Those with Outlook Express often wonder how to back up their message and address files, normally after a crash and they've lost everything. (That's the way I do it, anyway). I've extracted the following out of the online magazine WinXPnews, found at http://www.winxpnews.com/ (Won't work for Outlook Express 4 and older) Woody ~~~~~~~~~~~~ HOW TO BACKUP OUTLOOK EXPRESS (OE 5&6) MESSAGES AND WINDOWS ADDRESS BOOK Your email messages are probably the most important data you keep on your computer. The worst computing disaster most people experience is the loss of their email. Here's some easy steps you can take to back up your messages and address book: 1. Right click on the Desktop, point to New and then click Folder. Rename the folder to My Backup Files. 2. Click Start and then click Search. In the What do you want to search for? balloon, click on the All files and folders arrow. 3. In the Look In box, click Local Hard Drives. 4. In the Named box, type *.dbx, and then click Search. When the search is completed, you should see a list of all the files with the .dbx file extension in the Search Results window. 5. Click the Edit menu and then click the Select All command. 6. Click the Edit menu and then click the Copy command. 7. On your desktop, double-click the My Backup Files folder. 8. On the Edit menu, click Paste. 9. Repeat steps 4 through 9, but this time search for files with the *.wab file extension. Those files will be for the Windows Address Book. HOW TO RESTORE BACKED UP OUTLOOK EXPRESS (OE 5&6) MESSAGE FILES Once you have your files in a backup folder, you can copy that folder to a CD-R or a removable hard disk. The key is to put the folder in a safe place. When you're ready to copy those files to another installation of Outlook Express, just perform the following steps: 1. Open the Windows Explorer and create a folder on the C: drive called MailFiles. 2. Copy the .dbx and .wab files you backed up into the MailFiles folder you created on the C: drive 3. Open Outlook Express. Click on the Tools menu and then click the Options command. 4. In the Options dialog box, click on the Maintenance tab. On the Maintenance tab, click on the Store Folder button. 5. The Store Location dialog box appears. Click the Change button in the Store Location dialog box. 6. The Browse for Folder dialog box appears. Make sure the C: drive is expanded and then click on the MailFiles folder. Click OK, then click OK in the Store Location dialog box. A dialog box appears asking you if you want to switch the store location. Click Yes. Note that you need to switch your store as soon as you start using the new Outlook Express, as the old message store will replace the current one. Since you're starting with a new Outlook Express, you don't have to worry about losing any messages. 7. Click OK in the dialog box that tells you the store location won't be changed until you restart Outlook Express. 8. Click OK in the Options dialog box. 9. Close Outlook Express and then open it again. You'll now see your old messages. 10. Now let's get your address book back. In Outlook Express, click the File menu and then point to Import. Click on the Address Book command. 11. In the Select Address Book File to Import from dialog box, navigate to your MailFiles folder and click on the .wab file in that folder. Click Open. Click OK in the dialog box that tells you the import completed successfully. Now you have all your old messages and your complete address book! Make sure to back up your .dbx and .wab files on a regular basis and then copy them to a safe place. If you do, you'll never lose your important messages or contacts again

Good stuff Woody. Dr. Bill ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2002 10:56 PM Subject: [NEWGEN] Backing up Outlook Express 5&6 message and address files : Those with Outlook Express often wonder how to back up their message and : address files, normally after a crash and they've lost everything. (That's : the way I do it, anyway). I've extracted the following out of the online : magazine WinXPnews, found at http://www.winxpnews.com/ : (Won't work for Outlook Express 4 and older) : Woody : ~~~~~~~~~~~~ : : HOW TO BACKUP OUTLOOK EXPRESS (OE 5&6) MESSAGES AND WINDOWS ADDRESS BOOK : : Your email messages are probably the most important data you keep on your : computer. The worst computing disaster most people experience is the loss of : their email. Here's some easy steps you can take to back up your messages : and address book: : : 1. Right click on the Desktop, point to New and then click Folder. Rename : the folder to My Backup Files. : : 2. Click Start and then click Search. In the What do you want to search for? : balloon, click on the All files and folders arrow. : : 3. In the Look In box, click Local Hard Drives. : : 4. In the Named box, type *.dbx, and then click Search. When the search is : completed, you should see a list of all the files with the .dbx file : extension in the Search Results window. : : 5. Click the Edit menu and then click the Select All command. : : 6. Click the Edit menu and then click the Copy command. : : 7. On your desktop, double-click the My Backup Files folder. : : 8. On the Edit menu, click Paste. : : 9. Repeat steps 4 through 9, but this time search for files with the *.wab : file extension. Those files will be for the Windows Address Book. : : : HOW TO RESTORE BACKED UP OUTLOOK EXPRESS (OE 5&6) MESSAGE FILES : : Once you have your files in a backup folder, you can copy that folder to a : CD-R or a removable hard disk. The key is to put the folder in a safe : place. When you're ready to copy those files to another installation of : Outlook Express, just perform the : following steps: : : 1. Open the Windows Explorer and create a folder on the C: drive called : MailFiles. : : 2. Copy the .dbx and .wab files you backed up into the MailFiles folder you : created on the C: drive : : 3. Open Outlook Express. Click on the Tools menu and then click the Options : command. : : 4. In the Options dialog box, click on the Maintenance tab. On the : Maintenance tab, click on the Store Folder button. : : 5. The Store Location dialog box appears. Click the Change button in the : Store Location dialog box. : : 6. The Browse for Folder dialog box appears. Make sure the C: drive is : expanded and then click on the MailFiles folder. Click OK, then click OK in : the Store Location dialog box. A dialog box appears asking you if you want : to switch : the store location. Click Yes. Note that you need to switch your store as : soon as you start using the new Outlook Express, as the old message store : will replace the current one. Since you're starting with a new Outlook : Express, you don't have to worry about losing any messages. : : 7. Click OK in the dialog box that tells you the store location won't be : changed until you restart Outlook Express. : : 8. Click OK in the Options dialog box. : : 9. Close Outlook Express and then open it again. You'll now see your old : messages. : : 10. Now let's get your address book back. In Outlook Express, click the : File menu and then point to Import. Click on the Address Book command. : : 11. In the Select Address Book File to Import from dialog box, navigate to : your MailFiles folder and click on the .wab file in that folder. Click Open. : Click OK in the dialog box that tells you the import completed successfully. : : : Now you have all your old messages and your complete address book! Make sure : to back up your .dbx and .wab files on a regular basis and then copy them to : a safe place. If you do, you'll never lose your important messages or : contacts again : : : : ==== NEWGEN Mailing List ==== : BE SURE TO SHARE WITH THE OTHER LIST MEMBERS ANY SIGNIFICANT : (OR INSIGNIFICANT) FIND YOU HAVE MADE. IT HELPS OTHERS TO PRESS ON : WITH THEIR OWN SEARCH.