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ImportOEIntoWindowsMail

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How do I import Outlook Express into Windows Mail?

On the computer running Windows XP, do the following:

1. The folder that contains the Outlook Express messages is marked as a hidden folder in Windows. To view this hidden folder, click Start, and then click Control Panel. Click Appearance and Themes, and then click Folder Options. Click the View tab, and under Hidden files and folders, click Show hidden files and folders.
2. Locate the folder named Outlook Express. In Windows XP, this folder is located here by default: C:\Documents and Settings\your user name\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{your Windows user identity number}\Microsoft\Outlook Express.
3. Copy the Outlook Express folder and all its contents to the Documents folder on the computer running Windows Vista. (You can store this copy of the Outlook Express folder in a location other than the Documents folder, as long as you remember where to find it.) For information about how to copy a folder, see Copy files to another computer.

On the computer running Windows Vista, do the following:

1. Open Windows Mail by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button, clicking All Programs, and then clicking Windows Mail.
2. Click the File menu, point to Import, and then click Messages.
3. Click Microsoft Outlook Express 6, and then click Next.
4. Make sure Import mail from an OE6 store directory is selected, and then click OK.
5. Click Browse, find the Outlook Express folder you copied to this computer, and then click the folder once to select it. (Do not open the folder when you select it.)
6. Click Select Folder, and then click Next.
7. Click All folders to import all the folders, or click Selected folders and select which message folders you want to import, and then click Next.
8. Click Finish.

Notes

• The Windows user identity number is different for every user. It will be inside brackets and look similar to this sample number: {8389CA60-ED34-11DB-95EE-10AE55D89593}
• If Windows XP is installed on another hard disk location other than your C: drive, use that drive letter instead of C: when searching for your Outlook Express folder.
• Outlook Express stores your messages in a folder that contains several different .dbx files. These files (folders.dbx, inbox.dbx, outbox.dbx) contain all your messages. Windows Mail cannot import any of these files individually; you must import the entire Outlook Express folder.
• If Windows Mail is unable to import your messages, make sure none of the files in the Outlook Express folder are marked Read only. Open the folder, select all the files, right-click them, click Properties, and make sure the Read only check box is cleared.
• Windows Mail cannot import messages from IMAP or HTTP e-mail accounts, even if those messages were stored in Outlook Express. For information about these e-mail types, see POP3, SMTP, and other e‑mail server types. Windows Mail also cannot import any newsgroup messages you may have had stored in Outlook Express.

Export or Import Contacts into CSV Format

To export contacts so they can be viewed by someone using another program

You can convert all your contacts at once to the format you choose so that someone using another program or a previous version of Windows can open and view them.

1. Open Windows Contacts by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button, clicking All Programs, and then clicking Windows Contacts.
2. On the toolbar, click Export, and then click one of the following formats:
   • CSV (Comma Separated Values). This is a generic file format used for exporting or importing information to and from databases or spreadsheets.
   • vCard (folder of .vcf files). This format is used by many other programs. It is typically the best format to use when sharing contacts with someone who is using an earlier version of Windows or who is using a different operating system.
3. Click Export, select a folder where you want to store your contacts in the new format, and then click OK.
4. When a message appears telling you that the contacts export process has completed, click OK, and then click Close.

Notes

• To convert just a single contact to the vCard format and send it to someone, right-click the contact and then click Send Contact. The contact will be converted and then attached to an e‑mail message in Windows Mail.
• When you convert a contact to the vCard format, it will lose any picture it might have had and some or all of the information in the Family and Notes tabs.

To import contacts created in another program

1. Open Windows Contacts by clicking the Start button Picture of the Start button, clicking All Programs, and then clicking Windows Contacts.
2. On the toolbar, click Import, and then click one of the following formats to import contacts from:
   • CSV (Comma Separated Values). This is a generic file format used for exporting and importing information to and from databases or spreadsheets. If you are unable to import an address book file directly into Windows Contacts, try converting it first to a csv file and then importing that file.
   • LDIF (LDAP server). This format is used to import directory information from LDAP-based directory servers.
   • vCard (VCF file). This is the most widely used contacts format.
   • Windows Address Book file (Outlook Express contacts). This format (.wab file) is used by most earlier versions of Windows, including Windows XP.
3. Click Import, locate the contacts file you want to import, and then click Open. The new contacts should appear in your Contacts folder.
4. If you can't locate the contacts file you want to import, check the information that came with the program that created the contacts or visit the manufacturer's website. You might need to export contacts from the program before you can import them into Windows Contacts.
5. When a message appears telling you that the contacts import process has completed, click OK, and then click Close.

Notes

• Windows will automatically convert all your contacts in the Windows Address Book to the new Windows Contacts format when you upgrade a computer from Windows XP to this version of Windows.
• The Windows Address Book contacts file on your Windows XP computer is usually located at C:\Documents and Settings\Your User Name\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book. The Address Book file has a .wab extension and is usually named after your user name. If you don't see this file or folder, you might need to show hidden files (see Show hidden files). After you finish importing a Windows Address Book file, each contact will appear as an individual .contact file.

References

Windows - How To Import messages into Windows Mail from Outlook Express - Retrieved on 7 April 2009

Windows - Import, export, or change the format for contacts - Retrieved on 7 April 2009

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