
Import your news account file
Copy your Mail Files to a Backup Folder

To make a backup copy of your Outlook Express e-mail message files:

From the Tools menu, click Options.

Click Maintenance then Store Folder.

Select the folder location, and then press CTRL+C to copy the location.

Click Cancel, Cancel again.

Click Start, then click Run.

In the Open box, press CTRL+V to paste in the location, then click OK.

On the Edit menu, click Select All.

On the Edit menu, click Copy, then close the window.

Right-click on your desktop, click New, then Folder.

Type Mail Backup for the folder name, and then press ENTER.

Double-click the new desktop Mail Backup folder to open it.

On the Edit menu, click Paste.

Close the Mail Backup window.

Export the Address Book to a File

NOTE: This step is very important when multiple Identities are in use. A .WAB (Windows Address Book) file is used by Outlook Express 5.x and 6.0 versions, even if multiple Identities are used. The individual data for each Identity is stored in a folder, by user name, within the .WAB file in use.

Exporting this data, while logged in to a specific Identity, is the only means of organizing the Address Book data. If the .WAB file becomes dissociated from the user Identities, the data can only be exported in total - not folder by folder.

Another reason to export the .WAB file to a .csv file is that if the .WAB file is shared with Microsoft Outlook, the addresses are stored in the *.pst file in Outlook. When you export the file from the Outlook Express File menu to a *.csv file it exports the correct contacts. If the Address Book is shared with Microsoft Outlook, you are not able to export from within the Address Book on the File menu. This option is dimmed or not available.

To export your Outlook Express address book:

From the File menu, click Export > Address Book.
Click Text File (Comma Separated Values), then click Export.

Click Browse.

Locate the Mail Backup folder that you created.

In the File Name box, type Address Book Backup, then click Save.

Click Next.

Click to select the check boxes for the fields that you want to export, then click Finish.

Click OK.

Click Close.

Export the Mail Account to a File

To make a backup copy of your Outlook Express mail account:

Click Tools, click Accounts.
On the Mail tab, click the mail account that you want to export, then click Export.

In the Save In box, locate the Mail Backup folder on your desktop, then click Save.

Repeat these steps for each mail account that you want to export.

Click Close.

Export the Newsgroup Account to a File

To make a backup copy of your Outlook Express news accounts:

Click Tools, click Accounts.
On the News tab, click the news account that you want to export, then click Export.

In the Save In box, use locate the Mail Backup folder on your desktop, then click Save.

Repeat these steps for each news account that you want to export.

Click Close.

Importing Outlook Express data

To restore data, you may need to re-create Identities for each user, prior to using the following steps. If required, repeat each step for each Identity.

Import Messages from the Backup Folder

To import your Outlook Express e-mail messages from the Backup folder:

Click File, point to Import, then click Messages.

In the Select an e-mail program to import from box, click your version of Outlook Express, then click Next.

Click Import mail from an OE5 store directory or Import mail from an OE6 store directory, then click OK.

Click Browse, then click your desktop Mail Backup folder.

Click OK, then click Next.

Click All folders, click Next, then click Finish.

Import the Address Book File

To import your Outlook Express address book:

Click File, click Import, then click Other Address Book.
Click Text File (Comma Separated Values), then click Import.

Click Browse.

Locate your desktop Mail Backup folder, click the address book Backup.csv file, then click Open.

Click Next, then click Finish.

Click OK, then click Close.

To import your Outlook Express mail account file:

Click Tools, click Accounts.
On the Mail tab, click Import.

In the Look In box, locate your desktop Mail Backup folder.

Click the mail account that you want to import, then click Open.

Repeat these steps for each mail account that you want to import.

Click Close.

Import the Newsgroup Account File

To import your Outlook Express news account file:

Click Tools, click Accounts.
On the News tab, click Import.

In the Look In box, locate the Mail Backup folder on your desktop.

Click the news account that you want to import, then click Open.

Repeat these steps for each news account that you want to import.

Click Close.

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How to Back Up/Export/Import Outlook Express Data

" This article contains the following: To backup Outlook Express data Copy mail files to a backup folder Export your Address ... "