OutLook & Outlook Express, any suggestions on how to handle the transfer of OutLook Express email data to a different PC?

Hi,

I was not sure how to describe this topic so I just winged it.

Anyway...

Pretty soon I will finally be migrating to a faster PC and will want to transfer data to the new PC.

Any suggestions on how to handle the transfer of OutLook Express email data?

I tried the Export feature, but it did not allow me to define an export file name. I must have missed something or done something wrong.

Thanks for any help.

Hi SeaFarer

Outlook contacts contain the path to the file in the registry
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft\ WAB\ WAB4\ Wab File Name

Original path is:
C:\Documents and Settings\ USERNAME\
Application Data \Microsoft \Address Book \USERNAME.wab

Or Can make this with a tool
http://download.microsoft.com/download/e/0/f/e0f1a42b-e4bd-4306-a3d4-78ff9d2b22ca/pfbackup.exe

or
http://www.outlookbackup.com/export-outlook.html

I hope it helps

Greets,

Thank you very much my good friend!

Hi,

Adding to what Ragdog has said in reply to this topic...

There are three important things to do here to make it an easy and painless migration to a new machine.

1.) Export your Address Book(s). (If you use mutiple user names, you need to export the address book for each user. Exported as a .WAB file. This is done in Address Book under the item "Export..." under the "File" menu.)

2.) Export your Internet Account(s). Particularly your Mail Account, but you may be using News and Directory Services as well. (Exported as .IAF files, export each service you intend to keep during migration. This is done in Outlook under the item "Accounts..." under the "Tools" menu..)

3.) Export your Message Store(s). (If you use mutiple user names, you need to export the message store for each user. The easiest way to do this is to locate the message store folder for each user and copy the entire contents of the folder to use for importing on the new machine. In Outlook, use the "Maintenence Tab" after selecting the "Options" item from the "Tools" menu.)


With all the exported data on a CD or other compatable media with the new machine...

Pop the data disk in and simply use the same techniques, but applied in reverse by selecting the appropriate "Import" items.


The reason I had trouble with this...

I believe the designers of Outlook got sloppy with the Exportation of Message Stores. It could have been as easy as Address Books and Internet Accounts by simply choosing a location and file name that would export.

Basically a single .CAB file format even with a unique Message Store file extension would have been so much easier for transfer between systems with the same version of Outlook.

Once one figures out the Message Store goofiness... It's a piece of cake.

In closing... if there is an easier or better way of doing this without the use of 3rd party tools, please stir the pot.

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