Solved: Backup email folder

[dougy]

Hi. Can someone please tell me how I can backup an email folder to CD or DVD using Outlook Express on Vista Premium. I have a couple of large folders that I no longer need but would like to keep for a while but would like to get them off my computer. Is it possible ?.

 

[1002richards]

I think AcronisTue Image has the option to backup e-mail only:
http://www.acronisstore.com/data-ba...mage-11-Home&gclid=CMSIo_afkJYCFQOaFQodnRnJFA

Richard

 

[DoubleHelix]

I'm not sure how Vista Mail works (it's not called Outlook Express on Vista), but with Outlook Express on Windows XP, the folders.dbx file needs to have a record of and a pointer to all the other registered mail folders' DBX files. This means that if you backup the DBX file for an Outlook Express folder and then delete the folder from within Outlook Express, the folders.dbx file will no longer have a record of it, and you can't easily restore it or read its contents.

I'd have to play around with this to confirm, and there may be a way to import DBX files, but this is something you should be aware of before you "back up" your e-mail and then delete the only working copy. This is a case where the restore functionality of a backup process really needs to be checked and verified.

 

[VistaRookie]

First make sure just what program you are using for email.
If it is either Outlook Express(on XP) or Windows Mail (on Vista)
then this information should help you:

http://www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx

If you are using Windows Live Mail on Vista, don't know, don't
use it.

 

[dougy]

Thanks guys, sounds all a bit complicated to me. I should have said I use Windows Mail in Vista, and not O.E. - sorry.

 

[Rich-M]

File, Export and then choose messages and then contacts should do it just fine.
Then open Computer and if you open the drive, you should see there the option to burn to cd ( or dvd).

 

[VistaRookie]

Here is how I would backup Windows Mail (WM) emails.
Should be pretty easy this way.

1) Make a new folder on your desktop (call it EmailBackup or
whatever you like)

2) Go to where the emails are stored using Windows Explorer.
C:\Users\(your username)\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail
\Local Folders\Imported Folder\

3) Open the folder(s) you want and highlight the emails you want
to backup. If you want the entire folder, Ctrl+A will highlight all of
them. They will all have the extension .eml.

4) Drag them to the new folder you made on your desktop.

5) Burn that folder to CD/DVD.

6) Should you want to look at any particular emails on that CD/DVD,
clicking on it should open it in WM.

edit: You might want to make individual sub-folders within
that new folder on your desktop with the folder names you use in WM.
Because it will make finding a particular email on the CD/DVD slightly
easier. I would personally use a search to find what I want on the
CD/DVD.

 

[DoubleHelix]

Everyone is giving great advice on how to back up mail. What they're not clear on is what happens after you create the backup and then delete the folders from Windows Mail, if that's what you intend to do.

 

[Rich-M]

Everyone is giving great advice on how to back up mail. What they're not clear on is what happens after you create the backup and then delete the folders from Windows Mail, if that's what you intend to do.

Yeah but who said anything about deleting folders. I wouldn't recommend that. Do you normally delete what you backed up? I sure don't as that defeats the whole purpose of backing up.

 

[VistaRookie]

If you delete the folders from WM, just recreate new custom
folders and I am pretty sure you can drag the emails back
into WM.

The .eml files will have read-only attributes set because of the
CD/DVD. If you drag them back into WM, you might have to
uncheck those attributes using Windows Explorer.

Right-click properties of the .eml file - attributes is right on the
General tab.

 

[dougy]

Hi Richard-M.

Yes- delete them from my computer is exactly what I want to do. They are just a couple of files I kept when I had a dispute with Tiscali, they contain dozens of emails, but now the dispute is resolved I no longer need them but would like to keep them as an example.

 

[dougy]

Thanks guys for all your help, problem solved. I basically did what VistaRookie suggested and did it through Windows Explorer, winding my way through 'till I got to the email folders concerned, selected all the emails in the folder then click BURN and hey presto - all on one CD. O.K. I might have trouble finding one particular email,(there are 60) but under the circumstances I'll probably never need to.

Thanks a lot VistaRookie.

 

[VistaRookie]

Glad to hear you got it sorted.