backing up Outlook Express emails

[Protocol]

I've got a client that wants a new feature added to his backup program I've created for him. In all my AMS years, I haven't had the need to work with the registry (as it scares the you-know-what out of me). Now, I'm getting the impression, in order to accomplish an Outlook Express backup, that I'll have to.

I've already started searching through the forums for some work-arounds, but off-hand, does anyone know how to get a list of the OE folders and their content reliably? Similarly, I'll have to insert those emails back, once the user does a restore. This will be for a general market application, so it would have to employ a method that would work across the board platform-wise.

Sorry to hand this off to the group, but this is kinda a tricky element for me. I did this manually once by finding the OE folder and physically dragging the old content to the new one, but alas, MS seems to have a dynamically-named folder that wouldn't seem to stable to rely on name-wise or cross-platform-wise ("1039444909xx-03934" is hardly a rock... lol). Anyone know of a solid solution?

Thanks in advance! You guys rock.

Protocol

[Protocol]

Anyone?

[hiddenhole]

MS Outlook 2000


Personal folders (.pst file)

- if there is a single Outlook user:
C:\Windows\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

- if there are multiple Outlook users:
C:\Windows\Profiles\<Current User>\ Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Note: <Current User> is your Windows name account.

Outlook shortcuts (.fav file)

- if there is a single Outlook user:
C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

- if there are multiple Outlook users:
C:\Windows\Profiles\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Menu or toolbar customizations (Outcmd.dat file)

- if there is a single Outlook user:
C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

- if there are multiple Outlook users:
C:\Windows\Profiles\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Rules (.rwz file)

- if there is a single Outlook user:
C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

- if there are multiple Outlook users:
C:\Windows\Profiles\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Nicknames (.nick file)

- if there is a single Outlook user:
C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

- if there are multiple Outlook users:
C:\Windows\Profiles\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Signatures (.rtf, .htm, .html, or .txt file)

- if there is a single Outlook user:
C:\Windows\Application\Data\Microsoft\Signatures

- if there are multiple Outlook users:
C:\Windows\Profiles\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Signatures

Stationery (if you have created)

- if there is a single Outlook user:
C:\Windows\Application Data\Microsoft\Stationery

- if there are multiple Outlook users:
C:\Windows\Profiles\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Stationery

Personal Address Book (mailbox.pab)

C:\Windows\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook


MS Outlook 2003

Outlook data files (.pst)

drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Note: <Current User> is your Windows name account.
<drive> is the location where the OS is installed.

Personal Address Book (.pab)

drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Command bar and menu customizations (.dat)

drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Navigation Pane settings (.xml).

drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.xml

Registered Microsoft Exchange extensions (.dat)

drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Outlook contacts nicknames (.nk2)

drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Rules (.rwz)

drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Print styles (Outlprnt with no extension)

drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Signatures (.rtf, .txt, .htm)

drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Signatures

Stationary (.htm)

drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Stationary

Custom forms

drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Forms

Dictionary (.dic)

drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Proof

Templates (.oft)

drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates

Send/Receive settings (.srs)

drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Message (.msg, .htm, .rtf)

drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\My Documents


MS Outlook 2007

Personal Folders file (.pst)
- Windows Vista
drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook

- Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Server 2003
drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Note: <Current User> is your Windows name account.
<drive> is the location where the OS is installed.

Personal Address Book (.pab)

- Windows Vista
drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook

- Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Command bar and menu customizations (.dat)

- Windows Vista
drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook\outcmd.dat

- Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\outcmd.dat

Navigation Pane settings (.xml).

- Windows Vista
drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Roaming\Outlook\profile name.xml

- Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\profile name.xml

Registered Microsoft Exchange extensions (.dat)

- Windows Vista
drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook

- Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Outlook Contacts nicknames (.nk2)

- Windows Vista
drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook

- Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Rules (.rwz)

- Windows Vista
drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook

- Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Print styles (Outlprnt with no extension)

- Windows Vista
drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook

- Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Signatures (.rtf, .txt, .htm)

- Windows Vista
drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Signatures

- Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Signatures

Stationery (.htm)

- Windows Vista
drive:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Stationery

- Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
drive:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Stationery

Custom forms

- Windows Vista
drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Forms

- Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Forms

Dictionary (.dic)

- Windows Vista
drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\UProof

- Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\UProof

Templates (.oft)

- Windows Vista
drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates

- Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates

Send/Receive settings (.srs)

- Windows Vista
drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook

- Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Message (.msg, .htm, .rtf)

- Windows Vista
drive:\<Current User>\Documents

- Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\My Documents

[hiddenhole]

Outlook Express e-mail message store, along with the address book, usually resides in subfolders at the following paths:

C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application Data\Identities\
C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express\
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook Express\
C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application Data\Microsoft\Address Book\


This is correct for Outlook Express 4.0, however to correctly determine the location for Outlook Express 5.0, 5.5 and 6.0 e-mail store, it is recommended to search through the registry. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Identities registry key contains ID subkeys which correspond to active identities. Under the each identity key there is a \Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0 subkey which holds the required Store Root string variable. To determine the location of the address book file, take a look at the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WAB\Wab File Name
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WAB\WAB4\Wab File Name


Outlook Express e-mail data is usually comprised of the following items:

E-mail and news (.dbx) folders for Outlook Express 5, 5.5, 6.
E-mail and news (.mbx, .idx, .nch) folders for Outlook Express 4.
Address book (.wab) file.

[Protocol]

This is excellent. Thank you, both!

Protocol