harddrive is dieing, what folder has email

[larry2c]

Help!
The hard drive on my wifes PC is dieing. I am trying to save her email (and address book if possible). Where are the current emails and addresses stored? She is running windows 2k and outlook express. Is it the pst file in docs&settings/user/local settings/microsoft/outlook ?

I have been backing up her data regularly so that part is not a problem. It would be a real big plus if I can rescue the emails. If I can figure out what file to back up I can prevent this problem in the future!

Thanks in advance

 

[jbcalg]

*sigh* try the search feature sometime, works great
not being (too) snarky, just keep seeing the same type of posts again and again

not sure about the pst file you're talking about (not a 2k user)

but http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/ has all the info and tools you'll need

To determine the location of your store, click Tools| Options| Maintenance| Store folder.
(http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/files/store.htm#storemain)

in http://insideoe.tomsterdam.com/tools/ , try OEBackup to save all your settings, account info, emails, address book, etc

then just move it to the new hdd when you get one
(ie burn to cd, then restore it)

 

[larry2c]

I understand the "try the search" message. My favorite line to the guys at work is "read the prompts".

Unfortunately after searching for my problem a variety of ways I never found a real answer for Outlook Express. Your answer was right on the mark. I have bookmarked the linked site for future reference. Do you know of a site like the ones you listed for Outlook 2000?

Thanks for the help!

 

[jbcalg]

sorry, don't use outlook
prefer a state of ignorance

 

[deh]

I notice you say "dying", which implies not "dead" yet. If so why don't you just export via File->Export->Address Book, File->Export->Messages.
Then you can choose the values you want to export them to. Then on the new computer or hard drive you simply import the files (one for the messages, one for the address book) via File-Import.

Obviously you need an external device to put them on but you would need that anyway.

 

[larry2c]

Actually dieing was a bit optimistic. The HDD was spinning, but the PC wouldn't boot. I stuck a ERD commander in the CD drive and when it booted from the CD I couldn't see my C drive.

I have replaced the HDD now and I am going to play around and see if I can get some of the files off the old drive, but I am not very optimistic.

If anyone has any favorite methods of extracting files from dead drives, I would certainly like to hear them.

Larry

 

[jbcalg]

sorry, old email was in outlook? thought it was OE

did you try setting up the 2nd hdd as a slave, see if it's readable?

if OE, try DBExtract from the tools link at Inside OE site above

haven't tried it but MailNavigator claims to handle Outlook, OE, and others
(d@mn, now you got me learning Outlook stuff! )

deh: check out OEBackup if you haven't already, saves all that plus more, easily and ... cheaply - great freeware

 

[deh]

Thanks for the info jb, will definitely check it out. More "one click" than the export option to backup which in turn means will be done more frequently.

 

[deh]

If anyone has any favorite methods of extracting files from dead drives, I would certainly like to hear them.

Larry

Have you tried putting it in a baggy and freezing it?

Check out this article:

"200 Ways to revive a hard drive" (put together by input from actual techs that have used these methods and have had success) There are some really good suggestions in the troubleshooting process as well (i.e. if you power your machine on and you don't here the hard drive what do you do first, second, third, etc).

200 WAYS TO REVIVE A HARD DRIVE
http://lstech.org/resource_lib/hardware/desktops/200waysfixHD.html