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

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Here's another way to migrate OE5 messages on a Win98 machine to a new XP, and it doesn't involve deleting anything, but you have to have Outlook installed. Open both mail programs on the old computer. In OE, export your messages to Outlook. File>export>select folders you want to go. In Outlook, export the folders to a .pst file. File>export to a file> .pst personal folder file>select folders>save as ...(I put mine on a memory stick. A CD should work as well.) Then take your storage device to your new computer and reverse the process. Open Outlook and import the folders from the device. File>import.pst>choose files. Finally, open OE and import these folders. File>import>choose folders on device.

OK, I copied the OE files from a windows 98 machine onto XP, but when I try to import into outlook 2003 I get an error: The mail folder could not be opened. If another application is using this file, please close it and try again.

Naturally I checked permissions, and found the read-only box filled with color, not checked, not unchecked, but filled?! When I uncheck it and immediately check properties again, it is filled again. What's going on here?

Nevermind. I found that Outlook Express was loaded on the xp laptop, so I first imported into Express, and it was easy from there...

A great article BUT...my particular problem was that Windows 98 (where I was using Outlook express 5) crashed and because I had (oh so cleverly I thought) saved all my .pst files I just went ahead and upgraded to XP. New personal files I create on XP are stored as .dbx files. So either I haven't understood the above or I'm confused about which bits go where.

"pst" files are created by Microsoft Outlook, the email program that's part of Microsoft Office. "dbx" files are created by Outlook Express, which is a different program. It's unclear which you were using, what files you were copying, and what one would expect, but I suspect the confusion centers on that. Here's more: http://ask-leo.com/how_do_outlook_and_outlook_express_relate.html

I've been having to do this a lot recently and have gotten the same error on all the machines that need it done.

The quickest way around it seems to be either sharing the folder and mapping it as a network drive or sharing it and simply moving the folder on to your new PC and importing it from there.

The second way seems to solve the problem more often then the first.

Won't bore you with the problem, I'll ask the question. How do I export OE6 files, inbox & folders, from one computer to the other through a USB.

I've tried a couple of ways, but maybe there'a different one. Thanks so much--I'm getting desperate to get this done as my time before travel is crunched.

This article may help on the connection issue. http://ask-leo.com/can_i_copy_files_between_two_computers_using_a_usb_connections.html basically copy the files to the new computer and import, as outlined in the article you just commented on.

I've read the articles and all Q&A's and have not seen how to import OE wab and dbx files into Outlook. My OE was broken and after several attempts even re-loading OE and XP SP2 couldn't fix it, so I've loaded Outlook and have it up and running. When trying the "Import Internet Mail and Addresses" and then select "Outlook Express" it locks up Outlook. I was expecting an ability to browse to the specific file.

I was able to retieve all my folders using the method in your article. Since my address book is on the hard drive of a computer that crashed, I have made a USB external drive out of it so that I can access the files on the drive with my new computer. Since I can't actually open the address book on my old drive, how can I find the file that it is stored in so I can copy it to my new computer ??

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