Thread: New Laptop - Software Issues

Originally Posted by garrycol

If I cannot get something to read the old emails I think I will wipe the harddrive of my new laptop and ghost the drive of my old laptop across - this will do away with Win 7 and make it run with XP and Outlook Express.

If you have time, give it a go.
You may have other issues though.
I think XP won't boot because it will recognise it is on a different machine. I think it looks for the serial number of the processor.
There will also be issues in getting drivers for the new laptop's components for the old Windows.
One thing I didn't try doing was to load Outlook Express from the old discs onto the new Windows. I don't know if it can be done but it might be worth a try.

A while ago, when fixing my sisters machine, I replaced the motherboard. XP wouldn't boot and told me to ring a Microsoft number. I rang it and the Microsoft representative told me I was pirating their software. I gave her a serve and told her I've had enough with this virus prone Microsoft **** and I was going to wipe it and install Fedora.
She said she was going to give me another three activations.
I told her they were to give me as many activations as their software requests.
I've not had that problem with that computer since.

Hi all, managed to fix it all.

1. Outlook Express book does not seem to keep the address book in a .wab format in the Outlook express folder - dunno where the information is kept. The controlling exe files are there but not the wab files (even a search did not find them). However by hitting the export address book button brings the information together in a .wab file that can be stored on a desktop - if you have contacts open in Win Live Mail you can then import the .wab file.

2. Outlook Express has a maintenance section under tools that allows you to change the location of the email folders and as such displays where the emails are currently kept. The import messages section of Win Live Mail can then suck in the saved emails - though it does require a bit of sorting afterwards.

3. Similar for Bookmarks (these are not Favourites) in Firefox. The book marks do not exist in the same place at the same time though there are backups. Going into manage bookmarks there is a import and backup button - in there, there is a export HTML option - hitting that makes a HTML file of the bookmarks and stores it where you want. You then go to the same place on the new computer and import the HTML file - again some sorting is required.

Win Live Mail does not have the greatest screen presence and I may change to something else later (Dave - I am not too tight to buy something but I was asking questions as I do not know about such things but am much the wiser now).

Thanks for all the help the pointers gave me the leads to chase information to resolve these issues.

Cheers

Garry