How to Backup Outlook Express Block Sender and Mail Rules
A Backup Article Contributed by Daniel Jones
Backup Outlook Express vs Outlook
Unlike Outlook, making a backup of your rules in outlook express is not an option on the menu. Instead you will need to extract portions of your registry where the rules and blocked sender list is stored.
Backup the Outlook Express Blocked Senders List
1. From the Desktop, click Start then Run.
2. In the Open box, type regedit then OK.
3. Locate and click the following registry subkeys (save each key to a different file):
HKEY CURRENT USER\Identities\(Identity Number)\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0\Block Senders (note: there will be a different "(Identity Number)" for each identity on your system. To identify a specific identity you can click on each HKEY CURRENT USER\Identities\(Identity Number) and you will see a "Username" value on your right with the name associated with that (Identity Number))
4. Go to the Registry menu and select Export Registry File.
5. From the Save In box, change the location to your desktop.
6. At the File Name box, type "Blocked Senders[date].reg" then Save.
7. Go to the Registry menu and chose exit.
Backup the Outlook Express Mail Rules
1. From the Desktop, click Start then Run.
2. In the Open box, type regedit then OK.
3. Locate and click the following registry subkeys (each key will need to be saved to a different file):
HKEY CURRENT USER\Identities\(Identity Number)\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0\Rules\Mail
(note:once again there will be a different "(Identity Number)" for each identity on your system. To identify a specific identity you can click on each HKEY CURRENT USER\Identities\(Identity Number) and you will see a "Username" value on your right with the name associated with that (Identity Number))
4. Go to the Registry menu and select Export Registry File.
5. From the Save In box, change the location to your desktop.
6. At the File Name box, type "Mail Rules[date].reg" then
7. Go to the Registry menu and chose exit.
Restore an Outlook Express Backup
1. Open Outlook Express on the computer you wish to restore the backup to.
2. From the file menu go to Identities > Add New Identity.
3. Set up your Identity and account information.
4. Close Outlook Express.
5. From the Desktop, click Start then Run.
6. In the Open box, type regedit then OK.
7. Go to HKEY CURRENT USER\Identities\ and locate the identity number related to the Identy you wish to restore the rules to.
8. Close regedit
9. Right click on the "Mail Rules[date].reg" or "Blocked Senders[date].reg" from the Outlook Express Backup you wish to restore and select edit.
10. Replace the (Identity Number) listed in the registry file with the one you just located in the registry.
11. Save and Close Notepad
12. Right Click on the "Mail Rules[date].reg" or "Blocked Senders[date].reg" from the Outlook Express Backup you wish to restore and select merge.
13. Repeat these steps for each Identity.
