Moving Storage Folders in Windows Live Mail

[Jerbear]

Hi guys.

Using WLM and I have created a number of folders to help sort out my e-mails.
I now want to move theses folders into one folder, which I can do, but only using explorer.

However, when I restart WLM, it recreates the moved folders again in their original locations.

WHY? How can I relocate my folders where ever I want without WLM recreating them again.

Thanks

Jerbear

 

[Roderunner]

Hi Jerbear, welcome to Seven Forums.
If your pc crashes, you will lose all the mail in WLM. Depending on what email account you have, the messages can be read by accessing it directly. Here's a better method. View attachment Never Lose Emails.pdf

 

[Slartybart]

Try this. In WLMail open the individual folders you created to organize your stuff. Select all of the msgs and DragDrog them to the folder you want to contain all msgs. Do this for each individual folder until all msgs are in one storage folder. Make sure you have moved them (ie - there are no msgs in the folders you no longer want) and that all msgs are in the folder you do want. When you're sure you have everything where you want it, you can delete the empty storage folders. Be careful though - if you didn't move the msgs and you delete the folder - they are gone!

Side note: There is a known issue with the position of accounts and folders in the navigation pane - they don't stick. You can change the position (order) of the folders in the navigation pane as often as you like, but when you return they're in the default order.

Peace!

 

[Jerbear]

Try this. In WLMail open the individual folders you created to organize your stuff. Select all of the msgs and DragDrog them to the folder you want to contain all msgs. Do this for each individual folder until all msgs are in one storage folder. Make sure you have moved them (ie - there are no msgs in the folders you no longer want) and that all msgs are in the folder you do want.

Peace!

Thanks for the input guys. Moving the e-mails is not really what I need.
I need to move the actual folders they reside in to one main folder. I need to keep them in their various categories/folders but under one main folder.

Did I mention...I HATE WLM. OE was so much better. Simples!
Unfortunately it's on all our office PC's

Even restoring data to WLM is a pain in the butt. I found the best way to do that, if anyone is interested, is this. I manually copy my WLM message folder off to a usb drive. I then either uninstall WLM or re-install my OS, depending on the problem I was having, then re-install WLM, run it once but don't configure any email addresses.
This then creates a new WLM msg folder. Rename it to something else, hook up the USB drive and copy my old WLM folder into to replace the new one that was created.
Now run WLM........

Voila. All my msg folders back in the right place. No more restoring to "Storage" folders....

I HATE WLM! I HATE WLM!

 

[roncerr]

...I need to keep them in their various categories/folders but under one main folder...

Let's say when you initially set up WLM, you used message rules or drag and drop so that they are all under a folder you created called "Main Folder" which has subfolders under it that contain the messages. Now when you back up your computer you back up the Windows Explorer folder called "Windows Live Mail" (under AppData/Local/Microsoft). After restoring your pc and reinstalling WLM you use the Import Messages option which asks you to browse to the backed up folder. When the import is completed all the messages will still be together under the same "Main Folder" except that it will appear as a subfolder under "Imported Messages". Now you can simply move the "Main Folder" and all its contents to wherever you want within WLM in one swell foop. Correct?

 

[Slartybart]

roncerr,

I think Jerbear has a different issue, but your synopis of mainfolder would be correct.

Here's how I understand it.
1. There are existing WLM folders that Jerbear want to consolidate a new MainFolder.
2. DragDrop in WLM "works" but the next time WLM is launched, the original folders are recreated in the appdata...\Windows Live Mail tree
3. The new DragDropped folders are still also in the new MainFolder

That's as far as I took it. I could have put msgs in the new MainFolder\subfolders using WLM to see what folder actually received the msgs. In other words, I don't know if the recreated are the containers for msgs or the new subfolders are the containers or if the recreated ones are just ghosts WLM created.

I thought that Jerbear could just create the directory tree desired inside of WLM and move the msgs from old to new

Storage Folders
folder01
folder02
folder03
> MainFolder

> folder01
> folder02
> folder03​

That solves the tree structure, but the original foldeer0x are created even if I delete them, if memory serves. This solution depends on two things 1) how many machines does this affect and 2) how attached is Jerbear to the presentation of WLM folders from an Explorer standpoint. Everything looks ok from inside WLM.

It's definitely a workaround and it might get confusing doing import msgs since you have a number of folder0x - but it would solve the dilemma.

There's a bug, ya think?

 

[Slartybart]

I created the following folders un Storage folders
abc
Main
Main\abc

I deleted abc, kept Main\abc

I put 3 msgs in Main\abc - displayed after WLM restart
moved 3 msgs from Main\abc to abc (using explorer) - 6 msgs (3 orig + 3 dups) displayed after WLM restart
moved 3 msgs from abc back to Main\abc (using explorer) - 9 msgs (3 orig + 6 dups) displayed after WLM restart

This is just a WLM database error - there are only 3 real files. I don't know of a way to rebuild the store.

I still think the correct way is to create a "duplicate" folder tree under MainFolder and copy the msgs from the old to the new inside WLM, not in explorer. But as my testing showed, you still have the original folders recreated, they're empty and not the msg container, but they're there.

Live seems to have some folder management issues - nothing harmful, just bad housekeeping.

edit: The images say Windows Mail, but should say Windows Live Mail, the title widow is correct, my added text is wrong

 

[Slartybart]

Jerbear,

You might consider changing the location of your msg(options/advanced/maintenance) store to another drive or another folder. Another drive will save you a step since you won't be overwriting it with w system restore. Another folder - depends on how your system is configured and what type of restore you do.

That way if you have to reinstall anything - all you have to do is change the location in WLM to point to where you store the data - it will prompt you with "A msg store already exists there....do you want to use it...."

 

[Phone Man]

Open WLM and click on Folders tab. Select the folder you want to move and select Move.



Jim

 

[Slartybart]

Phone Man,

Thanks, that does work - there is another underlying issue

Jerbear,

I think I recreated the scenario you described. As a final test, I tried deleting the ghost msgs - WLM gave me an unknown error on the delete (no kidding - it wasn't really there!)

Make a backup before you try this, Ok?
The sequence seems to be
1) create your main folder and sub folders,
2) move your msgs from old to new,
3) delete the old,
4) empty the trash,
5) close WLM,
6) navigate (explorer) to AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Storage Folders and make sure the old folders are really gone, if they are there - verify they are empty and delete them
7) restart windows
8) restart WLM

Please post your results if you try the steps above. Thanks.

 

[roncerr]

roncerr,
I think Jerbear has a different issue...

Perhaps he has the same issue I had with WLM vs. OE/WM. He said:
"Thanks for the input guys. Moving the e-mails is not really what I need. I need to move the actual folders they reside in to one main folder. I need to keep them in their various categories/folders but under one main folder. Did I mention...I HATE WLM. OE was so much better. Simples! Unfortunately it's on all our office PC's."

In other words he hates the separate folder structure for each account as do I. OE/WM WAS so much simpler. The workaround I've been using is to forward my email from other accounts to one MAIN email account that I set up as POP3/SMTP. It still doesn't get rid of the default action of putting drafts and sent items into the storage area, far away from the main account's inbox but when that happens I just drag it into the sent/drafts of my main account.

 

[Slartybart]

Phone Man: After some thought, I think yours is the correct method. All of the other issues arise when a user wants to do something the app wasn't designed to do. It's not a bug, it's a feature!

roncerr: I see what you mean. I too don't like the separate accounts, wish I could hide them. I use a different approach to work around that. Using filters, the msgs go into my storage folders (periodicals, friends, family, tech, etc) and then I rely heavily on the quick views (unread, all msgs, flagged msgs, etc). I never rarely, go into the folders for each account. That's why I wish I could just hide them, I think it confuses things.

So here's THE, er MY, solution to Jerbear's quandary:
Accept Storage Folder as the OneMain folder - using Storage Folders as your OneMain is really how WLM was designed anyway, plus you don't have to move anything, except the way you think about WLM.

1) Alternatively, create a OneMain folder under Storage Folders
2) Inside WLM, move category folders to OneMain
3) Don't use Explorer to organize WLM folders
4) check filters, modify if necessary to match new folder structure. I think if you use WLM to create OneMain and move folders into it, that the filters follow the move. If I'm wrong, then the old filters might recreate old folders when new mail arrives.
5) create filters to move incoming msgs to the user folders
6) use Quickviews (Unread, All inbox, All Sent) - there are others, but these meet my needs.
All inbox shows new msgs that might need a new filter, or you can move them manually to the OneMail folders - your choice.

---

I got it, eventually. Here's the rub-Don't use Explorer to organize WLM folders. This approach creates an out-of-sync condition for WLM. Use the folder options New, Move, Rename, etc in WLM itself. This will save a lot of work if you use Filters - the folders operations in WLM update the index, so you shouldn't have to modify the filters - it follows the move, rename, delete operation.

Using WLM and I have created a number of folders to help sort out my e-mails.
I now want to move theses folders into one folder, which I can do, but only using explorer.

However, when I restart WLM, it recreates the moved folders again in their original locations.

---

You can, but within the constraints of the application. You can't create OneMain above Storage Folders and you shouldn't confuse WLM by using Explorer to create the folder tree - do everything inside WLM so it's index stays in sync.

WHY? How can I relocate my folders where ever I want without WLM recreating them again.

​

---

I didn't like WLM at first either (I've only had this machine and Win7 for 2 months). I reinstated WinMail (I even updated the tutorial in the process) and then, due to supprt issues, decided to accept WLM as my eMail client.

I do like the new features of WLM, but didn't like the structure and or the limited user control (options are limited). Most of my "complaints" are presentation oriented. Some complaints are about backward compatibility (Contacts). There are a few however that have been in the Ms eMail client for a while - I really dislike import msgs. The whole imported folder drives me crazy, but I understand the reasoning.

edit: I'm sure that Exchange users like the way Ms helped them with WLM integration - but I'm not in the Exchange user camp.
​

Recap: The ghost folders are created when WLM is used not as intended.
You can do what you want with the caveat that Storage Folders must be the top level folder for user created folders.

Storage Folders <--- as Main Folder
subCat01
subCat02

--or--

Storage Folders
> MainOne <--- Main folder

> subCat01
> subCat02
​

Sorry it took me so long to understand, but it was fun breaking and fixing WLMail, even if it turned out not to be necessary.

 

[sigma6]

Hi guys.

Using WLM and I have created a number of folders to help sort out my e-mails.
I now want to move theses folders into one folder, which I can do, but only using explorer.

However, when I restart WLM, it recreates the moved folders again in their original locations.

WHY? How can I relocate my folders where ever I want without WLM recreating them again.

Thanks

Jerbear

Did you ever figure out an answer to this question....

I think the way MS handles the database folders in WLM is bogus, considering they have sucked over 20 trillion dollars from us over the last 30 years...

I find the import export doesn't even work - truncated folder names, displaced and missing data, pathetic, it's like this is MS's idea of keeping you from porting to another email application, typical MS BS.

Anyway, I too used to keep my database folders on a separate partition with all my personal data, the idea of leaving any personal data on the C: drive is insanely retarded to me... but apparently MS insists on it, I have been able to move the Favourites folder, History, even the Temporary Internet folder under a redirected MY Documents folder on a separate partition, and then have redirected ALL applications to subfolders in that location... Wonderful strategy for safety, backup, maintenance, etc, etc ad nauseum...

I was also able to (in OE) to move the Email database folders and move them and the application would follow where ever you moved the folders.

So MS in their typical fashion has gone backwards again, making it more difficult for users to customize, in this case their critical database storage decisions, insisting you keep your valuable personal data on the same 'ship' (partition) as their flaky OS, so if the ship crashes you are in danger of having to pick through your boot partition to get all your personal data (the way most people have it set up)

I am sick of MS and their f***ed up import / export programs that destroy your database, and now they have made it impossible to move the database folders, or even copy them from one location to another, as well as making them incompatible with previous versions...

Before I upgraded to Win7 (so so) I shared my mail folders on a dual boot application...
I had two versions of XP C: and D: and all personal data on E: I then upgraded the XP on D: to Win 7, and now (so far) I have to maintain two separate database folders for email...

Thanks to MS (BS) they are making it impossible and this would be a snap for them to do it, in fact as I said they are moving backwards, because that is their way of forcing customers to eat their sh***y software... great customer retention program...

I am fed up, does anyone know an email program that can integrate hotmail, gmail and yahoo emails into the interface and can install on both XP and Win7? cause I have absolutely had it with MS and their BS.

 

[roncerr]

Options/Advanced/Maintenance/Store Folder/Change. At least that's the path I'd use with WLM 2009. AFAIK, all versions of WLM should have the same method available to change the message store. Contacts may be more difficult, however the easiest way to deal with contacts is to always "sign-in" so they will always be available (even to a new install of WLM) and up to date on Microsoft's servers, including your customized organization into categories.

 

[sigma6]

Options/Advanced/Maintenance/Store Folder/Change. At least that's the path I'd use with WLM 2009. AFAIK, all versions of WLM should have the same method available to change the message store. Contacts may be more difficult, however the easiest way to deal with contacts is to always "sign-in" so they will always be available (even to a new install of WLM) and up to date on Microsoft's servers, including your customized organization into categories.

Well, I played with it all day today and I did learn a few tricks, first off I just installed Win7 and I like, it seems to take advantage of the available ram and runs decent, I downloaded the Windows Essentials, can't believe how dicky MS makes everything, especially since I just wanted the Mail, but the version I downloaded was WLM 12, and unless I'm mistaken it doesn't have any controls setting ANYWHERE! (as unbelievable as that sounds... ) So I was NOT impressed at all, and I don't know what the h*** they are thinking hiding the controls and settings to everything... I really hate that... however as I 'played around more' I figured out some interesting things...

Contrary to Jerr bears idea of trying to move folders while the program is shut down, I tried moving them while the program was running... something I think I tried a long time ago, as I have been playing with dual boot OS's sharing a single personal data partition for some time now... and have learned how to move EVERYTHING with the exception of the address book, which ends up being exported and imported, And it was different this time round because the difference between the OS's was a little more drastic this time round, and these applications are getting different folder names and pickier to work with... anyhow guess what... it moved them! ... I double checked to make sure it wasn't just copying or recreating them back at the original location... I think I have done this before, so that is that... do take not all...

What I found out about importing: the reason all my files were distorted and truncated is because every time you change folder names and locations in WLM (or at least WLM 9 which was the version on the laptop I was ftransferring from...) the program doesn't actually update nor change the original folders created it just creates an elaborate mapping scheme that interfaces over it, and long folder names don't even get the original names even though the program could handle them... (annoying and weird)

... so I tried a little experiment... I copied the folders out of WLM.. they were a mess, as I constantly update and reorganize all my files and folders all the time, so you could imagine, but that is how I immediately saw what WLM was doing, as I could clearly see my old folder arrangement from months ago! (what a mess) so with the mail program running, so I could see the folder arrangement I had recreated in WLM, I set about rearranging and renaming my copy according to how they looked in WLM... that took hours as I have over a gig of files and folders in the storage folder... then I tried the import to import those files to see what would happen...

amazingly, and as I was hoping and predicting it did a literal reconstruction inside WLM, unbelievable, because the implications of this means every time you arrange your existing stored folders in WLM and then export and import them, you are going to get the way the folders were before you rearranged them...

...on the other hand the fact that you can physically rename and re-arrange them manually is at least a solution (and opportunity to clean up your folder structure, something I will be doing in between each export/import from now on...

Now I just have to see if the Windows Essentials with download and install on my XP and if that is a go, I will have the same database to share between the two OS's and all will be well...

Thank God, because I spent the whole day also looking for alternative email clients including Thunderbird and Zimbra and both of them do not recreate sub folders in Hotmail which killed it for me right then and there... Bloody MS and their sneaky buggery ways...

 

[sigma6]

ah did finally find the "option" selection, a tiny icon in top left corner, really gave me a scare for a minute, you can tell how much I love and trust MS... they have hidden all the same functions under this smooth veneer, just enough to make you think you are learning something new... so can move folders the old fashion way just like you said... lol , one point though, they 2012 folder is Windows Live Mail and the old 2009 is Livemail, thus forcing me to upgrade my other OS, bloody MS...

and now it's (tiny hidden icon/options/mail/advanced/maintenance/store folder/change) ;-|
so typical MS...

 

[sigma6]

ixnay updating Windows Live Mail on my XP as Microsoft in their infinite wisdom has slammed that door in your face by not listing XP on the "Windows Essentials" compatibility list... so here is the alternative work around...

On Configuring two operating systems on two partitions to share one Windows Live Mail folder
or How to setup Windows XP and Windows 7 to share the same Windows Live Mail Folder on a dual boot setup
(some meta words for the bots)

One more interesting discovery, upon further experimentation (this is getting masochistic...)
to summarize... I am able to create multiple hotmail, and gmail accounts in both Windows LIve Mail Versions (2009,2012) as expected, (haven't tried yahoo but I am pretty sure that is possible too)

WLM 2009 creates a folder called "Livemail" and WLM 2012 creates a folder called "Windows Live Mail"... (not a good compatibility sign...)

And as I mentioned in my previous posts, importing is the best way to transfer stored folders, but I would strongly suggest going through them and renaming and rearranging them manually according to how you want them to appear in WLM after the export and before the import....

update: actually not sure what the files will look like after the export (which I believe they will still be normal files and folders... I just went back and forth and so many times now, I lost track but I am like 90% sure I did that at least once... you will have to re-verify that for yourself or I will update again...)
Anyhow, if they still look like normal folders then this will apply, as the last few times I just copied the folders directly from the "Storage folders" file and rearranged them manually. That is one thing I do like that MS is doing; keeping the folders and files standard. To their credit they do something similar with bookmarks in "Favourites", by creating links as individual files in standard folders that can be easily manipulated... (see, I'm not all spite and vinegar! lol)

In any event after fiddling with Windows Live Mail in Windows XP (2009) and Windows 7 (2012) on the dual boot, I found the only solution that worked for having both apps pick up the same folder and configured email accounts was to have WLM 2012 (in Win 7) redirect to the folder created by WLM 2009 (in XP) ie. configure everything in XP then redirect the WLM 2012 in (Win 7) to it, instead of the other way around as WLM (2009) does NOT seem to know how to pick up the WLM 2012 configured emails in the Windows Live Mail folder (missing database error)

... so the saving grace here is 2012 appears backward compatible in that regard... ' (for now...)

repeat:
WLM 2009 though will NOT pick up the Windows Live Mail folder and use WLM 2012's email configurations... but WLM 2012 will pick those up in WLM 2009's folders

I think that is the last bit to add to this amazing pain in the *** hope that saves someone else a few grey hairs and countless hours, good luck! and special thanks to MS and their crack software engineers (LOL) building incompatibility into their software to pad their bottom line at your expense.