How do I restore Windows Live Mail?

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  1. Posts : 221
    Win10
    Thread Starter
       #11

    LOL... I usually take precautions before OS upgrades, but this time I just trusted in the force. For my next machine, I'll treat it like a clean install and copy all the personal folders to another rig, first.

    Ken
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 4
    Windows 10
       #12

    My Windows Live Mail wouldn't work after I installed Windows 10. The program would try to start, but the little window wheel would just spin and spin. I had to go to Task Manager to stop and end the detailed process. I was afraid I would have to re-install WLM again, possibly loosing everything. After a long look at all the forums, I couldn't find out why it worked for some people and not others. By shear luck, noting I'm not an expert, I suspected a problem with security / permission access. I opened up File Explorer and searched for location of WLMail.exe. I then right-clicked the .exe and selected "Run as Administrator." Low and behold, WLM opened up and all my old stored files and contacts were available. I even responded to new mail feedback indicating they had no way to use or import your old contacts. At least I can use WL Mail 2012 again. Good luck to all who try this simple fix.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 3
    Windows 10 temporarily
       #13

    Simrick, were you successful?


    simrick said:
    Good news indeed, Ken. I will be upgrading a friend's system which has Windows Mail (not Windows Live Mail) and I hope to be able to *not* lose contacts and email when I do it, (or we may not be friends after that!), and your solution gives me hope...
    . . . Or anybody else really. I realize this is an older thread, but I found it trying to solve this very problem. I just upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 7. I (eventually) found my Windows Live Mail 2011 program which did make the transition, but it was empty. I had to go through and set up the accounts all over again and when I tried to import everything (emails, contacts, storage folders), my computer couldn't find them. I even ran a search on the c: drive for my email address and it didn't find anything. I'm debating just using my system back-up that I ran just before I started the upgrade and restoring my computer to Windows 7 just to see if my emails are there. I would have done that already if the upgrade hadn't taken a good 8 hours. I already tried to import from the back-up drive but the email program couldn't read the contents of the system catalog.

    I was just hoping that you were successful and my emails were still here somewhere. In case you can't tell, I'm computer literate but not particularly computer savvy.

    Robin
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 4
    Windows 10
       #14

    I don't know exactly what you are asking


    MsRobin said:
    . . . Or anybody else really. I realize this is an older thread, but I found it trying to solve this very problem. I just upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 7. I (eventually) found my Windows Live Mail 2011 program which did make the transition, but it was empty. I had to go through and set up the accounts all over again and when I tried to import everything (emails, contacts, storage folders), my computer couldn't find them. I even ran a search on the c: drive for my email address and it didn't find anything. I'm debating just using my system back-up that I ran just before I started the upgrade and restoring my computer to Windows 7 just to see if my emails are there. I would have done that already if the upgrade hadn't taken a good 8 hours. I already tried to import from the back-up drive but the email program couldn't read the contents of the system catalog.

    I was just hoping that you were successful and my emails were still here somewhere. In case you can't tell, I'm computer literate but not particularly computer savvy.

    Robin
    My solution was successful and I managed to get into all my contacts and emails. I'm reading that you set up a new account. I suspect that this action may have broken the links for the program to find your emails. From my experience, unless actually deleted, the emails etc. still reside in your directories. i.e. Computer\Users\<name>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsLiveMail\<account> but the contacts are somewhere else. The data has to be imported /exported using the program before any major changes. What I do know is Win10 update doesn't work automatically unless you work as an "administrator." It doesn't assume you can automatically make changes to your system. Use the "Open as an administrator" function in program startup.

    However, I had a different problem with win10 that developed by deleting a Printer driver that I thought was not working right. Low and behold, I found myself in the dreaded Win10 auto reload loop. After many attempts and likely almost screwing up my registry files, I was able to restore an older backup version of Win7. Of course I keep getting prompts to roll over to Win10, but I am hesitant. (Leave well enough alone.)

    Bottom line is that one must do a thorough backup and restore on Win7, including email stuff, before proceeding with Win10. I find myself going to a real "expert" before I go further since I can at least work with what I have now.

    Sorry I can't help more.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 38
    10
       #15

    Did you look in C:\Users\ logon \AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail, for your content?
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 38
    10
       #16

    Perhaps it is in the c:\\ windows.old folder in the above stated folder? Edit: let me clarify that. The upgrade creates a c:\\windows.old folder. Look in there for the above stated folder.
    Last edited by Vincenzo; 15 Feb 2016 at 11:35.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 16,325
    W10Prox64
       #17

    MsRobin said:
    . . . Or anybody else really. I realize this is an older thread, but I found it trying to solve this very problem. I just upgraded to Windows 10 from Windows 7. I (eventually) found my Windows Live Mail 2011 program which did make the transition, but it was empty. I had to go through and set up the accounts all over again and when I tried to import everything (emails, contacts, storage folders), my computer couldn't find them. I even ran a search on the c: drive for my email address and it didn't find anything. I'm debating just using my system back-up that I ran just before I started the upgrade and restoring my computer to Windows 7 just to see if my emails are there. I would have done that already if the upgrade hadn't taken a good 8 hours. I already tried to import from the back-up drive but the email program couldn't read the contents of the system catalog.

    I was just hoping that you were successful and my emails were still here somewhere. In case you can't tell, I'm computer literate but not particularly computer savvy.

    Robin
    Hi Robin,
    The system I upgraded did indeed have WLM2012 and it survived the upgrade. I did, however, export email and contacts prior to the upgrade just in case. The only problem I found was a partially corrupt list of folders, which kept giving an error. I googled how to fix it, (rebuild the folders for an IMAP account), and everything is fine now.

    I suspect your lost email information can be found in the Windows.old folder (which I believe is not indexed for searches).

    Also, if your W7 image was made using Macrium, you can actually mount that image, find your file(s) and grab them off the image, without having to go back to W7.

    Agent Ransack is a great tool for finding stuff on your computer.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 4
    Windows 10
       #18

    Thanks


    Vincenzo said:
    Perhaps it is in the c:\\ .window.old folder in the above stated folder?
    Yes, I likely did get them from there. It's been awhile since I looked. I hope your comment helps Ms. Robin.

    Thanks for posting.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 3
    Windows 10 temporarily
       #19

    No luck


    Vincenzo said:
    Perhaps it is in the c:\\ windows.old folder in the above stated folder? Edit: let me clarify that. The upgrade creates a c:\\windows.old folder. Look in there for the above stated folder.
    Thank you all for the suggestions, I've run multiple searches for the storage folders I created in Live Mail 2011 for all of my family history genealogy correspondence and my computer tells me it can't find any such file. I have located the windows.old folder and the appdata folder but when I imported the content of the livemail folder and opened it in live mail the imported folder was empty.

    I appreciate your efforts, I was just hoping there was something easy that I was just missing.

    If I use the jumpdrive I ran a system back-up on before I did the upgrade, will it restore my email contents and everything to the way it was before my horrendous decision to run the windows 10 upgrade?

    Edited to add: I just re-read the line about windows.old not being indexed for searches. I will try the Agent Ransack tool to see if I have any luck there.

    I used the Microsoft system back-up in the control panel of the computer to back up the system which I do on a monthly basis.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 38
    10
       #20

    Is the WLM folder that you tried importing located in the windows.old folder? If so, how large is the folder? Is the Microsoft system backup that you used to back up the system just the regular backup function in the Backup and Restore control panel? or did you use the link in the upper left that says Create a System Image? If you used the create system image, it will have the WLM files. If you used the first, I am not sure, I've not used that, maybe someone else will have used it and can tell you. (if you are not sure, the system image would show on the flash drive as "WindowsImageBackup".)
      My Computer


 

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