Windows Live Mail Restore failure - Where is data files?

I had some problems with my laptop and had to re-install my OS. I made a image backup of my HD with Acers's backup manager only to find it doesn't restore my data at all. (According to Acer this has become a common problem with the backup manager). I also made a copy of my HD luckily.

After spending some time on Google I discovered that the contacts, send emails and received emails were stored as an .eml file. I thought all was well and started searching through the copied data and found nothing. On top of that I discovered that the directory sections where the supposed files are stored, is not the same on the newly installed OS as it is on the copied data.

For example: The copied data I searched in was under Users>(username)>AppData>Local>Windows Live (or first) Microsoft>Windows Live but the new OS directory doesn't look the same.

The windows Live 2011 I used before backing up was part of an update in the beginning of 2011 from MS and the one installed now I found on another site and then windows updated the rest. My OS must be the same as it's from a hidden partition on my Acer HD.

I have seen some XML files and don't know if this is a similar data file for WML.


Please help!!!!!!!!!!!

This isn't a solution, but a suggestion for down the road. If you use WLM (I do), switch to an IMAP e-mail service, so your information is stored on a server. POP3 is dead and should be left alone. You can also set up a free live.com account, and use that to log in to WLM. Your contacts and calendar will be backed up for you.

GeneralBrumar said:

...The copied data I searched in was under Users>(username)>AppData>Local>Windows Live (or first) Microsoft>Windows Live...

Users>(username)>AppData>Local>Microsoft>Windows Live Mail

I could not find the files with that extension, but I pointed the import wizard to the given directory and presto importation! Thank you.

The default Live Mail store is (XYZ_user is your username):

C:\Users\XYZ_user\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Mail.MSMessageStore

eMail msgs are usually in the eMail Service account named folder - ie:

C:\Users\XYZ_user\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Yahoo (somechars

You might have moved or filtered msgs through Live Mail filters to the

C:\Users\XYZ_user\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Storage Folders

I use the Storage Folders to 'archive' msgs. It's not a true archive, but it gets them out of the eMail Service account folders for each Email provider I use. Consolidator is probably a better word than archive.

Anyway, those are the places you can look for Live Mail eMail.
Note: You can't directly look into the Mail.MSMessageStore, only import and export. I'm fairly certain that it is just an index - information about where the msg is located, if it has been read/replied/forwarded, etc.

Peace!