Windows Live Mail

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WyleCyote
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2011 9:18 am

Windows Live Mail

Post by WyleCyote »

I've been using v3 for some time with Windows/XP and it backs up my emails in Outlook Express wonderfully.

Now I've upgraded to Windows 7 I get Windows Live Mail for emails.
How can I backup my emails now? I cannot see a plugin for WLM.

WyleCyote
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2011 9:18 am

Re: Windows Live Mail

Post by WyleCyote »

I've found out a bit more.
Windows Live Mail is the built-in email client for Windows 7.
Its stuff is stored in C:\Users\<name>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\
That appears to be where all the settings, calendar and all the emails are.

But the location of the Contacts data appears to be different for different users - judging from what I see on the web.
I think possibly mine is in
C:\Users\<name>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live\Contacts\Default\15.4\

Has anyone anything to all, and particularly a (reliable) schema for backing-up Windows Live Mail ?

Adrian (Softland)
Posts: 1948
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:46 pm

Re: Windows Live Mail

Post by Adrian (Softland) »

Hi,

There is a plugin for Windows Live Mail here: https://www.backup4all.com/Windows-Live-Mail-backup-plugin.html
Please note it will back up only the current user account files.
Do you know you can monitor your backups remotely with Backup4all Monitor? You can read more here: https://www.backup4all.com/backup4all-monitor.html

WyleCyote
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2011 9:18 am

Re: Windows Live Mail

Post by WyleCyote »

Thanks. I don't know how I missed that.

That plugin copies
C:\Users\<name>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\
which I think is correct.

However I do not think that it copies the Contacts file, which I believe is elsewhere.
There certainly is not any folder or object with a name that signifies it contains the Contacts.

Now, I presume that you know more about these things than I do,
so I will await your comments before I do any further research.

Additionally, it sets up the folder names as they are when the backup is created. The user's email accounts are each represented by a folder with the name of the account. If the user adds any email accounts, or changes the name of an existing account, those accounts will not be backed-up.

Adrian (Softland)
Posts: 1948
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:46 pm

Re: Windows Live Mail

Post by Adrian (Softland) »

Hi,

The plugin was tested fine here.
Please make sure your emails or contacts are not stored online.
Do you know you can monitor your backups remotely with Backup4all Monitor? You can read more here: https://www.backup4all.com/backup4all-monitor.html

WyleCyote
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2011 9:18 am

Re: Windows Live Mail

Post by WyleCyote »

Oh dear, oh dear ...
It's not as easy as it first seems. Windows Live Mail stores its Contacts in different places depending on the version of WLM and the operating system.

The whole sorry mess is spelled out in

Windows Live Mail Contacts - Operating Modes
http://liveunplugged.wordpress.com/2011 ... ing-modes/

Windows Live Mail - Contacts Database
http://liveunplugged.wordpress.com/2011 ... -database/

The second article supports my suggestion that the Windows Live Mail plugin *does not* backup the users' contacts.

My reading of these articles is that all you need to do is add these to the backup, ignoring those that do not exist.
C:\Users\<windows username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live\Contacts\default\15.4\DBStore
C:\Users\<windows username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Contacts\{#}\DBStore
C:\Documents and Settings\<windows username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows Live Contacts\{#}\DBStore
C:\Users\<windows username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live\Contacts\<Live ID>\15.4\DBStore
{#} - has to be derived from the Registry as shown in the article

Is that helpful?

Adrian (Softland)
Posts: 1948
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 12:46 pm

Re: Windows Live Mail

Post by Adrian (Softland) »

Hi,

The plugin was updated.
Do you know you can monitor your backups remotely with Backup4all Monitor? You can read more here: https://www.backup4all.com/backup4all-monitor.html

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