Kursun

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Jan 6, 2008
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I am doing a new clean install of Win 7 on a new disk. My old disk was Win 7 too. Same software is being installed on a new disk.

I am trying to import messages from old Windows Live Mail install on the old disk to new Windows Live Mail install.

I had done importing from Outlook Express to Live Mail with no problems in the past.

I try to import from Live Mail to Live mail by selecting “Import Messages/Windows Live Mail”, then browse and select the old Live Mail data directory. I see it imports all messages, takes some time to finish the importing job. Then I see that it has imported the accounts (minus psswords) O.K. but no messages. I look at the Storage folders/Recovered items. But they are not there either.
When I look at the storage directory using windows explorer I see the old dbx files there but they are not displayed in Windows Live.

I’m utterly baffled. This simple task shouldn’t be so difficult!
Please Help!
 

Kursun

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Jan 6, 2008
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18,610
Hello,
Problem is solved!
I was trying to directly import from the newly installed Live Mail by showing it my old storage directory. The correct way is first open the old Live mail and first export your messages to some other directory, then boot the new os hdd and open the newly installed Live Mail and then import.
The good news all this [unnecessary?] export-import steps are duty free and you don’t need the services of an accountant :) But on the other hand requiring two steps is not a very brilliant programming practice!

Well, that’s not all. Live Mail imports all the original directory structure for each account. I have 4 accounts and have an elaborate directory structure under Storage folders, including many labeled directories carrying old archives. But, these formed directories are all empty after importing! The imported messages and Storage folder sub-directories are all in the so called Imported folders (just like when I had moved from outlook express to Live Mail 4 years ago -but this is just migrating from one Live mail to another). You have to select each directory under Imported folders one-by-one select all, right click and select move to folder …

All this is a tedious, time consuming job. I had thought Microsoft was smarter. Maybe time has come to start considering the big Apple!