How do I access Outlook Express email on old computer?

My desktop’s motherboard fried over the weekend. I just bought a new laptop but would like to get my mail that was on the last computer. I now have Windows Live Mail and need to know if I can access Outlook Express email that were on my old computer.
Michele

There is some good news and some great news! Firstly, thank you lucky stars that it was the motherboard and not the hard disk that ‘fried’. Why? Because this means all you data is still intact. Yes, you won’t be able to access it directly on the new laptop, but rest assured, it’s there.

How do I access Outlook Express email?

Michele can access Outlook Express email from her crashed computer in many ways. It all depends on how she had used the account and the settings in the email client. Let us run through the different options and we’ll start with the easiest – this is certainly not an exhaustive list.

• Were the email messages deleted once they were downloaded to Outlook Express?
  In Outlook Express (and other email clients), you can choose whether to delete email from the server once downloaded or retain a copy. If the latter settings were used, you are in luck because the messages are still lying on the server. All you have to do is configure the account in Windows Live Mail on the new computer and download the messages once again.
• Access Outlook Express emails from a backup
  Some of us understand the importance email holds in our lives. Taking regular backups of Outlook Express avoids the heartburn one has to go through in the event of a computer crash. You can quickly copy old Outlook Express email to Windows Live Mail from the latest backup – refer links for details.
• Install a new motherboard on the old computer
  Since it’s the motherboard that got damaged and not the hard disk, you can install a new one. The old computer will be (almost) new again and you would be able to access Outlook Express email and all the other files.
• Retrieve data and Outlook Express emails from the hard disk
  In view of the fact that the hard disk is still functional, you would be able to connect it to the new computer to access the files. But this requires some technical skill and knowhow. An easier option is to take the services of a data retrieval company and have them send the files to you.

Please understand that if you want to access Outlook Express email on the new computer (which I assume would be running Windows 7), you have to set up the account in Windows Live Mail. This is not as difficult as it sounds – refer the link for detailed instructions.

Can I still access my old Outlook Express emails if the hard disk crashed?

Now this is a completely different scenario. I suggest contacting a data retrieval company which may be able to recover the Outlook Express email if the sectors haven’t gone bad. However, check the first point in the list above and login at the email account through the webmail interface to confirm whether the messages are still available on the server. If so, you can simply configure the account in Windows Live Mail, the default email program on Windows 7, and download the email.