PC Win: Recovering PAB from Exported Folder

• Microsoft Mail for Windows, versions 3.0b and 3.2

SUMMARY

You can recover your Personal Address Book (PAB) from an exported MMF file in versions 3.0b and 3.2 of Microsoft Mail for Windows.

If you exported a folder by choosing Export Folder from the File menu, you can recover the messages and folders, as well as the PAB, from the exported MMF file. Recovering the PAB requires a different procedure than the Import Folders procedure; you must exchange the MMF that contains the desired PAB for the MMF that is in use.

For this example, assume the exported MMF file is named EXPORT.MMF, the new MMF file that is created when you start Mail for Windows is named NEW.MMF, and the MMF that is in use as the current MMF is named MSMAIL.MMF. To recover the PAB, do the following:

1. Move the current MMF file to the local hard drive by choosing Options from the Mail menu, then click the gray Server button. A dialog box will open that allows you to enter a path and filename for the relocation of the MMF file. Use the name MSMAIL.MMF. Choose the Local option button and then choose OK.

2. Save the current MMF file's messages and folders. From the File menu, choose Export Folders. Export all of the folders to a file named TEMP.MMF, then Exit Mail.

3. Rename the current MMF file, which is located in the directory specified in step 1, from MSMAIL.MMF to any unique name.

4. Rename the EXPORT.MMF file to MSMAIL.MMF (the name used to move the MMF to your local hard drive). This new MSMAIL.MMF contains the old messages and the old PAB.

5. Restart the Mail program. As the program starts, it will display a dialog box stating that the MMF file it found is a backup MMF file and will ask if you want to make the file the primary MMF. Choose Yes.

6. Import the new folders and messages from the TEMP.MMF file. From the File menu, choose Import Folders. In the Import Folders dialog box, type TEMP.MMF. Mail will now import all the messages and folders.