Where does Outlook Express store its files?

[gloriousglenn]

My wife's laptop has gone "doo-lally"(!!) and I am going to have to restore windows on it .

 

Fortunately I can access all of the data files via my Sharkoon Drive-Link Adaptor that I have just purchased (what a great bit of kit) and it shows up as an external HDD.

 

The only thing I am having problems with is getting the 'Contacts' from my wifes Outlook Express.

 

On another thread, not posted by me, ninjabeaver has said the following:

 

Are you running XP. If you are it's in theC:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Application Data\Identities\{9DCA5675-D541-4FB6-89CA-65065BB74034}\Outlook Express .

 

Yours won't be exactly the same. You also need to be able to view hidden files and folders.

 

I'm sure that's where it is.

 

However, there doesn't seem to be an Outlook Express folder there

 

So my question is....Does anybody know how I can copy my wife's OE data (the contacts is the main thing) from the HDD of the laptop onto the HDD of my main PC?

 

Or....Is there a way of opening Outlook Express so that it picks up the files from the laptops HDD (now linked as an external HDD to my main PC)....perhaps getting OE to look at F: instead of C: or something....... so that I can create a backup of her contacts via the wizard within OE?

 

My wife would be very appreciated if anybody could help.

 

.....And not "THAT" appreciated before you say anything!!!

 

Cheers

Glenn

Edited October 25, 2008 by gloriousglenn

[Netman]

To find the mailbox folders try a search for *.dbx

For the contacts search for *.wab

Remember to tell it to include hidden files and folders...

Hope that helps...

[EduTech]

C:\Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

 

Local Settings is a hidden folder.

 

The above dir is for XP

 

Might be slightly different for Vista

 

Sorry read it wront.. outlook express not microsoft outlook :\

[gloriousglenn]

I have done a search for *.wab and *.dbx...Nothing.

 

And nothing in \Documents and Settings\%USERNAME%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

 

I really am confused because she was definately using OE up until this morning when it went "belly up".

 

Oh well....look on the bright side....I back up my Outlook .pst file all of the time!!!

[MatthewL]

Can you confirm if you are using Outlook Express or Microsoft Outlook as there seems to be a little bit of confusion.

[gloriousglenn]

Sorry...The problem is with my wifes OE....My last comment was about myself who uses Outlook.

[dtakias]

As said it should look like this:

%username%\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{CE00F0B6-FA27-4068-8266-B992A1D76FD1}\Microsoft\Outlook Express

 

A folder should be there by default even if you do not use OE. Make sure you try all available usernames under this directory. If there's nothing there your OE configuration got corrupted for some reason!

[gloriousglenn]

Well after a bit more digging I managed to find her Inbox/Outbox/Drafts etc...But no .wab file, so no address book.

 

Oh well, thanks for that help in getting her messages back anyway.

 

Cheers

Glenn

[gloriousglenn]

I FOUND IT

 

Even though I tried searching everywhere for .wab files, with nothing, I managed to find it in the following location:

 

C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book

 

Simple really!!!

 

Thanks again for all of your help and hopefully somebody else might find this information helpfull.

 

Cheers

Glenn