Re: Incremental Manual Backup/Copy of Outlook Expess Messages Folder

Thank you for your reply, and all the useful suggestions & info.

I use the "backup" OE to restore all the OE mesages, after re-installing Win
XP Pro, as I have recently done on both of my 2 laptops, by simply copying
the the backup OE messages folder to C:\Documents & Settings\My
Name\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{
alpha-mumeric}\Microsoft\Outlook Express
It works.

It takes 2 - 3 minutes to "backup/copy" the OE messages foder, which
admittedly is not that long, but if I can just copy any modified &/or new
dbx to the OE messages backup folder, it would just take a few seconds.

The info on importing and exporting the Address book and OE Messages folder
will certainly make life easier.

I'm afraid I backup to an external hard drive, and not to a CD-RW, which is
probably not the best practice.

Will take a look at Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB).

Will implement the general OE precautions ASAP.

Alan C. Brown

------
"Bruce Hagen" <Nospam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uTBh7z05IHA.5108@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
You could save individual dbx files, but it is a pain to put them back in
OE if needed.

I don't know why it should take a long time to copy the store folder. All
you need to do is Right Click & Send To a location of your choice.

~~~~

Old fashioned, simple way, to backup the Address Book and Messages only.

Open the Address Book in the old identity and File | Export to any place
on your HDD that is convenient for you. My Documents is fine.

To restore, open the Address Book and File | Import and point to where you
saved it. To be extra safe, copy it to CD also.

For messages:

Right click on the Outlook Express folder, (Message Store), and Send To |
My Documents. Copy this to CD also as an extra precaution.

To restore if necessary, in OE: File | Import | Messages. Select Microsoft
Outlook Express 6 and Import from an OE6 Store Directory and point to
where you saved it.

If you use a CDRW, you can erase it and backup again using the same CD
every week or when you feel it necessary.

~~~~~

But since this is a backup for emergency reasons, why not this?

This freeware tool backs up everything in OE in seconds. Disregard what is
written in red. That is referring to a different program.

Outlook Express Quick Backup (OEQB):
http://www.oehelp.com/OEBackup/Default.aspx

~~~~~

OT perhaps, but since you mention the large size of the message store. The
store folder itself can get very large and that is not necessarily a
problem, but be careful of individual folders.

General precautions for Outlook Express:

Do not archive mail in default OE folders. They will eventually become
corrupt. Create your own user defined folders for storing mail and move
your mail to them. Empty Deleted Items folder regularly. Keep user created
folders under 100MB, and Default folders as empty as is feasible.

After you are done, follow up by compacting your folders manually while
working *offline* and do it often.

Click on Outlook Express at the top of the folder tree so no folders are
open. Then: File | Work Offline (or double click Working Online in the
Status Bar). File | Folder | Compact all folders. Don't touch anything
until the compacting is completed.

Turn off e-mail scanning in your anti-virus program. It is a redundant
layer of protection that eats up CPUs and causes a multitude of problems
such as time-outs and account setting changes. Your up-to-date A/V program
will continue to protect you sufficiently. For more, see:
http://www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#3

In Tools | Options | Maintenance: Uncheck Compact messages in background
and leave it unchecked. {N/A if running XP/SP2}.
--
Bruce Hagen
MS-MVP Outlook Express
Imperial Beach, CA


"Alan C. Brown" <acbrown@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:ekx4Cwx5IHA.5052@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I normally do a manual backup of the OE messages folder, by simply copying
the Outlook Express Folder (messages folder) in C:\Documents & Settings\My
Name\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{
alpha-mumeric}\Microsoft\Outlook Express, but it's a big, big folder, so
takes quite some time to copy.

To save time, could I simply copy the dbx files in the OE messages folder
that have changed since the previous backup, to the previous backup copy
of the OE messages folder, that is effectively giving me an incremental
backup?

Alan C. Brown




.

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