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Import .dbx files (Outlook Express) to Windows Mail (Vista)

Posted by: pin on: 19 May, 2008

If you are upgrading from Outlook Express to Windows Mail, you might need this helpful instruction posted by JAF.

  1. Create a directory under the current user’s Documents, such as Documents\OEMail. This directory needs to be within the user’s space, such as under Documents, in order to prevent possible access permissions problems.
  2. Copy all the dbx files from one Outlook Express Identity into this directory, ensuring that folders.dbx is included.
  3. Go to Edit | Select all in Windows Explorer and select all the dbx files. Then right click on the selection and choose Properties and ensure that the read only attribute of the files is unchecked.
  4. In Windows Mail go to File | Import Messages and choose Outlook Express 6 format and choose to import from a directory.
  5. Then use the Browse button to browse to the directory of dbx files. Make sure that when you set the directory that what is listed in the path is correct (NOTE: Vista can put the wrong path in here sometimes, so instead of c:\mypath it puts c:\mypath\mypath, so check the path to verify that it is correct, and if it is not correct then fix it by clicking the Browse button a second time and then leave the selection blank and clicking Okay.).
  6. Then select the files from which you wish to import messages and click Import.



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7 Responses to "Import .dbx files (Outlook Express) to Windows Mail (Vista)"

1 | marcus

May 19th, 2008 at 11:10 pm

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It really save my ass. But it still go to the mail server and re-download all the emails that i already have imported..

2 | Tim Trott

September 7th, 2008 at 12:21 pm

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…Doesn’t work for Outlook Express 7 (the current XP version). Windows Mail only provides for importing of EO6 or Outlook. Windows Mail does not recognize OE7 dbx files.

3 | Pin

September 7th, 2008 at 5:09 pm

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Tim Trott
Can you try moving the DBX file manually and move it to the Store folder in Windows Mail? I heard some of them use Outlook Express Backup Software, have you try it?

4 | Tim Trott

September 7th, 2008 at 6:07 pm

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Thanks for your suggestion. Anyway, it appears that Microsoft SP3 really was the cause of the problem, as I suspected. I found instructions for SP3 uninstall to remove XP Service Pack 3 from the XP machine, (%systemroot%\… \rstrui.exe) which brought back DNS and I was able to forward the needed emails to the Vista machine and simply drag and drop them into folders. Problem solved.

I’ve been told another solution would have been to import into Outlook and then import into Windows Mail from Outlook… except that I don’t have Outlook.

I took a chance and allowed it to try to update on another XP (not media center version) machine and it failed (file permission error), but it didn’t kill DNS/TCP/IP like it did on Windows XP Media Edition 2005. SP3 appeared to cause a problem with Firefox 3.0.1 so I dumped that also.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

5 | Pin

September 7th, 2008 at 6:48 pm

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The Outlook method can be very tedious I guess. Great to know that the problem solved now.

6 | Alex Krenvalk

October 15th, 2008 at 3:34 am

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There is a tool which do it good-troubleshoot outlook express,can safely open the file of dbx format and extract messages, if Outlook Express 6 troubleshooting is possible,extract all messages, it usually happens, if your mailbox is seriously damaged,tool for Outlook Express troubleshoot also supports all versions of Outlook Express, so, you will not have compatibility issues, when troubleshooting Outlook Express,can respond to all requests with regard to this program, feel free to ask questions, if any.

7 | pin

October 15th, 2008 at 7:51 pm

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Thanks Alex. This is very helpful! :)

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