Windows 7 Import Mail from crashed drive

[nexel]

Hi,

The Hard drive recently died on my laptop and would not boot. I was able to copy some of the data off it by booting from a Linux CD before sending it back to the manufacturer. I now have a new drive and Windows 7 installed.
Is there a way to import my mail account details and address book from my backup?
When I say backup I mean I just copied everything under USERS to a CD. I was not able to boot the system and do a proper backup.
I have been able to import the messages ok, but they will not show without being linked to an account. I am unable to remember the account details and passwords so I cannot set them up manually.
Also, Where is my contacts data stored and can I copy it to the new drive?

Thanks

Nex

 

[nexel]

BTW, I'm using Windows Live Mail

 

[zvit]

Contacts are here: c:\users\YourName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Contacts\Default
Default is a Hidden folder (use Control Panel - Folder Options - View to
make Hidden files and folders visible)

They are in a file named contacts.edb You will find this file in a folder named something like this:
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Contacts\{b5f3929f-ba60-4632-ad4e-b602b1c8e007}\DBStore

You can read more here:
Link Removed - Invalid URL

 

[pcs3657]

ou can import address book or contact information from several formats used by other programs, convert them for use in this version of Windows, and store them in your Contacts folder. You can also convert your contacts to other formats by exporting them. This allows you to share them with people who are using an earlier version of Windows or a different operating system.


To import contacts created in another program

• Open Windows Contacts by clicking the Start button Link Removed due to 404 Error, and then clicking your user name. Type contacts in the address bar, and then press Enter.
• On the toolbar, click Import, and then click one of the following formats to import contacts from:
  • CSV (Comma Separated Values). This is a generic file format used for exporting and importing information to and from databases or spreadsheets. If you can't import an address book file directly into Windows Contacts, try converting it first to a CSV file and then importing that file.
  • LDIF (LDAP server). This format is used to import directory information from LDAP-based directory servers.
  • vCard (VCF file). This is the most widely used contacts format.
  • Windows Address Book file (Outlook Express contacts). This format (.wab file) is used by most earlier versions of Windows, including Windows XP.
• Click Import, locate the contacts file you want to import, and then click Open. The new contacts should appear in your Contacts folder.
  If you can't find the contacts file you want to import, check the information that came with the program that created the contacts, or visit the manufacturer's website. You might need to export contacts from the program before you can import them into Windows Contacts.
• When a message appears telling you that the contacts import process has completed, click OK, and then click Close.

To export contacts so they can be viewed by someone using another program

You can convert all your contacts at once to the format you choose so that someone using another program, or a previous version of Windows, can open and view them.

• Open Windows Contacts by clicking the Start button Link Removed due to 404 Error, and then clicking your user name. Type contacts in the address bar, and then press Enter.
• On the toolbar, click Export, and then click one of the following formats:
  • CSV (Comma Separated Values). This is a generic file format used for exporting or importing information to and from databases or spreadsheets.
  • vCard (folder of .vcf files). This format is used by many other programs. It's typically the best format to use when sharing contacts with someone who is using an earlier version of Windows or a different operating system.
• Click Export, select a folder where you want to store your contacts in the new format, and then click OK.
• When a message appears telling you that your contacts have been exported in the new format, click OK, and then click Close.

To import e‑mail

• Open Windows Live Mail by clicking the Start button Link Removed due to 404 Error. In the search box, type Windows Live Mail, and then, in the list of results, click Windows Live Mail.
• Press the Alt key.
• Click the File menu, point to Import, and then click Messages.
• Choose the e‑mail program from which you want to import e‑mail messages, and then click Next.
• Click Browse.
• Navigate to the folder that contains your e‑mail files.
  If you saved your files on an external hard drive and have copied them to your computer, navigate to the folder that you copied them in. If you did a custom installed of Windows 7 from Windows XP or Windows Vista, your files can be found in the following locations:
  Outlook Express
  Windows Mail
  C:\Windows.OLD\Documents and Settings\your user name\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{your Windows user identity number}\Microsoft\Outlook Express\
  C:\Windows.OLD\Users\your user name\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail\
  
  The Windows user identity number is different for every user. It will be inside brackets and look similar to this sample number: {8389CA60-ED34-11DB-95EE-10AE55D89593}.
• Click OK, and then click Next.
• Leave All Folders selected, and then click Next.
• After the import finishes, click Finish.
  All imported messages will appear under Storage Folders in Windows Live Mail.

To import contacts

• Open Windows Live Mail by clicking the Start button Link Removed due to 404 Error. In the search box, type Windows Live Mail, and then, in the list of results, click Windows Live Mail.
• In the lower-left corner of the Windows Live Mail window, click Contacts.
• Click the File menu, point to Import, and then click the type of address book that you want to import.
  If prompted, browse to the file that contains the contact information that you want to import, click it, and then click Open.

• Save the calendar on your computer as an ICS file (.ics file extension).
• Go to the Windows Live Calendar webpage.
• Sign in with your Windows Live ID.
• On the toolbar above the calendar, click Subscribe.
• Select Import from an ICS file, and then click Browse.
• Browse to the ICS file, click it, and then click Open.
• Select Import into a new calendar.
• In the Calendar name box, type a name for the calendar.
• Next to Color, select a color for the calendar.
• Click Import calendar.
• Click Done.

To import into an existing Windows Live Calendar

• Save the calendar on your computer as an ICS file (.ics file extension).
• Go to the Windows Live Calendar webpage.
• Sign in with your Windows Live ID.
• On the toolbar above the calendar, click Subscribe.
• Select Import from an ICS file, and then click Browse.
• Browse to the ICS file, click it, and then click Open.
• Select Import into an existing calendar.
• Next to Select which calendar, choose the calendar that you want to use.
• Next to Prevent duplicates, select one of the following:
  • Only keep the new events. Any events previously imported from the same calendar will be replaced with newer versions of the same events.
  • Only keep the original events. Any events previously imported from the same calendar are kept, and only new events will be imported.
• Click Import calendar.
• Click Done.

How ever you may need to configure the mail with the id and password. However try opening it it may work.