Importing Outlook Express DBX files into Windows Vista

I received a question from a user who had recently upgraded from XP and they wanted to know how to import their Outlook Express DBX files into the Vista and the new email client called Windows Mail.  The Outlook Express files in question are DBX files which store user emails.  To get these files into Windows Mail isn't a straightforward task and here's the process:

To import from the Outlook Express into the Windows Mail do the following:

1. Make a new folder under the current user's Documents, such as Documents\Oldmail. This directory needs to be within the user's space so as not to prevent possible access permissions problems.

2. Copy all the dbx files that you have backed-up into this folder, making sure that folders.dbx is included.

3. Make sure none of these files are 'Read only' otherwise the import will fail.
To do this Go to 'Edit / Select' all in Windows Explorer and select all the dbx files. Then right click on the selection and choose Properties and ensure that the read only attribute of the files is unchecked.

4. In Windows Mail go to 'File / Import Messages' and choose 'Outlook Express 6' format and choose to import from a directory

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5. Use the 'Browse' button to go to the directory of dbx files. Make sure that when you set the directory that the path is correct (NOTE: Vista can put the wrong path in here sometimes, so instead of c:\Documents\Oldmail it may put c:\Documents\Oldmail\Documents\Oldmail, so just make sure this is right, if not, change it.

6. Finally select the files from which you wish to import messages and click 'Import' and everything should work ok.

This solution was courtesy of FreeBits.co.uk

UPDATE (21st June 2007)

It's worth checking out this resource which has been put together by one of the Microsoft MVPs:

 https://www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx#oe2wm

 Also, there's the Windows Mail newsgroup which has loads of great answers too:

https://www.microsoft.com/communities/newsgroups/list/en-us/default.aspx?query=DBX&dg=microsoft.public.windows.vista.mail&cat=en_us_fdf138d6-427a-48d6-84dc-a91a6c9fbb45&lang=en&cr=us&pt=&catlist=&dglist=&ptlist=&exp=&sloc=en-us

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