Opera Mail import from Outlook Express

[jornskau]

jornskau last edited by

I have a problem importing an email database from Win XP Outlook Express to Win8 Opera Mail 1.0.
Opera Mail will not recognize the file structure copied from the old machine. Importing to an Opera Mail installation on the old PC first, and then transferring the Opera mail folders to the new Win8 PC was not successful either. Is there a trick to get around this?

[sgunhouse]

sgunhouse Moderator Volunteer last edited by

You did import successfully on the old system? For the messages and accounts you should be able to copy the entire mail folder (including subfolders) and it should work, though you'll also need to copy your contacts.adr from your profile if you want that as well.

[burnout426]

burnout426 Volunteer last edited by

A different way to do it is to start with a fresh Opera Mail profile (delete its profile folders to start fresh). When Opera Mail starts, don't import anything. Instead, choose to create a new account. Set up all of your email accounts.

Then, use "Menu -> settings -> import and export -> import mail -> import generic mbox" to import each account's messages from Outlook Express into Opera Mail while setting the corresponding, existing account to import into instead of a new account.

When you're done, if you have any duplicates, delete the imported, read copies and keep the newly-fetched, unread ones.

Then, you can import the contacts and you exported from the old Opera. And, you can set up your labels and rules again etc.

Now, before you can import OE's messages, you'll need to use DbxConv to convert the dbx files for each mail account for OE into mbox files.

Just copying your mail folder over is the better way (and should work if you do it right), but this way is useful for when all you have is the OE identity folder that contains the dbx files for each account.

[jornskau]

jornskau last edited by

Thanks for the suggestions! The DbxConv method worked successfully All I actually wanted was to merge the imported OE Inbox and Sent folders with the current Opera Mail contents. The problem with "Import Outlook Express" is that is does not offer the opportunity to browse for the OE folder or files, and I could not work out where Opera expected to find it.

[burnout426]

burnout426 Volunteer last edited by

Glad you got it.

The problem with "Import Outlook Express" is that is does not offer the opportunity to browse for the OE folder or files

Yeh, that importer relies on some registry settings that would only be present on WinXP where Outlook Express is installed and the files are in the identity folder for Outlook Express.