How Can I Access My Old Outlook Express Messages in Windows 7’?

WINDOWS 7 COMES with a free e-mail program called Windows Live Mail that can import mail from earlier Microsoft programs. If you ran an Upgrade install from Vista, install Windows Live Mail. Your old messages will appear in the ‘Storage folders’ section. If you ran a Custom (advanced) upgrade from XP or Vista, follow these directions:

1. Download and install Windows Live Mail
2. Set Windows to show hidden files: Launch Windows Explorer,and select Organize¨Folder and search options. Click the View tab.Choose Show hidden files, folders, and drives, and click OK.
3. Launch Live Mail, and run the ‘Add an E-mail Account’ wizard.
4. Press the <Alt> key to bring up the program’s menus; select File¨Import¨Messages.
5. Upgrading from Vista? Select Windows Mail in the Import wizard, and follow the prompts. Your mail is likely in the folder C:\Windows.old\Users\yourlog-on\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsMail\LocalFolders,where your log-on is your Windows username.
Upgrading from XP? Select Microsoft Outlook Express 6 in the Import wizard, and follow the prompts. Your mail is likely in the folder
C:\DocumentsandSettings\yourlog-on\LocalSettings\ApplicationData\Identities\a long number\Microsoft\Outlook Express, where your log-on is your Windows username, and a long number is just what it sounds like.
6. To keep hidden files hidden, repeat step 2; but this time, select Do not show hidden files, folders, and drives.You’ll find your old e-mail messages collected in the ‘Storage folders’ section, under Imported Folder\Local Folders.

Category: Live Mail, Oulook Express, Windows 7