# [SOLVED] migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7



## etaf (Dec 28, 2008)

migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7

I have a task to transfer all the emails and contacts from a W2K Pc using outlook express onto a new Windows 7 PC

i have not done a transfer with W2K and in the past I have loaded thunderbird onto the PC and then transferred using a thunderbird backup program 

Not sure even if thunderbird will run on W2k - so not sure of the best way to do this transfer

any suggestions on best way to do this - i'm doing it tomorrow 14:00 UK BST time


----------



## Tomshawk (Jan 23, 2013)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*

According to this article
Import from Outlook Express - MozillaZine Knowledge Base
you should be able to do it but looking at the bottom of the article, it appears you may have to do extra steps

If you are running Windows 7 you may not be able to install Outlook Express. If you wanted to install Outlook Express to work around problems migrating messages from Outlook you could install either the Windows Live email client (easiest) or the Windows Mail email client and use the ImportExportTools extension to import the .EML files. Both store messages using .EML files and support dragging and dropping messages to Windows Explorer as .EML files.

Continuing to look around though


----------



## etaf (Dec 28, 2008)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*

thanks for a very quick reply 

in the past on XP, vista etc -
I have installed thunderbird and at the point of install it asks if i want to import emails - usually from outlook (still checking on OE) 
and then i use mozbackup to transfer to the new PC and use thunderbird on the new PC

I have found that version 12 of thunderbird runs on W2k - not sure if mozbackup will - says it will ..

so i will now have a read of the link you posted and look into using WLM 

I have never used the


> Windows Mail email client and use the ImportExportTools


look forward to anything else you discover - thanks again


----------



## Tomshawk (Jan 23, 2013)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*

I think after reading a little more that your best bet is to do the conversion on the 2k machine using the link above, then mozbackup to back it up.

According to their site
MozBackup - Backup tool for Firefox and Thunderbird
Mozbackup is compatible with windows 7 so it should work fine
and their changelog http://mozbackup.jasnapaka.com/changelog.txt shows no windows issues since vista


----------



## etaf (Dec 28, 2008)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*

yes looks that way - just reading your links - excellent thank you

So it would appear that Version 13 of thunderbird does not support W2K - and so i have found the old versions and downloaded V12 
I hope to install that on the W2K machine and then startup and hopefully get prompted to import from OE (and that they only have 1 profile) 

then use mozbackup to creat a back up - take to the W7 PC and restore 

Thats worked for me quite a few times now - but on XP PCs and with outlook , never tried with OE or W2K 

and install the latest v17 of thundervird onto the W7 PC

just not sure if mozbackup 1) works on W2K and also if it support V12 and will restore to V17 of thunderbird 

the client is expecting a lot - so i cant take any chances , as i have been recommended to them and will be paid for my time


----------



## Tomshawk (Jan 23, 2013)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*

If the user did their updates regularly, they should be up to O.E. 6 and then Thunderbird should import fine.

I understand the reservations about mozbackup, its been a while since I used it myself, and well, we are talking Win 2k. Yikes, Old School

Good luck sir, please let us know how it goes.

If I find anything else before the night is up, I'll post it.


----------



## etaf (Dec 28, 2008)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*



> they should be up to O.E. 6 and then Thunderbird should import fine.


 have you seen a limit on the version for OE to be imported into thunderbird.... best check that first before I do anything else

thanks for all the support - certainly will provide an update and how i got on tomorrow - yep, W2K - years old, after all the above - will need to try and remember how to use - at least i had it on a work PC for a year ..


----------



## Tomshawk (Jan 23, 2013)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*

Obviously it's been a while but if I remember correctly, there was an issue with v12 of thunderbird an O.E. 5 but alas... my memory isn't that good


----------



## etaf (Dec 28, 2008)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*



> there was an issue with v12 of thunderbird an O.E. 5


 Ok 

I can access all the old versions

Old Version of Mozilla Thunderbird for Windows 2000 Download - OldApps.com
https://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/thunderbird/releases/

any ideas which would be preferable ?
for older versions of OE


----------



## Tomshawk (Jan 23, 2013)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*

I'm sure 11 would be fine but i'd still try 12 first just to save time and 12 was a much better version


----------



## etaf (Dec 28, 2008)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*

brilliant - well all prepared now - hopefully , when i get there nothing will be different to short email exchange or he gives me a curved ball as i walk through the door.

As theres no easy restore on W2K need to make sure i dont do anything silly 
How to Do a Windows 2000 System Restore | eHow


----------



## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*

It's been a long time ago. I kind of remember transferring from OE to Outlook then to TB, but I can't remember if during the multiple export/import exercises I put everything on a flash drive or what. When only the Contacts had to be transferred it was easy since the comma delineated format worked on everything.


----------



## Tomshawk (Jan 23, 2013)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*

Curve ball, Whatever do you mean?

Good luck, I hope it goes smoothly


----------



## etaf (Dec 28, 2008)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*

well, that went very very slowly 

Put V10 onto the W2K PC 
they had 4 identities in outlook express 
copied one and only the folders came across 
so tried another identity and most of that came across - but some folders blank
also one identity setup as gmail imap - so was no need to copy that , as imap should sync on the new machine

eventually turned out to be disk space was very low and was not getting any error messages , cleared a lot of tmp files and folders and having freed up a lot of space and then run the three identities - which took ages 
backed up with mozbackup and copied to new PC 

excellent all copied - but also the old empty folders - so needed to remove all the identities - rename the folders and delete the folders copy that had empty contents

so then setup message rules for the incoming email to handle his wifes account, and needed a password - he went off to discuss , and she came back to tell us she does not use the PCs - just using on here phone and webmail, and does not need any of the old emails at all - could have saved an hour or more on the process had we known that ...........

so deleted all the other accounts

Only issues I have left - and would like some advice 

we now have about 6 entries for every contact - probably due to the import of outlook a few times with empty folders before identifying the disk space issue 

so any advice on how to remove all the duplicates address please 

thanks again for all support and the advice 

the process was 
V10 on W2K - import from all the identities from OEV6
backup using mozbackup ( i tried the profile copy at home before hand and crashed thunderbird , and had to do a PC restore - so was not sure what i haddone wrong) 

put V13 on the W7 PC
restored the mozbackup 

cleaned up the accounts and files 
job almost complete 

because it was late- forgot to update to V17 opps - so will do that next visit as, he asked me to come back and do some further work , on a website and domain


----------



## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/remove-duplicate-messages/


----------



## etaf (Dec 28, 2008)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*

Thanks - does that work with the contacts - or just email folders ?

its the address book I have duplicates - all the email folders are fine


----------



## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/thunderbird/addon/duplicate-contact-manager/


----------



## Tomshawk (Jan 23, 2013)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*

Yer just scary good Corday. 

sorry it did not go as smooth as hoped etaf.

corruption caused by a full hard drive can be a nightmare


----------



## etaf (Dec 28, 2008)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*

*@Corday* excellent thank you so much - that should save a lot of work - and also as he wants to sync his iphone to the calendar (which his using outlook for ) and contacts - that means I can move onto that job, using lightening and thunderbird - which looks like it should be quite easy if following the tutorials on line is anything to go by

*@Tomshawk*


> corruption caused by a full hard drive can be a nightmare


 yep, I wish it had given an error rather than just look like it had finished - it was only by chance I checked the disk space ......


> sorry it did not go as smooth as hoped etaf.


 was not expecting a smooth run, but had we known his wife did not use the PC and did not want any emails - that would have speed things up even with the issues - worked in my favour really


----------



## etaf (Dec 28, 2008)

*Re: migrating Outlook Express on W2k to client on W7*

all migrated and a clean address book now 

thanks for all the support and assistance


----------



## Tomshawk (Jan 23, 2013)

Well done etaf,


----------

