Backing Up WLM 2012 Prior To Clean Installation

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  1. Posts : 38
    Windows 10 Pro x64
    Thread Starter
       #11

    Thank you, topgun and Slartybart, for your excellent advice. After finally locating my Folder Options I found the folders for Storage, Windows Live and Windows Live Mail. I copied them to my D Drive. I also exported my Contacts, using IAF and csv files. I didn't export the contacts into folders but rather simply exported them to my D Drive. I'm surprised it worked. Anyway, I did a clean installation of Windows 10 Pro x64, completely wiping Drive C in the process. The installation, after two hours, stopped at 99% for an additional five hours. After a lot of research online using one of my desktops, the solution for other people with this 99% hang problem was to simply wait. The next day it was still at 99% so I decided to do a hard shutdown and reboot, with the ISO DVD still in Drive E, at which time it completed the installation a few minutes later. Unlike others with this 99% hang problem, my laptop did not go to the black screen of death or continue to hang. Lucky me.

    Upon the installation of WLM to the clean installation of Windows 10 Pro I deleted the Live and Windows Live folders from Drive C and replaced them with my copied folders of the same name from Drive D. I also added to Drive C the Storage folder I had copied to Drive D. Everything went smoothly, although I ended up with a duplication of the Storage folder contents in the reinstalled WLM, which is no problem. I had also copied my Windows Live Contacts folder from Drive C onto Drive D before the clean install but this folder turned out to be useless. Luckily, I had also exported my Contacts from Drive C to Drive D using IAF and csv files. The IAF files on Drive D were useless but the csv files imported into the reinstalled WLM with no problem.

    The only other problem I experienced with the clean installation of Windows 10 Pro was a Drive C (500GB) with only 3GB of free space left. Without researching this issue I simply went to my C Drive and noticed two folders that contained a total of 450GB of files. These folders indicated that they "can be deleted". I deleted them and everything is now OK, Windows 10 Pro running like a finely tuned engine.

    The one thing I don't understand is why I didn't have to reinstall all my drivers once Windows 10 Pro was installed. It was definitely a clean installation and not another "upgrade". Upon the clean installation of Windows 10 Pro the laptop connected wirelessly to my Wireless modem/router and I was up and running. I didn't have to install a single driver. Did Microsoft retain these drivers somewhere on my C Drive when I "upgraded" from Windows 7 Ultimate to Windows 10 Pro? Did Windows 10 Pro then access these drivers during the clean install wiping process, retain them, and then put them back on the wiped Drive C during the clean installation process? In the past, with other Windows operating systems, I always had to use my "Drivers and Utilities" DVD to reinstall the drivers on the clean installation of Windows operating systems. Is it because I "upgraded" first, before the clean installation? I can only assume that if I had bought a retail version of Windows 10 Pro and installed it without "upgrading" first I would have had to reinstall all my drivers.

    Thank you again for your time and assistance. Your knowledge and willingness to assist me made all the difference in the world. I would have been dumbfounded without your help. I have a lot of admiration and respect for those who are willing to lend their time, knowledge and experience to others, others being people such as myself who don't have a clue.

    I have marked this thread as "Solved", although solving the problem had nothing to do with me. I give all the credit to topgun and Slartybart. Thank you again. I appreciate it very much.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 2,799
    Linux Mint 20.1 Win10Prox64
       #12

    During the installation. Windows also install all the drivers available for your PC.
    Glad we could help and thank you for the kind words.

    PS. I had the same problem with contacts in the past. By simply copy the folder "Windows Live" did not work for some reason so I always suggest to export and I am glad you did.

    EDIT: another suggestion to you is to open the Admin command prompt, copy and paste the line below and run:

    Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup&dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth&sfc /scannow&pause

    The commands above will clean up alll the remnants from the installation and check for system files corruption. You should be able to reclaim some more free space. It will take a while so be patient.
    @Slartybart
    FYI, Tested by deleting the contacts folder then re-import from backup csv file. The contacts shown up in Windows Live Mail but the Contacts folder is still empty so I am not sure where WLM stores the cantacts.

    Backing Up WLM 2012 Prior To Clean Installation-.jpg
    Last edited by topgundcp; 29 Sep 2015 at 14:59. Reason: Added more info
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 3,502
    Win_8.1-Pro, Win_10.1607-Pro, Mint_17.3
       #13

    WLM 'evolved' and things were always confusing (too many Windows Live folders). Things changed in each version (WLM 2009, WLM 2011, and Windows Essentials Live Mail 2012) I think some things changed again in 2013 or 2014 but MS didn't change the version. MS tends to orphan their mail clients when a new OS is released.

    If you don't reference the correct folder - you're screwed ... I have to triple check every time

    The actual contact information is stored in a DB ... it's been a while since I dug deep
    but the data file is contacts.edb

    Search returns
    Code:
    %AppDataLocal%\Microsoft\Windows Live\Contacts\default\DBStore\contacts.edb
    %AppDataLocal%\Microsoft\Windows Live\Contacts\default\W4CR1\DBStore\contacts.edb
    %AppDataLocal%\Microsoft\Windows Live\Contacts\default\15.4\DBStore\contacts.edb
    %AppDataLocal%\Microsoft\Windows Live\Contacts\default\15.5\DBStore\Backup\new\contacts.edb
    %AppDataLocal%\Microsoft\Windows Live\Contacts\default\15.5\DBStore\contacts.edb
    The first three are from a restore operation (dates are old) - the 15.5 files are current (both file dates match). I'm not sure why there's nothing in your 15.5 folder.

    See what searching for [ contacts ext:edb ] tells you on your machine.

    most of the other stuff in %AppDataLocal%\Microsoft\Windows Live\ relates to updating or repairing the applets
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 1,463
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2 64 bit
       #14

    I copied the Windows Live Mail folder to a USB drive and was able to use it on my Laptop after installing WLM on it and pointing to the USB disk. My Windows Live folder did not have my Contacts. I have a MS Outlook account that I access through WLM and used it to sign in at the top of WLM. Then my Contacts and Calendars appeared in WLM and are synced with my Desktop.

    Jim
      My Computer


 

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