How do I open recovered Outlook Express dbx files?

I'm going to provide too much info because those of us who are computer knuckleheads think everything is important since it's all a mystery to us.

My main computer crashed and data has been retrieved from the hard drive including all my Outlook Express dbx files. There are four years of e-mails in these files and critical that I be able to open them.

My only working computer runs XP. It has Outlook Express installed on it and was once used for e-mail, but no longer and not set up with my provider to send or receive if that matters at all. Other than sending and receiving all other OE program functions seem operational.

I have read many explanations on how to open dbx files on various sites - every one is completely different and most seem far beyond my skill level.

Is there a fairly painless way to open these files? I don't want to attempt anything that could damage them. Please....any solution please walk me through in the simplest terms - I'm 64 but pretend you're explaining the process to a 7 year old. Yes, I'm that lame!

Sorry for writing a novel and thanks to anyone who will take their time to help the clueless!

"Other than sending and receiving all other OE program functions seem operational." If that's true, you could use OE just to read the emails. It's been a long time since I've used OE (and I've never used XP, only Vista and 7) however it should have an option to "import messages" (perhaps called File/Import). Use the import wizard to navigate to the folder holding those dbx files. After they are imported you can read them in OE.

I'd advise you to immediately make duplicate copies of your recovered DBX files. Save the duplicates somewhere safe and don't mess with them.

Then try using any of the various tutorials you found on the Internet using one copy of your recovered DBX files.

I've done it quite a few times, but that was years ago and I have deleted my self-made instructions about how to do it.

There is no simple way if an ordinary "import" as mentioned by Roncerr won't work.

You may have to just keep making attempts, using one tutorial after another.

As long as you have those unaltered backup copies of your DBX files, you should survive it----other than the frustration. PC email remains a mess.