# recover Outlook Express mail files from hard drive



## LJborn (Jan 12, 2004)

Computer died. Will not turn on. Motherboard has expired. So the Geek Squad backed up my hard drive onto DVDs for me. I had to go back and ask them to do the outlook express files, so I could recover my email. I even took them printouts with instructions on what to do.

You guessed it. What they gave me today is a CD with all the *.dbx files (in their folders), but I can't figure out how to import them into Outlook Express (loaded again on my new computer). When I click on 'import', I get an error message because it is looking for files that were saved in Outlook Express, not just saved as raw files.

There must be a way to work around this, but I don't know what it is. Can anybody help me? There are lots of things I need in those mail folders.

I see why people like web-based email like yahoo, where if your computer dies, your email is still allive....

Help!!!


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## sekirt (Mar 28, 2003)

Some people don't like web based email when the service loses their emails. Or when they can't access their account, etc;

You are better off with OE. Also, you can keep backups in case of problems.

I see you are keeping your OS a secret. So, general instructions.....locate where your .DBX files are kept. Be sure OE is closed. Assuming you haven't any new emails you want to keep, copy your old .DBX files there. Overwrite all existing .DBX files. Remove *read only* file attributes. Rename *Folders.dbx* to Folders.old. Restart OE. Everything should be in place.

sekirt


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## pshagnot (Jan 2, 2002)

Sekirt.......
I had to do this procedure twice, so I renamed the second one folder.olb. It worked, but now I have folder.old and folder.olb, along with the active "folder". Can I safely delete folder.old and folder.olb?


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## sekirt (Mar 28, 2003)

pshagnot

That file (folders.dbx) is what OE uses to keep track of your folders. Once you rename folders.dbx, OE thinks that it isn't there and a new file is created. The only reason to rename it, is "just in case" something goes wrong. Once OE is up and running, it is using the new Folders.dbx that it created.

So, yes, all old folders.dbx files can be safely deleted. Any of the .dbx files that are old and no longer being used, can also safely be deleted. Just be sure they are indeed old. Because deleting them will permanently remove all emails within that particular file.

sekirt


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## pshagnot (Jan 2, 2002)

Sekirt,
Just wanted to say "thanks" for this one. I have asked several "techies" how to restore .dbx files to OE, and they didn't have a clue. This was almost too simple, but it saved me over 300 documents!! Thanks, again.


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## sekirt (Mar 28, 2003)

:up:


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## LJborn (Jan 12, 2004)

I can't figure out how to do this. I tried a search to find the *.dbx files and it came up with something that was 'inbox' but couldn't make sense out of the name of the file.

I am running Windows XP Home on an HP Pavillion Desktop.

I am tantalized by the fact that others found this worked. So if you can help me with som more detail I'd be very appreciative~


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## sekirt (Mar 28, 2003)

> I can't figure out how to do this.


Do you have all your DBX files backed up on a CD/DVD?
Exactly where are you not getting it to work?

sekirt


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## pshagnot (Jan 2, 2002)

Somehow, a reponse on this thread was sent to me in error. It's not my thread (although I went thru the same confusion at one time.)


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## pshagnot (Jan 2, 2002)

OOOOps! I should have looked backward further. This actually was a response to my thread posted in 2002......not sure how the response got delayed four years!!


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## EAFiedler (Apr 25, 2000)

Hi *pshagnot*

You have posted in this thread, so unless you changed your e-mail notifications in the TSG Control Panel, you have been subscribed to this thread and will receive a notification when someone responds.


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## EAFiedler (Apr 25, 2000)

Would you mind posting the contents of the notification here?


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## sekirt (Mar 28, 2003)

*pshagnot*

I believe you joined TSG in *2002* - this thread was started by you on *Nov 29, 2005*. The reason there is activity here is because *LJborn* piggy-backed his post to your thread. I think the notification was just the normal routine. :up:

sekirt


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