Transfer mail from drive to Windows Live Mail

WWCody · 04 Jul 2010

How do I transfer stored email messages from an external drive with messages originally stored using Windows Mail (WM) under Vista to a machine using Windows Live Mail (WLM) under Windows 7?

My notebook crashed (literally, having crashed to the floor after being bumped off a desk). It could no be rebooted, as far as I can tell. The monitor was dead, an external monitor did not work, and the drives did not respond. Fortunately, the drives work in an external case, so I can see all the files, including the mail files.

Apparently WM stores email messages differently from WLM. While WM has a single folder with all messages for the inbox in the subfolder "Local folders", WLM has a separate folder for each mail account under the "Windows Live Mail" folder. There is also a storage folder but that appears to be used for deleted or outgoing messages.

So how do I get the messages from the WM inbox sorted into the right account folders in WLM? What do I need to know to get the whole thing, including other folders I set up, transferred properly?

I have more than 10 email accounts, all with POP3 servers. I have made accounts for three of these on the WLM on the new machine and they downloaded the several months messages that were stored on the server. However, I have many older messages stored on the WM on the now external drive.

Any help would be appreciated, but keep it simple.

Thanks,

WWCody

roncerr · 05 Jul 2010

WWCody said:

...Any help would be appreciated, but keep it simple...

Since you know where your emails are it should be simple. WLM has an "Import" feature for emails and for contacts. First make the menu bar visible in WLM. Then use File/Import Messages to start the import messages wizard. You will have to browse to the location of your Windows Mail folder on the other drive. Make sure you browse to the other drive since there is a similar folder of the same name on Windows 7 which is not relevant.

WWCody · 05 Jul 2010

Roncerr,
thank you very much for the idea that the files can just be imported.

You suggested "...browse to the location of your Windows Mail folder on the other drive...."

The WLM import feature doesn't allow me to browse through [drive]:\users\[username]\AppData]\ and doesn't allow me to type in that line and the rest of the path.

I can get to the folder using the windows explorer and just type in the full path. Can I then just copy all the files in the import folder and paste them to a folder on the desktop? Is that all the export function would have done, were my old vista-based computer still working?

If so, then that should be simple.

thanks,

WWCody

Phone Man · 05 Jul 2010

When you select import and select Windows Mail does it give you this window??

Transfer mail from drive to Windows Live Mail-mail.png

Jim

WWCody · 05 Jul 2010

Phone Man said:

When you select import and select Windows Mail does it give you this window??

Jim,

Yes, that is it. It allows no changes. If I press the "Browse" button, it shows a folder tree that allows me to browse down to the [username] on the external drive but no further
.
However, I just noticed that it will allow me to browse in the :\c drive and gets me to a folder labeled "Windows Mail" which has subfolders labeled "backup"\"new" and "stationery".

see the attached picture.

Do I just copy the files from the external drive and paste them here to then import them?

WWCody

Jonathan

Phone Man · 05 Jul 2010

I have the same thing on mine and I have never had Windows Mail on this system, so I ASSUME it is a default location and you can try coping your e-mail over to it.

Jim

roncerr · 06 Jul 2010

WWCody said:

...If I press the "Browse" button, it shows a folder tree that allows me to browse down to the [username] on the external drive but no further...

I can't imagine why it doesn't let you browse all the way. I admit I haven't tried that myself. But IF your emails are indeed in that folder (actually in a subfolder of that folder called "Local Folders") you should be able to find them in Windows Explorer separately from the WLM browse window. You could try dragging the "Windows Mail" folder THAT HAS YOUR MAIL in one of its subfolders and drag it from the external drive to your current active c: drive like this "c:/Windows Mail/". It should be copied over with all its subfolders including the one with your messages. Now go back to WLM's browse window and browse to the new location.