Backup-Restore Mail Messages.

This page will show you one method of backing up and restoring both your Address Book and your saved email messages. If you would like to read about backing up only, click here. If you want to see about restoring your backups, click here.

Also, you can save your email settings and any messages rules that you may have setup.

This page uses a lot of images to show this, so it may be slow opening if you are using a dial-up Internet connection.

Outlook Express "Export" tool.

1. Open Outlook Express

2. Click the File menu

3. Select the Address Book command

Click the Create New Folder button

Type the new folder's name, "Address Book", then open it.

Save the address book file.

Reinstall Address Book

Should you ever need to install your back up copy of your address book, the process is basically the reverse of the export procedure shown above.

To import your backup file, use the Outlook Express "Import" tool.

Use the "Other Address Book" filter.

Use the import .csv filter.

I suggest you accept the default address book format.

Export your O. E. messages

For your email messages, I suggest just copying all the system files (in the Outlook Express store folder) over to your backup media device. Then should you ever need to restore them, you can use the O. E."Import" tool to bring them back via a O. E. 6 "Store Directory" which you are creating.

Find where you message information is stored

1. To get there, open Outlook Express

2. Click Tools

3. Click Options

4. Click the maintenance tab

5. Click the "Store Folder" button

Select the store folder address

Press Ctrl + C to copy the information

Copy / Paste proceedure

Now, copy the information from the store folder.

8. Open your Windows Explorer

9. In the Address Bar, paste in the store folder address

Note: If you don't see the Address Bar, click the View menu --> Toolbars --> Address.

You may need to unlock the Menu bar to drag the address bar into a visible position.

Windows basic

To import the messages, In O. E.

1. Click on the File menu.

2. Then click on the Import - Export command.

3. Then choose: Messages

4. Then click: Microsoft Outlook Express 6

5. Click: Next

6. Select "Import mail from an OE6 store directory".

7. Click: OK

8. Navigate with the "Browse" button to your save location on your backup media.

In this example, the saved location is on the K:\ drive

Your save location will probably be different.

9. Select the mail folders that you wish to import.

10. Click Next

I know this looks complicated, but it really is not hard. There are just a lot of steps to follow.

If you copy the data (the O. E. store folder) over to your backup media you can forget about importing the data back into O. E. Should you need to restore everything, you can come back to this page and read about the restore process.