Any ideas, please?

John & Elaine · Post by **John & Elaine** » Sun 15 Nov 2009 19:54

We recently suffered a hard drive crash. Suspecting something was awry (because of strange noises) I quckly copied the e mail local folder over to a cd using explorer, I have tried various methods of trying to get them back from the CD without success. Import messages for example does not want to know and would truly appreciate any advice to help me get my mails back! It's Windows Mail & Vista.

Many thanks

John

cristo · Post by **cristo** » Sun 15 Nov 2009 20:21

Can you see a mail file on the CD when you open it with Explorer ?

Haveyou had your hard disk replaced ??

If so - do you still have the failed disk ?

John & Elaine · Post by **John & Elaine** » Sun 15 Nov 2009 20:41

Yes we can see a mail file when we click with explorer and if you double click a message it opens - it's just all very cumbersome and it would make life so much easier to get them imported back!

Yes the disk has been replaced

Yes we still have the failed disk and it is fine except for the boot element

Thanks Cristo

blackduff · Post by **blackduff** » Sun 15 Nov 2009 21:47

Is this a laptop or desktop and which brand of the computer? Also, how old is this computer?

Blackduff

cristo · Post by **cristo** » Sun 15 Nov 2009 22:40

I use windows livemail and don't keep local copies - its all on the server.
I can only guess that what is important is the file extension of what you have saved. Import will only work on certain files.
If you select View > Details from Explorer or right clickon the filename and look at properties you should find out what you have saved.
If you can do this - try onlinehelp to move the data.
If you get stuck - come back here.

Cheers. Cristo

John & Elaine · Post by **John & Elaine** » Mon 16 Nov 2009 09:15

Thanks for your replies BD and Cristo. It's a three year old Dell desktop, BD. Cristo I have all but exhausted any online help I could find. But still to no avail.
Cheers both
John

blackduff · Post by **blackduff** » Mon 16 Nov 2009 13:54

Okay, this may work or maybe this will not work. Anyway, it's worth a try.

I believe that your email totally working in the old drive. Why it's slow is that it's on the old drive. But, you're not into the actual email file. Probably you should have something called for a ????.pst. That will be your old emails.

If you check on your new drive, root around and find where the new emails is filed. If you can find this, you can find the same on the older drive. Then pull out the files in the old drive and put them into the new file (on the new drive)and it should work with the two groups.

To be safe, find the new folder with the new email system. Then only take one file from the previous folder and put it into the new folder. Write down the name of the transferring file, so if things go pearshaped, you can backout of the action.

This folder I'm telling you should find will be in your drive C. I just looked on my laptop and I do have Vista. There's a folder with Windows Mail. I didn't find which file which will store your emails but there's not too many files so list the sizes of each. Then get some email into yoursel and then check your files and see which file increased. Then you know where you files are stored.

If you have the testinal fortitude, you could replace your largest file in the old drive and replace this for the similar in the new drive. In fact, change the name of the new file before you put the old file into your folder. Then check if you can read the old emails now.

Check and see if this helps. Let me know.

Cheers

Blackduff

cristo · Post by **cristo** » Mon 16 Nov 2009 14:08

I have just resurrected my Vista so I can upgrade to Windows 7.
looking at export/import on Mail I did this:- Exported Local Inbox to a New Folder in <username> Documents <foldername>.
I called mine WMail.
drilling down into the folder I found one file with extension .eml and one file named FOL
This >eml file is the mail file for "welcome to Windows Mail"message.
I then Imported folder WMail and the Local Inbox appeared in Imported Files and I could see the message.
If the files on your CD are in fact .eml files - you could try to do as I have just described, but copy the files From your CD into the folder alongside the file named FOL before you Import.
Hope this makes sense. I could not try it myself as I only have one .eml file.
Good luck.

Robert Ferrieux · Post by **Robert Ferrieux** » Mon 16 Nov 2009 15:23

from Helen

Cristo.....Cristo............the name's coming back to me now............
Isn't he the handsome, muscular guy who gave Marguerite (of M and S) hell during her week of keep-fit sessions?

I think we should be told.

cristo · Post by **cristo** » Mon 16 Nov 2009 17:20

No - that was the Full Monty Cristo !!

Santiago · Post by **Santiago** » Mon 16 Nov 2009 19:18

John,
Try contacting Mark at Cyberia cafe in Ceret. I don't know anyone locally who'd be more able to fix your problem.

John & Elaine · Post by **John & Elaine** » Sun 22 Nov 2009 20:21

The answer it seems was to re-attach the old hard drive (which can be read!) and simply use the usual import mechanism. I thank you all for your assistance. It is much appreciated

John

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