Recently my computer was upgraded from Windows 98 to Windows XP, and a new hard drive was installed. I asked the computer shop to do a clean install of Windows XP on the new hard drive (making this the new system C drive), and make the current (old) hard drive the F drive. The logic behind this move was so all my existing files would be kept intact (on the F drive) and I can transfer the wanted files across to my new (C) drive. However, I cannot locate my old Outlook Express email and address book. Where are these files located?

Before starting the transfer of email and address book to the new Windows XP installation, you will need to setup the email account settings in Outlook Express, on the Windows XP installation. If you have already been using Outlook Express, this would have already been done. Otherwise, you will need to open Outlook Express and then follow the prompts to setup your email account details.

Unless you know where to look, finding where the Outlook Express mail store files and address book data are located can be a tricky process. We will start by transferring the email. Assuming the mail has been stored in the default location, open Windows Explorer and go to:
F:WindowsApplication DataIdentities{1234ABCD’¦}MicrosoftOutlook Express
Should this folder not exist, it will be necessary to search for the Outlook Express mail store directory. Open the Windows XP Search facility and search your F drive for the ‘Outlook Express’ folder.

Once you have found the Outlook Express mail store directory, you will see many files in the directory, each having the name of a particular Outlook Express folder (e.g. Inbox, Sent Items, Deleted Items, etc.). Be aware, if you need to search for the ‘Outlook Express’ directory, multiple results for the ‘Outlook Express’ criteria may appear. For example, one may be the Outlook Express program files directory, and another may be the mail store directory. Where multiple instances of the Outlook Express directory are returned, open each instance to determine which is the correct (mail store) directory.

When the correct mail store directory has been determined, copy the entire ‘Outlook Express’ mail store directory onto the Windows Desktop. Now, we will import this mail into the Windows XP installation of Outlook Express. Open Outlook Express, then go to the ‘File’ menu > ‘Import’> ‘Messages’. In the list of programs, choose ‘Microsoft Outlook Express 6′ and then click ‘Next’. Select ‘Import mail from an OE6 store directory’ and click ‘OK’. This option should also work for importing email from Outlook Express 5, should you have been using that version. The next page should prompt you to select where your Outlook Express email store directory has been located. Click ‘Browse’ then find and select the mail store directory copied onto the Desktop. Click ‘Next’. Select which folders to import. If you wish to copy all folders, select ‘All folders’. Click ‘Next’. Your email should now be imported into Outlook Express. Click ‘Finish’.

We will now copy the Windows Address Book. The address book in Windows is stored within a .WAB (Windows Address Book) file. The location of this file can vary on different computers, so we will need to search for the address book file. Open the Windows XP Search facility and search the F drive for the following file name:
*.wab
This will search for files of any name that have the extension WAB (Windows Address Book). You should also click ‘More Advanced Options’ and enable ‘Search hidden files and folders’, in case the WAB file is contained within a hidden folder.

If the search brings up multiple results, double-clicking on each .WAB file will open that address book in the Windows Address Book viewer. This will allow you to check which WAB file contains the correct address book. Once you have determined the correct WAB file, open Outlook Express and go to the ‘File’ menu > ‘Import’ > ‘Address Book’. Navigate to the location of the address book, then select the address book file and click ‘Open’. The address book should then be imported.