[bcab] Re: Backing up OE data

Hi
I don't really understand why people are having problems backing up and restoring emails. Once you learn the obscure destination of where windows keeps all the dbx files, it's just a simple matter of copying the outlook express folder onto your chosen backup media, or pasting it back to it's original position for restoration. 

As described before the default location for emails is at:
C:\Documents and Settings\user name\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\Long string of characters\Microsoft/Outlook Express/
To backup your emails all you need to do is go to the Outlook Express folder and copy it to your chosen medium. To restore your emails, simply delete the Outlook Express folder first, then copy your backed up version.
Outlook express does not care about the long string of characters within the Identities folder, it is looking at the contents of the Outlook express folder itself. The only thing you have to be careful about is that before you start outlook express, firstly go to the outlook express folder and delete it's contents. Then copy across your backed up dbx files. Then when you start OE it will display all your emails with the associated folders.
Of course you can always go into options and change the location that OE uses. This makes it much easier as you get to choose where you want to store the dbx files and they are not buried deep in an obscure location. 

Darren.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Toner, Barry (LIT)" <B.Toner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 12:12 PM
Subject: [bcab] Re: Backing up OE data


Tim and Leon,
The only annoyance with manually backing up the .dbx files in this manner is the restoration.
As far as I know simply placing them back in a folder under the same OE Identity name doesn't' make them show in OE. This is because they're not in the registry. 

Correct if I'm wrong but the restoration steps used to be.

1.  Open OE and create an identity with the same name as you had before.
2. Go to the identities sub folder under documents and settings/username etc and paste the dbx in here.
3. Open OE and create a folder with the exact name as previously, eg BCAB had by the mailbox.
Interact with the mailbox in some way, eg go in and out of it's properties with alt enter. 

4.  Close OE.

When you re-launch OE you'll see the created dbx housing all your mails.
This is not so bad with 3 or 4 db's but when you've got 30+ is quite lengthy. 

An automation tool like Outlook Express Backup Wizard cuts this out for you.

Barry.
"Tell me and I will hear, show me and I will see,
involve me and I will understand.

Chinese Proverb"

Barry Toner
Placement Systems Engineer
Liberty Information Technology Direct Line: 02890 167000
Adelaide Exchange Fax: 02890 445511
24-26 Adelaide Street Switchboard: 02890 445500
Belfast BT2 8GD Email: b.toner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----Original Message-----
From: bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:bcab-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of editor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: 26 May 2008 21:04
To: bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [bcab] Re: Backing up OE data
Hi Tim what I'd do first of all is set O E's default store folder to an easy to access location. Then export your address book and mail account settings to the same location, and lastly make a mirror copy of the whole folder on a different drive. That way you can back up messages, contacts and mail accounts in one swoop.
To set the message store location to a friendly one, firstly create a folder e.g. in the root of your C drive. Then go into O E's Tools menu, options, maintenance tab, and press ALT F for the "store folder" button. Browse to the created folder, then tab to OK & press space bar. You'll need to restart outlook express for the migration to happen, however once done at least all your store mail folders are in an easily reachable place.
Then, call up the address book and choose "file menu, export, address book *.wab". Save it to the created folder. Then go into tools menu accounts, select any account and press ALT E for the export button. This will export a complete account's settings as a ".iaf" file, (which if needed can be re-imported 
later on, e.g. after a format).   Save this also, to the created folder.
Lastly quit O E then copy the entire folder to a different drive or even burn it to a CD. Anytime you wish to update your email backup in future you can simply do the same again.
The only things not backed up in this process are the blocked senders list and any message rules. I believe you would need a third party backup program if you need to back those up as well. 

H T H - Leon Gilbert
Editor, www.vipnews.org.uk


----- Original Message -----
From: "Tim Gebbels" <tim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "BCAB" <bcab@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, May 25, 2008 7:41 PM
Subject: [bcab] Backing up OE data
Hi Listers. Can anyone help? A recent near death experience in hard disc terms has refocused me on the need to back up data which I'm quite good about anyway but I've never been able to figure out 
how to back up Outlook Express folders.
If I try the export option under File in the menu bar I first of all get asked to ok the data going to Ms outlook or Ms exchange but when I ok this the export could not be performed because of an 
error initialising MAPI.  What does this mean?
I have a memory that all my OE folders exist with a DBX extension in a folder somewhere. Would it simply be enough to cut and paste this folder, or the OE folders individually onto my back up drive? 
Any knowledge welcome.  Thank you.
Regards
Tim Gebbels


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