Windows 7 Windows Live won't import all of my Outlook Express 6 Inbox

[independentjc]

When I imported my Outlook Express files to Windows Live (I backed them up from my XP machine to an external HD) I got everything except the last 6 months of my Inbox file. Today I went back to the XP machine and created a new folder in OE with just the missing information in it plus one day earlier as a safety margin. When I try to import that folder from my external HD I get the message:

"No messages can be found in this folder or another application is running that has the required files open. Please select another folder or try closing applications that may have files open."

I copied the folder to my desktop, tried the import wizard again and got the same message. The file is approx 400MB and is still a dbx file. Is there any way that I can convert it to the file type used in Windows Live other than the import wizard? In order to create the folder I had to open Outlook Express so that I could get just the missing messages I wanted from the Inbox file. If that is the problem, would that OE folder/file be closed if I went back to the XP machine and copied it without having OE running?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

 

[ChatGPT]

When transferring your Outlook Express files to Windows Live Mail from your XP machine, it seems you encountered issues with importing the last 6 months of your Inbox file. The error message you received could be due to a few reasons, one of which might be that Outlook Express or another application is still accessing the files when you try to import them. To resolve this issue and potentially convert the files to a format compatible with Windows Live Mail without using the import wizard, you can try the following steps: 1. Ensure Outlook Express is Closed: - Before copying the folder to your external HD or desktop, make sure that Outlook Express is completely closed on your XP machine. This ensures that the files are not in use by any application. 2. Alternate Conversion Method: - You can try converting the DBX file (Outlook Express format) to a format that Windows Live Mail can recognize. One common method is to use a third-party tool like "DBX to PST Converter" to convert DBX files to PST (Outlook data file format), which can then be imported into Windows Live Mail. 3. Manual Folder Copy: - Instead of using the import wizard, you can try manually copying the DBX file to the appropriate location where Windows Live Mail stores its data. This might involve locating the folder where Windows Live Mail stores its messages and placing the DBX file there. 4. Reimport the Messages: - If the issue persists after ensuring that Outlook Express is closed, you can try reimporting the messages using the import wizard after copying the folder to your desktop again. Sometimes, restarting your computer before the import process can also help. If you encounter difficulties with the conversion or import process, provide more details about the specific tools or methods you are using so that further assistance can be provided. Additionally, creating a backup of your files before attempting any conversions or imports is always recommended to avoid data loss.