I'm running OE6 in Windows XP.
My PC crashed recently, and I had to reinstall all my apps.
OE seemed to have lost all of my records, but I think I've located them in a
folder called \Identities.
I'm having no luck getting OE6 to import the lost files from that location,
or from a backup CD I've made of that location.
How do I recover those records?
Any advice will be greatly appreciated (three years of conversations in
there!)

You have a new identity now. Choose Import from an OE store directory
instead of an ID.

Same for the CD, but you must have included Folders.dbx. Save the CD to your
HDD and remove the Read Only attribute, then import as a store directory.

General precautions for Outlook Express:

Do not archive mail in default OE folders. They will eventually become
corrupt. Create your own user defined folders for storing mail and move your
mail to them. Empty Deleted Items folder regularly. Keep user created
folders under 100MB, and Default folders as empty as is feasible.

After you are done, follow up by compacting your folders manually while
working *offline* and do it often.

Click on Outlook Express at the top of the folder tree so no folders are
open. Then: File | Work Offline (or double click Working Online in the
Status Bar). File | Folder | Compact all folders. Don't touch anything until
the compacting is completed.

Turn off e-mail scanning in your anti-virus program. It is a redundant layer
of protection that eats up CPUs and causes a multitude of problems such as
time-outs and account setting changes. Your up-to-date A/V program will
continue to protect you sufficiently. For more, see:
http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3

In Tools | Options | Maintenance: Uncheck Compact messages in background and
leave it unchecked. {N/A if running XP/SP2}.

And backup often.

Backup & Restore:
http://www.insideoe.com/backup/

This is a great two click program:

Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB)
http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx
--

Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"andy-k" <spam.free@last> wrote in message
news:_e4gk.1183$9S6.842@newsfe08.ams2...
> I'm running OE6 in Windows XP.
> My PC crashed recently, and I had to reinstall all my apps.
> OE seemed to have lost all of my records, but I think I've located them in
> a folder called \Identities.
> I'm having no luck getting OE6 to import the lost files from that
> location, or from a backup CD I've made of that location.
> How do I recover those records?
> Any advice will be greatly appreciated (three years of conversations in
> there!)
>

"Bruce Hagen" wrote:
> Choose Import from an OE store directory instead of an ID.

This sounds promising, but I'm not sufficiently familiar with the system to
know how to comply. What is a "store directory" and how do I access one?

Thanks Bruce.

andy-k wrote:
> "Bruce Hagen" wrote:
>> Choose Import from an OE store directory instead of an ID.
>
> This sounds promising, but I'm not sufficiently familiar with the system
> to
> know how to comply. What is a "store directory" and how do I access one?
>
> Thanks Bruce.

Importing OE Data (all DBX files, including Folders.dbx)
http://www.insideoe.com/faqs/how.htm#importOE5

Importing a single DBX file
http://www.insideoe.com/faqs/how.htm#importdbx
http://www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx (paragraph before the Windows Mail
section)

About OE Files & Settings
http://www.insideoe.com/files/index.htm

All About Address Book
http://www.insideoe.com/files/wab.htm
--
~Robear Dyer (PA Bear)
MS MVP-IE, Mail, Security, Windows Desktop Experience - since 2002
AumHa VSOP & Admin http://aumha.net
DTS-L http://dts-l.net/

I'm finding my way around now, thanks guys, but I still have a problem:

I want to change my store folder from:
Applications Data\Identities\xxx\Microsoft\Outlook Express\<Store1>

To:
Applications Data\Identities\yyy\Microsoft\Outlook Express\<Store2>

But the operation to change store directory creates a new store here:
Applications Data\Identities\yyy\<NewStore>

And it won't let me change the store directory to <Store2> as required.

It's so tantalizing -- I can see the files I want to access but I can't get
at them.

Changing the store directory moves the OE files to a Windows folder that you
create. You did create the folder first?
Changing the store directory is not for making OE use files already in a
Windows folder. OE can over-write files already in a Windows folder.
To move files to a different folder, refer to PA Bear's directions.
--
Ronald Sommer

"andy-k" <spam.free@last> wrote in message
news:AnAgk.10164$A42.1778@newsfe14.ams2...
> I'm finding my way around now, thanks guys, but I still have a problem:
>
> I want to change my store folder from:
> Applications Data\Identities\xxx\Microsoft\Outlook Express\<Store1>
>
> To:
> Applications Data\Identities\yyy\Microsoft\Outlook Express\<Store2>
>
> But the operation to change store directory creates a new store here:
> Applications Data\Identities\yyy\<NewStore>
>
> And it won't let me change the store directory to <Store2> as required.
>
> It's so tantalizing -- I can see the files I want to access but I can't
> get at them.
>

It works if you do it right. See
http://www.insideoe.com/files/store.htm#movestore

andy-k wrote:
> I'm finding my way around now, thanks guys, but I still have a problem:
>
> I want to change my store folder from:
> Applications Data\Identities\xxx\Microsoft\Outlook Express\<Store1>
>
> To:
> Applications Data\Identities\yyy\Microsoft\Outlook Express\<Store2>
>
> But the operation to change store directory creates a new store here:
> Applications Data\Identities\yyy\<NewStore>
>
> And it won't let me change the store directory to <Store2> as required.
>
> It's so tantalizing -- I can see the files I want to access but I can't
> get
> at them.