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Created	2007-07-31	Views	6173
Modified	2010-01-04	Id	393
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Main > Using AJSystems Programs > Express Assist

Windows Vista is supplied (as a standard feature) with a new mail program "Windows Mail" (WM). WM is not available for Windows 7.

You may download a new Microsoft offering named "Windows Live Mail" (WLM) for use on Vista or Windows 7 (see: http://download.live.com/wlmail ).

WM and WLM are similar to "Outlook Express" (OE). However, WM & WLM use a completely different method for the storage of the email messages.

You may transfer OE mail messages to WM or WLM as follows:

1 - install Express Assist 10 (EA10) on the machine running Outlook Express (XP, W98, etc)

2 - make a backup copy of the OE mail folders on the OE machine

3 - copy the backup file from step 2 to the target machine - Vista or Windows 7 (or to some media that can be read on the target machine).

4 - install EA10 on the target machine

5 - run EA10 -- click "Restore"

6 - locate the backup from step 3 and "open" it.

7 - choose restore option "Restore all email folders for import"

8 - select all of the items in the Outlook Express "Identity"

9 - Click "Restore Now" -- EA10 will place a copy of the mail from the OE machine into a folder in your "Documents" folder on the target machine. The exact folder name will be shown in the Restore Log (shown at the end of the restore).

10 - Run WM or WLM on the target machine

11 - Go to menu "File" - "Import" - "Messages"

12 - Select the messages to import "Microsoft Outlook Express 6" -- Next

13 - Click the "Browse" button to locate the folder shown in the Restore Log. Select this folder.

14 - Finish stepping through the message import wizard to import the mail.

Notes:

The import process will place the OE mail folders under an "Imported Folder" in WM or WLM. That is, the OE Inbox messages will not appear in the WM/WLM Inbox, etc. This is not a bug in EA10. This is just how Windows Mail and Windows Live Mail handle the import.
When importing to WM or WLM - you will need to browse to locate the OE messages store (the copy of the OE messages transferred by EA10). On some systems, you may receive the cryptic message that "there are no messages available for import". In this case, be sure that you have selected the folder as shown in the EA10 restore log. If you have your explorer options set to work with a "single click" - you may need to alter the setting (temporarily) to operate in the historical "double click" mode to be able to properly select the import folder.
The settings information (e.g. message rules) can not be transferred between mail programs.
The Outlook Express Contacts (i.e. the Windows Address Book) can also be transferred to "Windows Contacts" on Vista or Windows 7 as described in this related article.
To transfer the "Windows Address Book" to "Windows Live Contacts" (as used with Wiindows Live Mail) see this related article.