How do I move my Outlook Express folders to my new machine?

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One thing to watch out for is the fact that there can be multiple "identities" folders on the system. This tripped me at first. I was looking at "documents and setting/USERNAME/Application data/identities" but the real data was in "documents and setting/USERNAME/local settings/Application data/identities". Of course it's all there when you look at"Maintenance -> storage folder" but it is so easy to overlook it in this long path.

I'm still getting the same message as noted above (no files found or another program is using them). This 'newer' machine is running XP. On the old computer I located the files and uploaded all of them to an online storage area. Then I downloaded them to a folder I made that's sitting on the desktop of the newer computer. I just can't see where I'm going wrong. Susan stated the folder should only be clicked on once... I did but it still 'opens' it in the tree. And, again, the folder is one that I made and not one of the mail program's folders (if that means anything to this mess). What would happen if I find the location on the new machine and then physically move the contents of my mail folder into it? I'm grasping at straws! Thanks very much for your help!!

On the old machine,locate Outlook Express' email in Tools, Options, on the Maintenance tab there's a button labeled Store Folder.
copy the link and then START_RUN-paste the link
then copy all the folders on cd or flash.then open the store folder on the other machine and paste the folders.

How can it be that after I copied all of the .dbx files into the storage folder that I created and pointed Outlook Express to, the program only SEES 2 of the 22 files?? I tried to make a new folder with the same name as one of the old ones and that didn't help. I even tried Importing again but got the same response - "no files found or another program is using them" Thank you for trying to help!

I have a question and maybe a few answers.

I was having a similar problem and found that by copying in a default version of a Folders.dbx that I was able to then import the inbox.dbx, but NOT any of the other *.dbx's.

I am unsure if that is due to the default Folders.dbx or if Outlook Express simply does not import the other folders such as Deleted Items.dbx?

Also, for grins, I renamed the Deleted Items to Inbox.dbx in another test environment and no messages came out of the import even though that dbx is larger than the original inbox that I was eventually able to import using the default Folders.dbx. I suspect that the import process is not using the file name, but rather data stripped from the files.

So I can get some of you to import your Inbox.dbx like me, but I and some of you will still probably want to know how to get into other .dbx files.

If anyone has the glass slipper to this last piece, please share it as I have a Cinderella of a file that needs it! :-)

Thanks,
-Fluffy

My situation is unique. After killing a virus, I had no choice but to use the System Recovery (With Backup) that is the failsafe CD for my eMachine. After getting the OS going, I had to reinstall all applications, but the data was backed up (and my photos!). Recovering emails is simple - they are in the stored identities folders that got backed up with everything else. My problem is, where do I find the address folders? I have no working old version of OE to export the address folders!

Please help -- my wife's business contacts are at stake!!!
Jimmy

i had "no files found or another program is using them"... i copied folders.dbx & that cured it for me.

Just wanted to piggyback on Pater's 3/11/08 comment -- I just DELETED the folders.dbx file in the NEW computer (in the USERNAME/local settings/application data/identities/IDENTITY#/microsoft/outlook express directory) and suddenly, I could SEE all the old mailboxes, that I had already copies in manually. Well...actually...I had somehow already lost a bunch of them -- but that's another sad story. Meanwhile, this let OE SEE everything that was there. It must build a new folders.dbx file, that includes everything in the directory.

What can i say....worked first time and no issues with dbx.files. Must add my thanks as like Bruce F. laplink was an abject failure and your site saved the day. Many thanks.

A big thanks to RR at November 10, 2004 12:17 PM for his posting on re-naming the "folders.dbx" to any other name.dbx to make it possable to then inport all your old folders and messages into OE.
And thanks Leo for a very helpfull site.

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