Outlook Express

[twentysix by twentyfive]

I'm confused (what's new?). I have a new external hard drive and I wish to move some e-mails from my current folders in Outlook Express to some folders on the new drive. But OE won't allow me to make new folders except in the current folder tree on the internal drive. Once upon a time I found a way to put some very old e-mails onto a CD but this involved a tortous process and I was unable to read these e-mails from that disk - it was necessary to reload them back onto the internal hard drive within the OE folder tree.

So why are e-mail files apparently so different to other files and is there a simple way I can move these files around and still be able to access them without all this reloading lark. I guess I'm saying - drag and drop sort of thing.........????

 

[GordonB]

I'm by no means expert on this subject, but I seem to recall that the reason I moved to Outlook was that Outlook Express will not allow you to access mail folders off the primary drive. It's not a problem with mail files per se, it's a problem with OE. I store the Outlook pst file (personal folders) on a Buffalo Terastation NAS device so that Outlook can be accessed from any of the many and various pcs that are scattered throughout the house. You could move to Outlook or look at other mail clients such as The Bat, which a nerdy mate of mine swears by, otherwise you appear to be stuck.

Gordon

 

[ian turner]

So why are e-mail files apparently so different to other files

They are no different to any other system that stores all its files in a single large database file. Those are folders and not directories. You can move the database file possibly depending on your mail client (windows mail seems to allow it as does outlook) but you can't split a file into different directories.
Why do you want to store different folders in different locations ? Running out of disk space ?
You archive to shift emails out but have to reload the archives to access the mail. Outlook express by its very name is a lightweight client for basic email handling, you have to pay to get the more powerful system. Mind you email clients are not customer relations management systems and not cut out for use as ways of storing 1000s of pieces of correspondence. Regrettably it doesn't stop a lot of businesses ho hum.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

They are no different to any other system that stores all its files in a single large database file. Those are folders and not directories. You can move the database file possibly depending on your mail client (windows mail seems to allow it as does outlook) but you can't split a file into different directories.
Why do you want to store different folders in different locations ? Running out of disk space ?
You archive to shift emails out but have to reload the archives to access the mail. Outlook express by its very name is a lightweight client for basic email handling, you have to pay to get the more powerful system. Mind you email clients are not customer relations management systems and not cut out for use as ways of storing 1000s of pieces of correspondence. Regrettably it doesn't stop a lot of businesses ho hum.

Got it in one . I've been moving all my other data - music, photos etc to make space for what seems to be a gathering bunch of programme files (that's the .exe sort isn't it).

No I don't want to split a file between directories. My terminology may be naive so bear with me on that.

OK - so I need to sort out a different mail client then. OE came "free" but I suppose one can't have everything

 

[Rezillo]

You could move to Outlook or look at other mail clients such as The Bat, which a nerdy technically adept mate of mine swears by, otherwise you appear to be stuck.

Gordon

Just thought I'd correct that for you

John

 

[GordonB]

You could move to Outlook or look at other mail clients such as The Bat, which a nerdy technically adept mate of mine, who spent this afternoon trying to keep up with me, swears by, otherwise you appear to be stuck.

Gordon

Let's be full and honest about it John........

Gordon

PS I'm probably being very unfair to John, we had a grand ride out this afternoon, even if it was a touch windy, 19 miles at 18.7mph average but I've been putting the miles in and I think John was having an off day as we are normally very well matched. On the other hand, after my usual hyperventilating start, I felt like the bike weighed about 2lbs and I cruised up what passes for hills round here. Mind you, he is a bit technically adept......

 

[Rezillo]

He's not being unfair - I was well off on the first half of the ride, despite recovering a bit later on. Gordon coped with the headwind a lot better and was going like a train, not bad for someone of his advanced years on a old bike with quaint gear levers (stands back).

On the other hand, that wasn't a bad speed for either of us as two fifty-something former fatsoes....

Back to the OP - yes, I do like The Bat and it does allow network paths for data files. It has a very powerful but quirky interface, which is not to everyone's taste, and although cheap it is not free. The pro version has encryption options so if someone nicks your PC, they can't access your stored mail, and it chucks in a fully encrypted version called Voyager that runs entirely from a usb stick.

Thunderbird, which is free, allows you to configure local and network paths separately for both account folders and general mail storage folders. Confusingly, the latter are called local folders even if they are on the network. I have tried it and it works well. I went back to The Bat, though, as it is better at selecting what online content is permitted to be retrieved in html mails. However, this is hardly an overwhelming reason not to use it.

John

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

He's not being unfair - I was well off on the first half of the ride, despite recovering a bit later on. Gordon coped with the headwind a lot better and was going like a train, not bad for someone of his advanced years on a old bike with quaint gear levers (stands back).

On the other hand, that wasn't a bad speed for either of us as two fifty-something former fatsoes....

Back to the OP - yes, I do like The Bat and it does allow network paths for data files. It has a very powerful but quirky interface, which is not to everyone's taste, and although cheap it is not free. The pro version has encryption options so if someone nicks your PC, they can't access your stored mail, and it chucks in a fully encrypted version called Voyager that runs entirely from a usb stick.

Thunderbird, which is free, allows you to configure local and network paths separately for both account folders and general mail storage folders. Confusingly, the latter are called local folders even if they are on the network. I have tried it and it works well. I went back to The Bat, though, as it is better at selecting what online content is permitted to be retrieved in html mails. However, this is hardly an overwhelming reason not to use it.

John

Err - How did you do that? I click "new Folder" and one pops into the "Local Folders" tree. How do I then put it on the external drive??

 

[Rezillo]

Err - How did you do that? I click "new Folder" and one pops into the "Local Folders" tree. How do I then put it on the external drive??

If you go into Tools/Account settings, click on Local Folders in the left hand side. On the righthand side, you should now have under Message Storage a Local Directory. Despite its name, you can use the Browse button to set it to a network path.

AFAIK it is for all folders under local folders, so not selectable per new folder.

John

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

If you go into Tools/Account settings, click on Local Folders in the left hand side. On the righthand side, you should now have under Message Storage a Local Directory. Despite its name, you can use the Browse button to set it to a network path.

AFAIK it is for all folders under local folders, so not selectable per new folder.

John

Ah - yes that worked well. All the old data remains on the original paths but I'm guessing new stuff will now be directed to my external drive (as per my choice).

Thanks