Move The Mesage Mountain Folder By Folder
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday March 2, 2004
Q In my notebook computer I have 38 folders containing hundreds of messages that I need to preserve and transfer to my new notebook, on which Outlook Express 6 is installed.
I have the capacity to transfer a large quantity of data from one notebook to another, so the size of the data is no problem, but I cannot find a way of copying folders from Outlook Express as folders (single messages are no problem) through a floppy disk.
N. MacPherson
A The Outlook Express mail is stored in *.DBX files on the computer and you must copy these files to the appropriate folder in the new computer. Before starting in Outlook Express click on File, Folder, Compact All Folders, as otherwise the file sizes could be huge.
In XP the files will be in a folder similar to C:\Documents and
Settings\
To locate these DBX files use the Search (or Find) option in Windows Explorer and make sure you have ticked Show Hidden Files and Folders from Tools, Folder Options, View.
To restore these files find the DBX files on the new computer and copy the old files to that folder. Note that you will overwrite all mail, such as Inbox.dbx, on the new computer with the same name.
You have not stated whether you will be copying via a network, or CD. After copying via a CD you must remove the Read-Only attribute. Do this from Windows Explorer by right-clicking on these files, select Properties and remove the Read-Only tick.
If you then wish to copy the address book from the menu, select File, Export, Address Book, select the commaseparated text and remember the full filename that you have created. On the new computer click on File, Import and select Other Address Book.
Q I recently opened Microsoft Office Picture Manager (in Office 2003, Microsoft Office Tools) and explored its various features. In doing so, Microsoft Office Picture Manager seems to have overridden Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, with the icon for JPG files on my system being changed to the Microsoft Office Picture Manager icon. I cannot now find a way of opening and viewing my pictures in the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. Both have desirable and different features. Is there a way I can now access both systems?
N. Smith
A Both programs can co-exist but only one can be associated with a particular program for double-clicking purposes. To change the association, right-click on the file, then Select Open With, select Choose a Program, select the required program from the list and check the Always Open option.Whenever you subsequently double-click on a JPG file that program will be used. To use the other program, either find it via the menus or create a shortcut by right-clicking on the menu, selecting Shortcut and dragging the shortcut to the desktop.
Q I installed a CD burner to back-up data files. I believe one can create a bootable back-up CD of one's complete system so it can be restored after a crash without having to resort to reloading each program from individual disks.
L. Fegredo
A There are several issues involved. By "bootable" I assume that you want the operating system on that CD and not some program that starts when the CD is inserted. Secondly it is unlikely you can fit the entire hard disk onto a 700 MB CD unless you are running Windows 98 with few programs and little data installed.Windows XP takes up more than 1 GB of disk space alone, without including Microsoft Office. To be able to boot from a CD your BIOS must support this capability.
Windows XP comes on a CD that will boot and has a Repair option as well as Install, so there is no need to create a bootable CD for XP.
Depending on the size of your hard disk it may be possible to create an image by using a program such a Ghost or Drive Image to burn onto a CD. These programs compress that data by about 50 per cent but the resultant file will usually have to be split over several CDs or may fit onto one DVD (4.7 GB).
Detailed information on how to create a bootable CD is under Help in your CD burning software. If you need more information see the Microsoft page at: support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?sci d=kb;EN-US;q167685 For Windows 98 see: members.ozemail.
com.au/~rossstew/drs/bootcd.htm For Windows ME see: geocities.com/mark_ashworth1/ me_boot/winmeboot.html
George Skarbek runs a computer consulting company and can be contacted at gskarbek@ melbpc.org.au
© 2004 Sydney Morning Herald