How to Backup & Restore Outlook Express emails,Addressbook,mail accounts:

Outlook Express backup and restore is not as simple as it is in Ms Outlook

. The following procedure will help you with a step by step procedure on backup and restore of Ms Outlook Express. This should work on Outlook Express 5 & 6 and as you are aware there is no Outlook Express 7.

The procedure involves

1. Backing up emails

2. Backing up (export) Address Book

3. Backing up (export) Mail Accounts

Backup EMails

Backup the outlook Express mails to a seperate folder by doing the following:

1. Open Outlook Express, click Tools and then Options.

2. Click the Maintenance tab then Store Folder.

3. Copy the storage location path.

4. Click Cancel, Cancel to close the dialog box.

5. Now, Click Start – Run, paste the path copied and click OK.

6. Once the folder opens, copy all the files in the folder [.dbx file] and paste then onto a new folder [say MailBackup] on the C:\ drive.

Backup Address Book

Export the Address book in the CSV format to the MailBackup folder by doing the following:

1. Open Outlook Express, click File – Export and select Address Book.

2. Select Text File (Comma Separated Values) and click Export.

3. Browse and select the MailBackup folder as the backup location and name the file[say as, BackupAdd.CSV].

6. Click Next.

7. Select the fields that you want to export, and then click Finish.

8. Click OK and then Close.

Backup Mail Account

Backup the Mail Account onto the MailBackup folder by doing the following:

1. Open Outlook Express, click Tools then Accounts.

2. Click the Mail tab, then the mail account to export, and click Export.

3. In the Save In box, locate the Mail Backup folder and click Save.

4. Repeat these steps for each mail account that you want to export.

5. Click Close.

Backup News Account: Backup News accounts (if any) using the above procedure where in Step 2, click the News tab instead of the Mail tab.

With this the Backup completes. Now, proceed with the following to restore the Outlook Express mails. All the data backed up needs to be restored back using the Import function. If there are multiple identities from which Backup has been done then each identity has to be created seperately and the following procedure should be repeated for each account.

Restore Email messages

1. Open the Outlook Express, click File, Import, and click Messages.

2. In the Select an e-mail program to import from box, click Microsoft Outlook Express 5 or Microsoft Outlook Express 6, and click Next.

3. Click Import mail from an OE5 store directory or Import mail from an OE6 store directory, and then click OK.

4. Click Browse, and then click on the Mail Backup folder on your system.

5. Click OK, and then click Next.

6. Click All folders, click Next, and click Finish.

Restore Address Book:

1. Open Outlook Express, click File, Import, and then click Other Address Book.

2. Click Text File (Comma Separated Values), and then click Import.

3. Click Browse.

4. Locate the Mail Backup folder on your system, click the address book .csv file, and click Open.

5. Click Next, and then click Finish.

6. Click OK, and click Close.

Restore Account Settings:

1. Open Outlook Express, click Tools, Accounts.

2. On the Mail tab, click Import.

3. In the Look In box, locate the Mail Backup folder on your system.

4. Click the mail account that you want to import, and then click Open.

5. Repeat these steps for each mail account that you want to import.

6. Click Close.

Restore Newsgroup Account:

Restore the Newsgroup account the same way as above where in Step 2, Select news tab instead of the Mail tab.