Mac wont recognize Outlook Express

[chrisman9]

Hi, I am trying to load some archival email folders onto my iMac from an external hard drive that backed up my old IBM laptop. Anyone out there know why or how to remedy my iMac's 'error code' which says :"unreadable files: the following file could not be imported. The file is in an unrecognizable format" Thanks for your help. Chrisman9

 

[smallcoffee]

Hi, I am trying to load some archival email folders onto my iMac from an external hard drive that backed up my old IBM laptop. Anyone out there know why or how to remedy my iMac's 'error code' which says :"unreadable files: the following file could not be imported. The file is in an unrecognizable format" Thanks for your help. Chrisman9

What is the format of the file(s)?

 

[chrisman9]

What is the format of the file(s)?

Dear Small Coffee, I dont know the 'format' I just presume that interpreting a MIcrosoft application like Outlook Express would be somewhat common and straightforward. Please let me know if you have any ideas on helping this iMac to 'read' thanks, Chrisman9

 

[prisstratton]

There is no direct way to import Outlook Express DBX files into Mac Mail, some form of conversion process is required. Outlook Express files could not even be directly read by Outlook, they needed to be imported first.

I did a search on the web and found a few different options, but it seem’s in all cases you are going to need access to a Windows system to complete this.

Qualifier: There is one way to convert directly, but, it is going to cost you. Please see here:

http://weirdkid.com/emailchemy/

I have no experience with this software, so I cannot comment on it’s efficacy.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

A totally FREE option, here: (this seem’s very straightforward without the need for any other intermediary software - I would try this first)

https://www.greennet.org.uk/support/moving-emails-outlook-express-mac-os-x

Download DbxConv, here: (do not use the link in the article [above] it re-directs you)

http://www.ukrebs-software.de/english/dbxconv/dbxconv.html

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Another FREE option, but requires several steps to complete.

Outlook Express DBX files can be imported into Windows Live Mail, but you then need to import the Windows Live Mail EML files into a third party mail client (Thunderbird) before exporting from Thunderbird into standard MBOX format, procedure here:

https://tinyapps.org/blog/windows/201508120700_wlm_to_apple_mail.html

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Some information regarding the DBX file:

https://fileinfo.com/extension/dbx

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

One more option (there are likely more……..) convert your DBX files to PST, please see here:

http://recoveryandmanagement.com/2014/08/06/how-to-convert-dbx-to-ms-outlook-manually-dbx-to-pst/

Once your files are converted into PST format they can be read by MS-Outlook directly. You then need to convert them from PST to MBOX, you can do that using this:

https://www.littlemachines.com

When I switched from PC to Mac, I was using MS-Outlook in Windows and therefore my conversion was from Outlook to MBOX and then import into Mac Mail, this software worked very well for that and it was quite intuitive.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Hopefully you will find one of the above suggestions useful.

 

[chrisman9]

There is no direct way to import Outlook Express DBX files into Mac Mail, some form of conversion process is required. Outlook Express files could not even be directly read by Outlook, they needed to be imported first.

I did a search on the web and found a few different options, but it seem’s in all cases you are going to need access to a Windows system to complete this.

Qualifier: There is one way to convert directly, but, it is going to cost you. Please see here:

http://weirdkid.com/emailchemy/

I have no experience with this software, so I cannot comment on it’s efficacy.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

A totally FREE option, here: (this seem’s very straightforward without the need for any other intermediary software - I would try this first)

https://www.greennet.org.uk/support/moving-emails-outlook-express-mac-os-x

Download DbxConv, here: (do not use the link in the article [above] it re-directs you)

http://www.ukrebs-software.de/english/dbxconv/dbxconv.html

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Another FREE option, but requires several steps to complete.

Outlook Express DBX files can be imported into Windows Live Mail, but you then need to import the Windows Live Mail EML files into a third party mail client (Thunderbird) before exporting from Thunderbird into standard MBOX format, procedure here:

https://tinyapps.org/blog/windows/201508120700_wlm_to_apple_mail.html

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Some information regarding the DBX file:

https://fileinfo.com/extension/dbx

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

One more option (there are likely more……..) convert your DBX files to PST, please see here:

http://recoveryandmanagement.com/2014/08/06/how-to-convert-dbx-to-ms-outlook-manually-dbx-to-pst/

Once your files are converted into PST format they can be read by MS-Outlook directly. You then need to convert them from PST to MBOX, you can do that using this:

https://www.littlemachines.com

When I switched from PC to Mac, I was using MS-Outlook in Windows and therefore my conversion was from Outlook to MBOX and then import into Mac Mail, this software worked very well for that and it was quite intuitive.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Hopefully you will find one of the above suggestions useful.

Dear Prisstratton, Wow, thank you for all your suggestions! You have clearly have much more patience than I do in these matters. I read the first two offerings, the one that costs sounds good but much too complicated for my little experience. The UK-greennet one sounds great but my OE files are on a backup harddrive, not a laptop and I dont even know how to get the files onto the conversion-software-recipient laptop, which Id have to do first, I think. It all seems much too experimental, and likely even perhaps more frustrating than simply having files located in increasingly more separate places, as the information gradually turns incompatible or the Hardware craps out. You probably enjoy the challenges of all this stuff, but I find a tendency to just throw my hands up. Thanks. I really do appreciate your research and thoughts. Chrisman9

 

[BrianBaughn]

I've got a VirtualBox VM of Windows XP and I suppose you could use something like that to import them back into Outlook Express.

 

[chrisman9]

I've got a VirtualBox VM of Windows XP and I suppose you could use something like that to import them back into Outlook Express.

DEar BrianBaughn, Im not familiar with these devices to understand your meaning. Maybe begin by explaining the use of 'import' (and 'export') I presume youre responding to my comment to Prisstratton that my OE files are on an external Harddrive, not a laptop. Thanks for any help you can offer. Chrisman9

 

[BrianBaughn]

DEar BrianBaughn, Im not familiar with these devices to understand your meaning. Maybe begin by explaining the use of 'import' (and 'export') I presume youre responding to my comment to Prisstratton that my OE files are on an external Harddrive, not a laptop. Thanks for any help you can offer. Chrisman9

First, what kind of external hard drive are the files on?

 

[chrisman9]

Dear BrianBraghn, Sorry Ive taken so long--was out of town (excuse.) For the record, the 'brandname' of my external hard drive is 'Rosewill' But I think you may be asking for the 'kind' of harddrive that it is: it is the old 'spinning-wheel' type, if that's your drift. Thanks for continuing the discussion and troubleshooting. Chrisman9

 

[bingeciren]

Google dbxconv mac

Years ago I used the Windows version of dbxconv to convert OE files into mbox but now there is also a Mac version available.

 

[chrisman9]

Google dbxconv mac

Years ago I used the Windows version of dbxconv to convert OE files into mbox but now there is also a Mac version available.

Dear bingeciren, Thanks for your suggestion, but I to apply your method I will need some more rote (step-by step) instruction. thanks for your continued help. Chrisman9

 

[BrianBaughn]

Dear bingeciren, Thanks for your suggestion, but I to apply your method I will need some more rote (step-by step) instruction. thanks for your continued help. Chrisman9

Well...we really don't have confirmation that the files are actually in DBX format (someone else's post) although they probably are.

To me, it seems that this problem may be too complicated to reduce to a procedure you can follow.

How much data in MB do these folders contain? I assume the emails contain sensitive info. Is that correct?

 

[bingeciren]

Dear bingeciren, Thanks for your suggestion, but I to apply your method I will need some more rote (step-by step) instruction. thanks for your continued help. Chrisman9

When you download the dbxconv program, it comes with a readme file. I'm attaching it here for you. I hope this program will fulfill your needs.

 

[chrisman9]

Well...we really don't have confirmation that the files are actually in DBX format (someone else's post) although they probably are.

To me, it seems that this problem may be too complicated to reduce to a procedure you can follow.

How much data in MB do these folders contain? I assume the emails contain sensitive info. Is that correct?

Dear BrianBaughn--My intention is to 'pick and choose' from these saved files which ones to upload (from the back up) to my iMac. Most of my files are text, some graphics, Im sure too, but no moving images, and no music (yet) at this time. thanks for keeping the thread going. And, no, there isnt anything particularly 'sensitive' And tho' I consider an aspect of my personality to be very sensitive, I dont worry about having someone, who I may not even know, know something about me. How can it hurt? Risk, Be Brave, not foolish. A little LIfe-philosophy for those of you maybe too-wired in. thanks for trying to help me, Chrisman9

 

[chrisman9]

Dear Bingeciren, OK, Iv received thedbxcon-readme.txt in my 'downloads.' What do I do now ?