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Email back up question

Hand Lettering topics: Sign Making, Design, Fabrication, Letterheads, Sign Books.

Moderators: Ron Percell, Mike Jackson, Danny Baronian

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Mike Jackson
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Email back up question

Post by Mike Jackson »

Hi all, this one is mostly off topic, but I don't really know where else to ask and get a quick response. We had one of those summer thunderstorms roll through last night and I got up to unplug my main computers and hard drives. I do a reasonable job of backing my "job" data, but it occurred to me I have never backed up my emails that have been storing up for years. I'd hate to lose all of them.

I looked in Outlook Express for a way of backing up my email and address books onto another drive. The only way I see to do that is to Export the files to Microsoft Exchange, but even then, it never prompts me to specify a drive or folder. Sure enough, it starts converting all my messgages, but I don't have a clue where the files are being copied. I don't care for this option in the first place, knowing they would have to be reconverted back if I had to reload them.

I am using Windows2000, if it makes a difference. Where are the actual files stored on my hard drive for the native files for Outlook Express? How do others back their email files?

Unless other people think the information is worthy of being on the Forum, I will delete this thread once I find out how to get backed up.

Thanks in advance,
Mike Jackson
Mike Jackson / co-administrator
Golden Era Studios
Vintage Ornamental Clip art
Jackson Hole, WY

Photography site:
Teton Images
Jackson Hole photography blog:
Best of the Tetons
Danny Baronian
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Post by Danny Baronian »

Mike,

Last thing first. Everyone that comes on here can only get here by computer. Like it or not, take away the computer and rely strictly on hand crafted signage, a lot of us would be looking for another job. No need to delete this post OR consider it off topic. The Forum banner says it all: On the topics of signmaking. For better or worse, the computer has become another tool to be utilized, and as any other tool the result can either be excellent or poor derived from the intelligence and skill of the operator.

Regarding the question of where your specific files are on the PC, I don't know. On the mac, OSX, the system is UNIX based (I think) and getting to be similar to PC's. On the PC is a folder titled Documents where it seems to be the default area for saved or exported documents that haven't had a folder specified so I'd look there first. Though I know your working on a PC, the same holds true for the Mac. A search for 'outlook' should reveal those files.

What I have done is create a folder within the Document folder titled Outlook Express Backups, and try and export on a regular basis. Like you, I have email that has not only text messages but photos I want to save, and it's best to back up regularly.

I assume Outlook Express on both platforms work in the same manner. When I export email files, I have found the the original files remain. When you did an export did the files get converted and are missing, or do the original files remain?

It seems I did something similar during a OS upgrade prior to OSX, which did transfer the files and left nothing in the Outlook app. In that case, I located the files and did a drag and drop back into my active Outlook Express app.
Danny Baronian
Baronian Mfg.
CNC Routing & Fabrication
http://www.baronian.com
Darryl Gomes
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Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 7:04 pm
Location: Underwood, Ontario Canada

Post by Darryl Gomes »

I looked it up on my win98SE using windows explorer. Select your c: drive and go into Tools, Find, Files or Folders and search for inbox*.* This will search your hard drive for the inbox file. It will show you the path as to where it is and you can copy the whole directory to your backups. If you take the whole directory you will get your all your boxes(sent, deleted,etc..)

Darryl
Darryl Gomes
Underwood Ontario
Mike Jackson
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Post by Mike Jackson »

Looks like I should have checked the HELP feature of Outlook Express.
Here's what it has to say"
To compact and back up e-mail folders

Select an e-mail folder.
On the File menu, point to Folder, and then click Compact.
To back up the folder, find the folder file, and then copy it to a backup folder, floppy disk, or network drive. Outlook Express e-mail folders have a .dbx extension (for example, "Sent Items.dbx").
Notes

Some message files might be too large to back up onto a floppy disk.
If you are using a program other than Outlook Express to send e-mail messages to newsgroups, check your e-mail program's documentation for information about compacting and deleting e-mail folders.
Mike Jackson / co-administrator
Golden Era Studios
Vintage Ornamental Clip art
Jackson Hole, WY

Photography site:
Teton Images
Jackson Hole photography blog:
Best of the Tetons
Mike Jackson
Site Admin
Posts: 1705
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2004 11:02 pm
Location: Jackson Hole, WY
Contact:

Post by Mike Jackson »

Wow, I don't know what I am doing wrong, but searching for Inbox.dbx adn Sent Items.dbx still don't turn up any results.

Searching for *.dbx brought up no results, too.

Help!

Mike
Mike Jackson / co-administrator
Golden Era Studios
Vintage Ornamental Clip art
Jackson Hole, WY

Photography site:
Teton Images
Jackson Hole photography blog:
Best of the Tetons
Darryl Gomes
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2004 7:04 pm
Location: Underwood, Ontario Canada

Post by Darryl Gomes »

Hi Mike.. I'm not sure if the administrator mode in win2000 might have your windows folder blocked. I don't know much about Windows higher than Win98.. My wifes puter has XPpro.. maybe I should go look there.. Anyway, on my win98 machine the email is stored in C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Identities...

Darryl
Darryl Gomes
Underwood Ontario
alf toy
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2004 8:47 pm

Post by alf toy »

Mike,

In Outlook Express select Inbox and right click.
Properties. Dialog box will have the location of the inbox file.
Highlight it and hold the left mouse down and scroll the whole line
if the line is too long.

Alf
alf toy
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2004 8:47 pm

Post by alf toy »

Mike,

As Darryl has suggested you may have to go to Explorer under tools, view and uncheck hide protected operating system files in order to see the folder.
Also uncheck show hidden files and folders.

Alf
Chris Welker
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Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2004 10:35 pm
Location: Indiana, PA

Post by Chris Welker »

I've been wondering about this for a while, great to see this topic. I'm going to try Darryl's suggestion.

Mike, I had found the Outlook Express info for compacting and backing-up emails that you posted, but couldn't find anything on how to restore those backups if need be. Did you find out how to restore them if you back them up that way?
Chris Welker
Indiana, PA
Mike Jackson
Site Admin
Posts: 1705
Joined: Tue Apr 06, 2004 11:02 pm
Location: Jackson Hole, WY
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Post by Mike Jackson »

Kimberly Zanetti passed this info along to me from the San Francisco Chronicle:
Q: I have a ton of messages in my Outlook Express Inbox. I also have a lot of addresses in my address book. I'd like to back up everything as a safety precaution and so I can load the data onto my new laptop. Is there an easy way to do it?

A: Backing up addresses and e-mail messages in Outlook Express requires separate procedures. Backing up addresses is straightforward enough. Open the address book, then go to the File menu, point to Export and choose Address Book. Now give the address book a name, designate a destination folder and click Save. To use the saved address book, open Outlook Express, go to the File menu and use the Import tool.

Backing up the messages in your Inbox is trickier. The mail is stored in a file named Inbox.dbx. Right-click your Inbox, choose Properties, and you'll see the location of Inbox.dbx. Open Windows Explorer (Windows key plus E), and navigate to the file. You can then copy and paste it to another folder on your hard drive, put it on a floppy disk if it will fit or burn it to a CD.

You can save yourself some anguish by downloading an inexpensive program designed to back up Outlook Express data, including messages and the address book. You'll find a number of popular programs at www.hotfiles.com. Go there and search for "outlook express backup."
Mike Jackson / co-administrator
Golden Era Studios
Vintage Ornamental Clip art
Jackson Hole, WY

Photography site:
Teton Images
Jackson Hole photography blog:
Best of the Tetons
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