Solved Transfering mails from Windows Mail x64 to WM x32

Hi there, I made some searches but didn't find something to help me really so I'm making this new thread.

I want to move my parent's mails (Windows Mail) and contacts from my own computer (Ultimate x64) to my parent's brand new laptop (Home x32).
I suppose the contacts won't be an issue and I'll be able to drag and drop them but I have a problem with the mails.

I first tried the windows tool : I made the save file on an external drive but when I tried to import it to the laptop, it didn't worked. It said that x64 to x32 isn't possible.
Then, I tried the 'Export' feature of WM but it crashes in the middle of the operation and don't tell what the problem is of course.

With OE, I would have dragged and dropped the db directory on the laptop and managed to make it work, but the WM directory seems a bit more complicated.

So, does anyone have an idea to get rid of the problem ?

I have though that maybe exporting to Outlook (with the WM feature) and then import that on my parent's laptop (who also has Office installed) but I'm not sure it would work either and I'd prefer then to use the simple WM over the big Outlook.

Hello ChatNoir, and welcome to Vista Forums.

See if you can export the messages to the desktop first, then copy the folder on the desktop over to the external drive or some other media. Afterwards select that folder while importing. Double check with the tutorial below to see if there may have been something different that you did instead.

http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/90298-windows-mail-messages.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

I did exactly what's in the tutorial you linked and that's when I got the error. Between steps 8 and 9. The backup stops after some messages and folders.
I'll try it again this evening at home and I'll make some Screenshots too. I'll even try this in safe mode.

ChatNoir,

You may have some database corruption in Windows Mail causing this. Use the free program WMUtil to do the Repair Database and Compact Database options to see if it can repair it for you and allow you to export you messages afterwards.

Well, I tried again yesterday to Export the mail directly on the external drive with no succes. I then tried on the Desktop as you proposed and it worked. When I moved the directory to the drive, Vista asked about file attributs so I suppose it was the reason why the backup could be done directly to the drive.

It was finally quite simple but I didn't though there could be a problem with the drive.

Thanks for the help.

Edit : I can't acces to the 'solved' tag on my initial post so I suppose an Admin or a Mod must do that.

You're welcome. I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted out.

Marked solved