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Recovering Windows Mail (Vista) from Dead Computer (but working hard drive)

I am helping a friend restore her email files and folders that were stored on the hard drive of an old Windows Vista Business computer she is replacing with a Windows 7 Professional computer, email that was stored using the Windows Mail email client program. Before we had the chance to simply export those email files and folders from *inside* Windows Mail on that old computer, the latter died (probably MOBO failure). However, the hard drive is fully functional and I have found the folder where everything associated with Windows Mail was stored on that old computer (in User\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail). Can I simply direct the Windows Live program in Win 7 Pro to access that folder, and then import the files there for use in Windows Live, or is the process of email recovery more complicated under this scenario? All help is appreciated. The email server is an Earthlink POP mail server.

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Skyler Kincaid

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Darr247

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nobus

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jcimarron

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McKnife

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Potterjazz

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Thanks for all the various pointers. As it turned out, with Windows Live Mail installed, one can directly import all files and folders that were stored in Windows Mail under Vista, though I did not manage to export from Vista before the old machine crashed. I assume the advice about exporting Windows Mail really amounts to nothing more than creating a folder with all relevant Windows Mail files/folders that is not hidden, as are those associated with the standard WM profile and account in Vista.

jcimarron

Potterjazz--
Thanks for telling us the outcome. It sounds quite similar to the procedure in
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/3798-windows-live-mail-import-windows-mail-messages.html