How can I recover my Outlook Express emails after a system crash

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Martin Healy - 06 May 2005 15:26 GMT

My Windows 98 SE machine crashed a couple days ago. As a result, I can't
even boot up in safe mode due to a "failure to unload explorer.exe error
message". Consequently, I am confined to DOS solely. I can however read to
and copy files from the hard disk to my ZIP disk with the aid of a boot disk
using the Windows support option. Unfortunately, I never backed up my email
messages using the import/export method prior to the crash - so I'm wondering
is there anyway I can restore these email file messages now to my ZIP disk
before proceeding with a reinstallation. I have already succeeded backing up
other MyDocuments files and Favorites to my ZIP (D Drive). I'm aware of the
fact that you can backup the *.pst file in Outlook 2000/2003 but I used the
Outlook Express 6.0 client for the majority of my mail messages. I'm just
wondering has Outlook Express 6.0 got any personal folder file *.pst like the
Outlook email program.

Anyway, I'm just wondering is there any way of retrieving the Outlook
Express email messages now from DOS since I can't access Safe Mode in Windows
98 SE. If so, how do I restore these messages back to their original
location after a reinstallation.

Trusting that somebody will assist me with same if possible.

Thanks

Martin Healy

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Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE - 06 May 2005 16:30 GMT

> My Windows 98 SE machine crashed a couple days ago. As a result, I can't
> even boot up in safe mode due to a "failure to unload explorer.exe error
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
>
> Martin Healy

Outlook Express uses *.dbx files. The Address Book uses an *.wab file.

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Frank Saunders, MS-MVP, IE/OE
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Martin Healy - 06 May 2005 17:51 GMT

Thanks for that as I didn't know the file extention. Could please tell me
the path name to these files. If I succeed in backing up these files, do I
need to import these files in Outlook Express when my system is up and
running again. Finally, could please me the file extension name for Outlook
2000 as this client contains about 10% of all my email messages or search for
the *.pst file instead for this.

Thanks again for the help.

Martin Healy

> > My Windows 98 SE machine crashed a couple days ago. As a result, I can't
> > even boot up in safe mode due to a "failure to unload explorer.exe error
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
>
> Outlook Express uses *.dbx files. The Address Book uses an *.wab file.

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Jim Pickering - 06 May 2005 18:24 GMT

The file path will vary, so there is no hard and fast rule. Do a File
Search for all files ending with DBX. If you had more than one identity
created, you will have a message store folder for each identity. Outlook
Express does not use a PST file (that is only for Outlook). Once you've
located the file path to the various files you need to import, see this link
for info on how to actually import them:
http://www.insideoe.com/faqs/how.htm#importOE5

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Jim Pickering, MVP, Outlook Express
https://mvp.support.microsoft.com/profile=F9F51EF1-4AE3-4D23-B2D8-1171988A62D6

> Thanks for that as I didn't know the file extention. Could please tell me
> the path name to these files. If I succeed in backing up these files, do
[quoted text clipped - 53 lines]
>>
>> Outlook Express uses *.dbx files. The Address Book uses an *.wab file.

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