Transfer Outlook Express email to Windows 7

A few days back a not-so-tech-savvy friend of mine asked for my help. He had purchased a new laptop and wanted to know how to transfer all the old Outlook Express email messages to Windows 7. He promised a fresh Cuban cigar if I could come down to his office and help move the email messages. The thought of sipping excellent Cognac with a Cuban was enough to drag me out on that cold winter night.

In a few minutes I was in front of a brand new Windows 7 machine ready to transfer Outlook Express email to Windows 7. Now there are two ways to do this. The first is simpler and involves importing the messages from a backup of Outlook Express into Windows Live Mail, the Windows 7 email program. But we were really disappointed when this failed. Probably the backup process wasn't done properly, I thought. Or maybe the email folders were faulty (because my friend used to complain frequently of Outlook Express crashes). There was no option but to take the second, more complex route.

Instructions on how to transfer Outlook Express email to Windows 7 - Windows Live Mail

Since I knew Windows Live Mail could import messages from an existing installation of Outlook Express, Windows Mail and Windows Live Mail, the convoluted path I followed was this.

Get Windows Live Mail (WLM) program on the old Windows XP computer which already had Outlook Express. The newly installed email program will automatically import account settings as well as the messages from Outlook Express. Now export the email from Windows Live Mail on XP and move them to the new Windows 7 computer.

• Download Windows Live Mail on the Windows XP computer and install it.


• When Windows Live Mail installs on your XP computer it will detect Outlook Express and copy the email account settings as well as the messages. If it doesn't, read how to copy email accounts from Outlook Express to Windows 7 and then transfer the email messages.



• When all the messages have been moved from Outlook Express to Windows Live Mail on XP, use the Export function of the latter to save a back up of the email to a folder of choice. Copy this entire folder on a flash drive or a DVD. Important: Remember to also move the Outlook Express address book and the email accounts data along with the messages. Shutdown the Windows XP computer because it's work is over.


• Transfer the address book, email account information and exported Windows Live Mail messages (which were originally of Outlook Express) to the Windows 7 computer and dump them in a temporary directory.


• On the Windows 7 computer, open the Windows Live Mail program - it should be factory installed. If not, refer the instructions on how to install the Windows Live Mail.


• But before you transfer the Outlook Express email, import the email account data to avoid configuring Windows Live Mail manually. This will save you time as well as a lot of trouble if you had multiple accounts set up in Outlook Express and / or you don't remember the settings for the account (especially the password and the incoming and outgoing email server details).



• Now with the "File" -> "Export" -> "Messages" functionality, move all the email messages to Windows Live Mail on Windows 7.

As I mentioned at the start, I took this convoluted approach to transfer Outlook Express email to Windows Live Mail on Windows 7 because the O.E. backup failed (for me)... it might just work for you. So try that first - it's easier; read how to copy email from Outlook Express to Windows Live Mail for step by step instructions and screenshots.

Modify Windows Explorer Command Bar for all folders

In last week’s blog, “Use Special Codes to Add Commands to the Windows Explorer Command Bar,” I told you about special codes that exist in the registry that you can use to add commands to Microsoft Windows Explorer’s context-sensitive Command Bar and showed you where to find them. I then demonstrated how to add those special codes to a set of keys in the Registry for the different Library folders.

I also told you there is a key in the registry called Generic for all the other folders that do not appear in any of the Libraries. I then explained that to add commands to the Windows Explorer Command Bars for all the other folders that do not appear in any of the Libraries, you’ll have to do a bit more work. In short, you’ll have to change the ownership and permissions on the key and then add the TasksItemsSelected and the TasksNoItemsSelected keys manually, before you can add the codes.

In this edition of the Windows Desktop Report, I’ll show you how to modify the Generic registry key to add commands to the Windows Explorer’s Command Bar for all the other folders.

This blog post is also available in PDF format in a TechRepublic download and as a TechRepublic Photo Gallery.

Editing the Registry

It is important to keep in mind that the Windows Registry file is vital to the operating system and changing it can be dangerous if you inadvertently make a mistake. As such, you should take a few moments to back up your system by creating a system image in the Backup and Restore tool. That way if anything goes awry, you can restore your system and get right back to work.

To launch the Registry Editor, click the Start button, type Regedit in the Start Menu’s Search box, and press [Enter]. When the UAC dialog box appears, respond appropriately.

The Command Store

Don’t forget that the CommandStore key in the registry contains the codes that are the source of the commands that appear on Windows Explorer’s context-sensitive Command Bar. From within the Registry Editor, navigate to the following folder:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\CommandStore\shell

When you select shell, you’ll see all the codes that you can use to customize Windows Explorer’s context-sensitive Command Bar. Keep in mind that while each of these keys contains subkeys and other details, you need be concerned only with the names in the shell key. For example, to add the Delete command, all you need to know is the code Windows.delete.

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Changing the permissions

Once the Registry Editor appears, navigate to the following folder

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderTypes\{5c4f28b5-f869-4e84-8e60-f11db97c5cc7}

When you do, you’ll see that while the key is technically named {5c4f28b5-f869-4e84-8e60-f11db97c5cc7}, its CanonicalName is Generic (Figure A), which I’ll use from here on out to refer to it. You’ll also notice that the Generic key does not contain the TasksItemsSelected and the TasksNoItemsSelected keys by default. As I said, you will have to add them manually.

Figure A

The CanonicalName is Generic.

However, before you can do so, you will have to change the permissions of the Generic key. To begin, right-click on the Generic key and select the Permissions command. When you see the Permissions For dialog box, as shown in Figure B, immediately select the Advanced button to bring up the Advance Security Settings dialog box.

Figure B

When you see the Permissions For dialog box, select the Advanced button.

Now, select the Owner tab, choose Administrators from the Current Owner To panel, and click Apply. Once the Current owner is set to Administrators, as shown in Figure C, click OK to continue.

Figure C

You will need to change owner to the Administrators group.

When you return to the Permissions dialog box, choose Administrators in the Group or User Names panel and then select the Full Control check box in the Permissions panel, as shown in Figure D. Click OK to continue.

Figure D

You must set the Permissions for Administrators to Full Control so that you can make changes to the Generic key.

Editing the Generic key

Now that you have full control of the Generic key, you are ready to begin editing. To get started, right-click {5c4f28b5-f869-4e84-8e60-f11db97c5cc7} and select the New | Key command. When the new key appears, name it TasksItemsSelected. Then, choose the New | Key command again and create the TasksNoItemsSelected key. At this point, your Generic key should look like the one shown in Figure E.

Figure E

Once you finish this step, you should see both the TasksItemsSelected and the TasksNoItemsSelected keys inside the Generic key.

At this point, I’ll reuse the list of codes that I chose for last week’s article:

• Windows.delete


• Windows.navpane


• Windows.previewpane


• Windows.menubar

Since the Windows.delete code requires an item to be selected, it will be added to the TasksItemsSelected key. The Windows.navpane, Windows.previewpane, and Windows.menubar codes do not require an item to be selected, so they will go in the TasksNoItemsSelected key.

As you can see, the TasksItemsSelected key contains only the String Value titled Default, which is where we’ll put the Windows.delete code. Double-click the Default icon to access the Edit String dialog box. Then type the Windows.delete code in the text box, as shown in Figure F.

Figure F

Just type the Windows.delete code in the text box.

Now, access the TasksNoItemsSelected key, double-click the Default icon, and add the Windows.navpane, Windows.previewpane, and Windows.menubar codes in the text box, as shown in Figure G. Be sure to use semicolons to separate each command.

Figure G

Be sure to use semicolons to separate each command.

At this point, close the Registry Editor and launch Windows Explorer. When you do, you’ll see the new commands on the Command Bar in Windows Explorer when you access any folder, as shown in Figure H.

Figure H

Your new commands now appear on the Command Bar in Windows Explorer for folders that do not appear in any of the Libraries.

Ref link: http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/window-on-windows/modify-windows-explorer-command-bar-for-all-folders/3811?tag=nl.e064