How do you import Outlook Express Mail and Contacts into Outlook 2007/2010 on Windows Vista/7/8?

Automated Conversion Steps

The steps below involve the manual method of converting Outlook Express Mail and Contacts into the Microsoft Outlook PST format.  To avoid the majority of these steps, you may wish to purchase the Stellar DBX to PST Converter program from Stellar Information Systems.  This software will fully convert Mail from the Microsoft Outlook Express DBX format to Microsoft Outlook PST format.  Presently, it does not convert the Windows Address Book to Microsoft Outlook PST format.  To perform this task, please consult this related blog post.

Manual Conversion Steps

Microsoft Outlook Express has been replaced with Windows Live Mail on Windows Vista/Windows 7/ 8 computers.  The mail client which replaces Microsoft Outlook Express is Windows Live Mail.

After downloading and installing Windows Live Mail, you can directly import Outlook Express email and contacts into Windows Live Mail.

To import Outlook Express email and contacts into Microsoft Outlook, please perform the following steps in chronological order:

a.  Install Microsoft Outlook

1. Install Microsoft Outlook.
   
   
2. Double-click Microsoft Outlook and setup the Microsoft Outlook Mail Profile.  This step is required in order for the import process to work successfully.

b.  Install Windows Live Mail

1. Install Windows Live Mail.
   
   
2. Reboot.

c.  Import Outlook Express Email and Contacts into Windows Live Mail

1. Double-click Windows Live Mail.
   
   
2. Using the Setup Wizard, type someone@something.com in the email address field.
   
   
3. In the password field, type password.
   
   
4. Check the box next to Manually Configure Server Settings.
   
   
5. Click Next.
   
   
6. In the POP3 and SMTP Server field, type mail.
   
   
7. Click Next.
   
   
8. Click Finish.
   
   
9. Select Import.
   
   
10. Browse to the location of your Outlook Express Mail folder.
    
    
11. Click Next.
    
    
12. Check the boxes next to all fields to insure that all data is imported.
    
    
13. Click Next.
    
    
14. Select the radio button next to All Folders.
    
    
15. Click Next.  The import process begins.
    
    
16. Once the import process completes, click Finish.

d.  Export Windows Live Mail to Microsoft Outlook.

1. Double-click Windows Live Mail.
   
   
2. Click File - Export - Microsoft Exchange.  This process exports the email from Windows Live Mail directly into Microsoft Outlook.  This step will not work if Item A above has not been completely prior to this step.  If the export process from Windows Live Mail to Microsoft Outlook hangs on a particular piece of email or mail folder, you will need to identify the location of the mail item within Windows Live Mail and delete it.
   
   Please Note: This step only exports email.  It does not export contacts.  To export contacts, you must complete the following step.
   
   
3. To export contacts, click Contacts and then click Export.  Export the Contacts as a Windows CSV file to the Desktop.
   
   
4. Close Windows Live Mail.

e.  Organize Imported Email within Microsoft Outlook

1. Double-click Microsoft Outlook.
   
   
2. Confirm the email is now present within Microsoft Outlook.  The email can be found within the folder entitled Imported Folder - Storage Folder.  In some instances, the folder name may reflect the Imported Mail Account Name.  To organize the imported email, drag the sub-folder into its correct location under Personal Folders.  Additionally, you can right-mouse click a folder and select Move - Personal Folders and then select the Desination Folder.
   
   
3. Once all of the email is under Personal Folders, the folders should be merged into the appropriate folder.  Email within Inbox1 should be moved to Inbox.  Email within Deleted Items1 should be moved to Deleted Items.  Email within Outbox1 should be moved to Outbox.  Email within Drafts1 should be moved to Drafts.  Email within Sent items1 should be moved to Sent Items.  Email within Deleted Items1 should be moved to Deleted Items.
   
   
4. After completing Step 3, the following folders should then be deleted: Inbox1, Deleted Items1, Outbox1, Drafts1, Sent Items1 and Deleted Items1.
   
   
5. Imported Folder - Storage Folder can then be deleted.

f.  Import Contacts into Microsoft Outlook

1. Double-click Microsoft Outlook.
   
   
2. Click Contacts.
   
   
3. Select File - Import - Windows Comma Delimited File.
   
   
4. Browse to the exported Contacts CSV file.
   
   
5. Click OK.
   
   In the preview pane, confirm that the email address within the CSV file is properly mapping to the Email Address Field within Microsoft Outlook.  If not, drag the email address field from the left-hand pane to the Email Address field in the right-hand pane.  If there is additional information contained within the CSV file such as Address, City, State, etc. then this information may need to be properly mapped as well.

g.  Uninstall Windows Live Mail

1. To insure that the default mail client is always Microsoft Outlook, remove Windows Live Mail using Programs and Features.

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