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

Thanks for the info/advice. It's made me understand the impracticality of
incremental backups of dbx files.

When I say dbx files, I mean "folder" dbx files. I'm not trying to
incrementally backup individual messages within the "folder" dbx files, but
rather the "folder"dbx files that have changed or are new (i.e have been
created) since the last incremental backup.

I realise now that it would unworkable, I think (??), for the following
reasons:

- the compacting process presumambly changes the "Modified date" of the dbx
files to the compacting date, and therefore any compacting that takes place
bewtween incremental backups, would prevent me from using a "Modified Date"
sort to identify dbx files that have changed since the previous incremental
backup.

- alternatively I could compact all the dbx files to ensure that I can
identify the ones that have changed size since the last backup, but
identifying the changed dbx files by the changes in their sizes, would
obviously be very tedious, and more time-consuming than simply copying the
whole OE message folder to the backup set.

For the time being I'll just continue copying the whole OE message folder to
the backup set .

DBXtract sounds like its more for archiving, which is something I'll
probably have to consider.

Alan C. Brown
--------------
"Richard in AZ" <me@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:OQEZX3B6IHA.4596@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
You don't understand the file structure of OE.
Your entire INBOX (all the messages) is a single file (inbox.dbx).
When you add or delete messages, this one file changes size, but there is
no "new" file that an
incremental backup could identify.
Note that when you delete a message (in any folder), the size of that
folder's dbx file does not
change. You have to compact the folder dbx file to get back the "byte"
space that was used by the
deleted message.

Recommend you look at buying DBXtract and use this program to backup all
of your OE folders daily.
At the end of each backup, delete all the messages in OE.
(If you don't delete messages from OE, you will get them copied again to
your backup)
Then use the backups as message history.

"Alan C. Brown" <acbrown@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:uR24Mi85IHA.1592@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
| 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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