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General discussion

Outlook Express update disaster

Mar 23, 2005 3:11AM PST

Turbo Tax forced me to upgrade from IE 5.5 to 6.0 which meant OE was also updated. I used the MS web site "How to back up and recover Outlook Express data" and saved my address book, but when I tried to save "Mail Files" their sequence of key strokes failed and I was unable to complete the process. I therefore saved the files to my desktop. After upgrading I was relieved to see that all my saved messages had transfered over to OE6...even after restarting the system. This morning, when I turned the system on, all the messages were missing and I cannot access the files I saved to the desktop. I have over 700 saved messages I cannot recover and when I tried to go on the MS website for help they insist I live in Alabama (actually I have lived in Ohio for 30 years)and won't let me in until I agree to enter my Alabama password. Regardless of how I feel about MS right now, can someone help me recover this data? My OS is WIN 98.

Discussion is locked

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Where's the backup?
Mar 23, 2005 3:28AM PST

If we type OLEXP BACKUP, we find the articles not only how to save and restore OUTLOOK EXPRESS DATA but where the files are.

Windows 98 means you've run this old OS from 5 to 7 years. By this much time, someone should have mentioned the backup issue?

Bob

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I meant to write...
Mar 23, 2005 3:28AM PST
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OLEXP didn't work before the upgrade
Mar 23, 2005 3:46AM PST

I tried this back up method , but the "Ctrl-V" command did not operate. That's why I tried other ways to save the info. What I need to know now is, am I screwed and can never access these messages again, or is there some way to dig them out of the so far inaccessable files saved on my desktop?

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Details please.
Mar 23, 2005 4:55AM PST

What files are we talking about?

The article about OLEXP BACKUP tells us how to backup and restore. Ctrl-V is not in the article.

Bob

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OLEXP
Mar 23, 2005 9:58PM PST

The directions from OLEXP to copy Mail Files states: Tools > Options; Maintenance > Store Folder; select folder location and press CTRL+C ( I only listed one folder location and CTRL+C did not seem to do anything); I then clicked Cancel > Cancel; Start > Run; (in the Open box I pressed CTRL+V to no effect.) I retried this sequence numerous times with the same result. Back-up for the Address Book went as OLEXP directed and was not a problem.

I subsequently Exported the Mail Files to my Desktop. When they disappeared after the upgrade I tried to import them from the Desktop. The pop up box gave me the choice to import from many sources including Outlook Express 4 and 6, but I had saved Outlook Express 5 files. Since the MS wording was ambiguous I tried to import from OE 6, but no success. The strange thing is I have another identity set up and the saved message in that identity was saved automatically in the upgrade. Only the important stuff was lost, Inbox messages, Sent Messages, spam blocking settings, etc.

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Sounds like a damaged OS.
Mar 23, 2005 10:14PM PST

The instructions may not work if the OS is damaged. Right or wrong, this is how Microsoft writes the articles. If your copy/paste with the control keys or the right click doesn't work then you fix that too.

You are on a very very old OS and I expect you to have learned by now (some 6+ years on 98!) to find ways to copy files if one method doesn't work for you.

Also, I expect you to have learned the issue about backup. I guess some never do, but nevertheless with you on a this old OS I expected you to have this lesson behind you.

Hopefully you'll find the KEYBOARD LOGGER or trojan that has invaded your machine that has killed copy and paste.

Bob