Last week, I received a question from subscriber JNC who was having computer problems. As a result, he was moving his working files from his desktop computer to his laptop until he resolved them:
JNC wrote:
I can run my desktop in only the “safe” mode. I am saving all of my files to my laptop. I went to your Computer Tips on saving Outlook Express email messages.I followed the directions and found the b/u files and moved the b/u email files to my laptop.
When I tried to open them on the laptop to see, all I got was garbage. What did I do wrong or is there another step I missed?
jnc
JNC had the procedure almost right. In four related articles on my Terry’s Computer Tips web site, I use words and pictures to tell how to do back up and restore your Outlook Express data.
The articles (which are under Computer Tips / Email… / Outlook Express…) are:
- * Backing Up Your Outlook Express Address Book,
- Restoring Your Outlook Express Address Book,
- Backing Up Your Outlook Express EMails, and
- Restoring Your Outlook Express EMail Folders
In this case, JNC was trying to install his email folders onto the laptop, but missed a critical step.
The email folders are in a format that is recognized by Outlook Express, but they’re tied to the particular unique userID (an outlook express “identify”) assigned in that installation of OE (this is not your email address, but a special codename that Outlook Express assigns).
My Restoring Outlook Express Email Folders article gave him the key he needed.
You have to “Import” the backups into your OE on the laptop. You can’t just open the files and read them.
Then, as a separate set of steps, you need to handle your Outlook Express address book, too.
and