Email Files On Pc

[Postdog]

My mail client has stopped working and I need to 're instal. Bit worried when I do I will erase existing mails, some of which I need to keep.

I need to go into the bones of the pc and find these mails manually. Where and what do I look for?

Ta in advance.

[Buenchico]

It would help to know WHICH email client you're using, Postdog!!!

If you're using Outlook Express, for example, you'll need to copy all of the files with a .dbx extension (such as inbox.dbx) onto a USB drive (or similar) and then, when you've got Outlook Express going again, replace the 'new' (empty) .dbx files with the old ones.

However if you're using Outlook (rather than Outlook Express) it will be .pst files that you need to do the same with.

Thunderbird, Windows Live Mail, Eudora, etc, will all have their own file formats, so which one is it?

[Postdog]

Windows live. The actual problem is the it did work up till a few days ago but won't now. Just says it cannot be started, so I figured a clean install would solve it.

[Buenchico]

I'm fumbling in the dark here but I'd siuggest going into Windows Explorer to access C > USERS > (your user name) > AppData > Local > Microsoft.

Copy the Windows Live Mail folder to external media (such as a USB stick) then delete that folder from your hard drive. Starting Windows Live Mail should then start it 'clean' and create a new Windows Live Mail folder. (If it doesn't you've still got the backup folder, which you can simply replace).

Once you've checked that Windows Live Mail now opens properly (but with your old data missing), close it again.

Then open two windows, side by side, displaying the contents of the old Windows Live Mail folder (on your USB stick) and the newly-created one (on your hard drive). Look for your inbox (etc) folders and copy from old to new. Cross your fingers!

(I've fixed quite a few email client problems by doing things similar to the above but I've no actual experience of Windows Live Mail. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!)

However BEFORE doing all of that I think that I'd try a simple System Restore first anyway!

[Postdog]

Sorry for delays..personal reasons to do with health.

The operating system is seven, and I have tried more than one restore to no avail. Unfortunately I can't spent time on this at the moment for the reasons above, and will look at this when I can. Ta for the answers though....I don't want to appear ungrateful.