Solved How do I recover email from back-up hard-drive?

[Shoalwaters]

My system: Windows 7 desktop pc with Windows Live Mail 2012

I want to know how to recover email from my back-up hard-drive if I should need to do so. Machine is running fine for now.

I use Windows Live Mail (WLM) as if it were Outlook Express, not the "Live" part.

I have sub-folders in WLM for "Household", "Car", "Work", "Boat" etc.

My email service provider is POP3 in / SMTP out with minimal storage on the server.

I have moved the storage folders to "My documents".

I regularly back-up the contents of "My documents" to a second hard-drive in case my computer crashes.

In WLM, email is shown in columns headed From, Subject, Date etc.

In the storage folders, email is shown in columns headed Name (like 2E976873-00000065.eml), Date modified, Type and Size - No From, no Subject.

Questions:
i) Assume that my machine has crashed terminally. How do I restore my email from the backup hard-drive onto a NEW Windows pc with WLM so that I get the same sub-folders plus mails with the same From, Subject and Date?

ii) Do I have the option of migrating all my emails to an app that stores them in a Cloud? I cannot change my current POP3/SMTP email service provider.

iii) Am I approaching this problem from the wrong end?

TIA
Mike

 

[samuria]

Welcome to the forum One way is to get a gmail account for free this can be used to collect all your email from current email and you can import all your old files as well then its all safe on the cloud

 

[Ranger4]

Hi Shoalwaters, welcome to the Forum.

Have you considered using an imaging program such as Macrium Reflect. Using a regular back up image of your system is very good insurance, particularly with the current world wide ransomware attacks.

I do a weekly complete operating system image, using Macrium Reflect. While you can use the image to replace files, the main purpose is to replace the whole system in the event of a problem, such as a hard drive failure or a massive virus infection.

The best way to go is to have your back up image on a least one separate storage device such as an external hard drive that is only connected to the computer to do the back up image.

If you wish to consider using a regular back up program have a look at this:

Macrium Software | Macrium Reflect Free

 

[Shoalwaters]

Samuria: I cannot move away from my current ESP because everyone knows me by my email address with that provider. I have had the same email address for many years.

I have a Gmail account for Android purposes, but I don't see how that helps me with all the mail from my original ESP. Please explain what I am missing.

Ranger: I back-up everything daily to my second hard-drive using a simple bat file, so my data is secure. I will read up on the imaging program you recommend and then come back.

 

[samuria]

You still use you current email provider but gmail goes and gets the email for you and put it in gmail http://www.technologymatters.com.au/set-up-gmail-to-sendreceive-emails-using-your-own-domain-name/

 

[Ranger4]

Samuria: I cannot move away from my current ESP because everyone knows me by my email address with that provider. I have had the same email address for many years.

I have a Gmail account for Android purposes, but I don't see how that helps me with all the mail from my original ESP. Please explain what I am missing.

Ranger: I back-up everything daily to my second hard-drive using a simple bat file, so my data is secure. I will read up on the imaging program you recommend and then come back.

The advantage of using a program such as Macrium Reflect imaging is that the whole operating system is saved & not just your files. If the hard drive fails for example & you have to replace it you will then have to reinstall Windows & each of your software programs for which you will need their activation codes that may have been mislaid.

With a good imaging program you can recover your whole system in a very short time & be virtually where you were before the disaster.

 

[Shoalwaters]

Thanks for the detailed and helpful responses - much appreciated. Before going into uncharted waters, I would like to answer to my original question: Is it possible to restore my email from the backup hard-drive onto a NEW Windows pc with WLM so that I get the same sub-folders plus mails with the same From, Subject and Date?

 

[Ranger4]

Yes it should be possible if you can get a new copy of WLM. MS are making it hard to find as they are killing it off.

You might have to fiddle around to get it all to work, but it should be possible to transfer your data.

 

[mjf]

This tutorial may help
Windows Live Mail - Export and Import Email Messages
your computer live mail storage is normally at
c:\user\logon\appdata\local\microsoft\windowslivemail

 

[RolandJS]

...your computer live mail storage is normally at
c:\user\logon\appdata\local\microsoft\windowslivemail

Earlier, I noticed this Shoalwaters statement:
"...I have moved the storage folders to My documents..."
I'm wondering if the thread starter's windowslivemail material is somewhere else now.

 

[Shoalwaters]

I moved the storage folders to My documents on my primary hard-drive. I used the procedure within the app to do so and they are still where I put them. I regularly back-up My Documents by copying the contents to my secondary hard-drive.

 

[mjf]

Did the tutorial answer the basic question of restoring mail to a new PC?

 

[Shoalwaters]

Did the tutorial answer the basic question of restoring mail to a new PC?

I have studied the tutorial link. It strongly resembles the instructions in WLM. Yes, I could follow the steps, but this assumes that the computer is healthy and I want to export emails to (or import mails from) a folder on, say, the desktop. This procedure does not lend itself to daily back-up and it does not say what happens if the back-up folder is on a remote drive.

The one time I had to restore emails to a new computer, after hard-drive failure of the old one, I ended up with strangely titled folders and message names like 2E976873-00000065.eml etc. I suspect that there is a master file that controls/knows the real names of folders and files. Without this, the recovery process is largely useless.

It occurs to me that all this hard work may be futile if I cannot get a new copy of WLM to install on my next Windows computer.

Again, thanks for effort and input.

 

[mjf]

Thanks for the feedback.
You could consider running another mail client. As you suggest WLM may have a use by date. I'm also running Thunderbird (portable). Of course there are others eg.
http://www.techradar.com/news/the-best-free-email-client

 

[Shoalwaters]

Update: As suggested I did a temporary install of another email client: Thunderbird. It resembles WLM and has been around for some years, so hopefully it will be for a few more. I am pleased to say that the trial import from my secondary hard-drive was successful. This is a great weight of my mind. Many thanks to all for your input.