E-Mail Message Extraction and Archival

 

August 8, 2003

 

This document is a summary of various means of extracting e-mail messages, and, where possible their attached documents and embedded messages, so they can be archived.

 

Microsoft Outlook 2002

 

I created an Access 2002/VBA application to extract MS Outlook 2002 messages and attachments and load to an Access 2002 database.  This also extracts and links attachments to the messages.  It also handles messages which may also be attachments and which themselves may contain attachments.

 

Contact me at bobalston9@yahool.com  for a copy of the code.

 

 

 

Lotus Notes

 

I created an Access 2002/VBA application to extract Lotus Notes e-mail messages and attachments and load to an Access 2002 database.  Note as long as you have the Lotus Notes message files you can do this.  You will need to download and install the free Notes evaluation software, for the duration of the extraction process.

 

Contact me at bobalston9@yahoo.com  for a copy of the code.

 

 

 

 

Outlook Express 6

 

1) Mailbag Assistant software http://www.fookes.com/mailbag/index.php  which will access Outlook Express messages.  There is a free evaluation version.  A license is $30.

 

2a) DBXtract

A shareware program exists to extract Outlook Express messages but not attachments.  The author has a $30 product that extracts attachments as well.  Take a look:

Free product:

        http://www.oehelp.com/DBXtract/Default.aspx

 

2b)$30 product:

        http://www.oehelp.com/DBXtend/Default.aspx

 

 

3) A fairly nice product for archiving Outlook Express messages:

 

http://expressarchiver.com/

 

License is $35.

 

Seems to work.  Interface is complex and confusing - at least to me.

 

Only issue I found - do not see any way to associate attachments extracted with the e-mails from which they originated.  I sent a question in to the author.

 

4) Another option for Outlook Express archiving would be a combination of  1) dbXtract, the free utility listed above, which extracts Outlook Express e-mail into separate .eml files and 2) Mailbag Assistant, free trial available and $30 for license, which manages e-mails from a variety of sources.

 

http://www.fookes.com/mailbag/info.htm

 

5) DbxConv

 

http://people.freenet.de/ukrebs/dbxconv.html

 

This program will extract the messages from an Outlook Express (5.0 - 6.0) mailbox and convert it either to the standard mbox or the Outlook Express eml format. The advantage of saving your mail in mbox format is, that it's a plain text format, which can be read by many mail-clients. Converting to eml format is a convenient way to re-import the messages into Oulook Express.

 

 

 

 

America Online

 

AOL PFC viewer is a free JAVA applet which allows access to AOL e-mail messages.

http://members.aol.com/pfcviewer/.  It is free.  Works well.  Also exports e-mail into a text form.

 

 

 

 

VonGorden’s Program – Export PFC

http://members.aol.com/fvongordon/pfc/

 

See link to write him an e-mail if you would like to try out the program

http://members.aol.com/fvongordon/pfc/download.htm

 

You will probably need to find your file with screen name, no extension, in the organize folder and rename it to have a .pfc extension, for this program to work.

 

Allows viewing and exporting to ascii file.  Works slick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

AOL Dump - Free

http://www.datanorm-software.de/

 

http://groups.google.com/groups?dq=&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&th=d014df45f3b45619

 

Instructions in German.  Upper left selection allows you to browse to the PFC file.

Reads mail from Organize folder.  Copy the PFC which normally has NO extension and add a “.PFC” extension.

 

I had problems making it work for me.

 

 

 

Goodby A*L

 

http://www.rkerbitz.de/goodbye/

 

FREE German and English versions available.  Extracts email and favorites.

A person on the internet found some of the other programs had problems with AOL 9.0  This software apparently worked just fine on AOL 9.0

 

 

 

 

 

Software to copy e-mails and addresses from one e-mail software to another

 

 

True Switch

http://www.trueswitch.com/index.htm

 

 

Supports:  email programs from AOL, CompuServe, Earthlink, MSN and SBC Yahoo, plus Microsoft Outlook Express Version 5 or higher