[soolbeat]

Hi
I'm trying to rescue some old emails. They are stored as a .bak file on my new computer. They were transfered from a different computer, which was a PC and used Outlook (not sure what version). I don't know what the original extension was. The file is very large (1.36 GB), so notepad says it is too big to open using notepad. My new computer uses windows Vista and Windows Mail. I have tried renaming the file with a .pst extension, and a .eml extension to import. This did not work. Is it hopeless?
Thanks if you know a way.

[VistaRookie]

Unless you can remember what program made the bak file,
then yes it is hopeless. You can't just change the extension
and create magic. Changing the extension doesn't do a
thing to the contents of that file, they remain in the same
format they have been in from the start, regardless of what
the extension is.

It it possible you backed it up using Windows backup and
restore on the old computer? Most likely, if you did you will
need the same program version to open it again.

[soolbeat]

I'm not sure what program created the .bak file but it would likely have been either Windows XP or Outlook 2007 or 2003. Does Outlook make .bak files? Or would it have had to have been Windows?

[Phantom010]

soolbeat,

Have you tried opening your .BAK file with Word?

[soolbeat]

I did, but word said it was too big. Is there a way to get around that problem?

[VistaRookie]

Originally Posted by soolbeat

I'm not sure what program created the .bak file but it would likely have been either Windows XP or Outlook 2007 or 2003. Does Outlook make .bak files? Or would it have had to have been Windows?

MS Outlook can be backed up - but it should have a .pst extension not a .bak.

[Phantom010]

You could try a free program like GSplit. It will split your file into multiple smaller pieces you'll be able to open in Notepad or Word. You'll see the different parts of your file.

[srhoades]

Maybe it was a bkf and windows backup was used?

[EAFiedler]

It sounds like a file that was created during an Outlook Express compaction.
Do you have several .bak files with a Folders.bak file, as well?

If so, those files can be Imported into Windows Mail, their extensions will need to be changed to .dbx for Windows Mail to recognize them.

If you open them with Notepad or Word and make any changes to the contents of the files, you will corrupt the files and recovering any messages, from them, will be impossible.