The windows xp won’t load up (no idea why of course, Ive tried safemode etc). There are a few emails that I need to see.

The last time I had the (10 year old) pc did this, I asked the local pc shop to put a spare harddrive I had from a previous pc, put on linux ubuntu, so if this happened again I could at least get the files off the harddrive so they could go on a new pc.

so… I can see the duff harddrive from ubuntu and I can copy files to an external usb harddrive, which this laptop I’m using now can see.

This laptop is running windows 7. It has windows live mail, which has never been used.

Any ideas how to see old emails? I’m assuming windows live mail can convert these files if I tell it where to look. Thanks for looking.

Once I get this sorted, perhaps we’ll go onto gmail, so this isn’t a problem in the future.

It’s trickier using 2 different versions of Windows but what I’ve done in the past is create a username identical on the clean install and then drop previous email folders in the account folder. Far as windows knows it’s just the same account.

Once I get this sorted, perhaps we’ll go onto gmail, so this isn’t a problem in the future.

Or you could just use IMAP for your email and then they will go to any device you connect with.

what folder names does outlook express use? so I can find them in the first place. I’ve got to go out now, but will try tomorrow. Thanks for a start.

I’m just thinking, I bet there is one called “express” or something.
There were .idx or .mdx folders last time. this sort of thing just makes my brian overload.

what folder names does outlook express use? so I can find them in the first place. I’ve got to go out now, but will try tomorrow. Thanks for a start.

So long since I did it I’ll have to Google.

Ok a quick Goolge shows this may help.

Migrate from Outlook Express or Windows (Live) Mail to Outlook

It’s in local settings / application data inside your user profile, IIRC. Something like that.

I doubt you can just open the files in Live Mail directly, but there is an Import Messages option which supports OE6.

If you were using Outlook Express with your profile on the C: drive then the files will be here:
C:\Documents & Settings\”your user name”\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{*****long hex string*****}\Microsoft\Outlook Express\

Just copy them all onto the external drive then plug it into your laptop and import into Live Mail as from an OE6 store.

That’s the one Johnny.

awesome guys. I’ll try that later.

Beers on me, next time we meet.

when the SOs laptop screwed up i used Dos, far lower overhead and just copied folder by folder to a new harddrive.