| As you may have discovered, the problem with | | | | the export file specified was created properly. Under |
| backing up Outlook Express with Syncback(free) is | | | | Windows Vista you may have to right click the bat |
| that some of your most important customization | | | | file and choose to 'Run as administrator' to get it to |
| information like 'Email Rules' are only stored in the | | | | run. |
| windows registry. If you want to back up your 'Email | | | | After you have created your regedit export |
| Rules' then you must do a registry export using | | | | command just copy/paste it from notepad into the |
| 'regedit'. Luckily, however, it is not necessary to run | | | | 'Run Before Profile' field under the 'Programs' tab of |
| 'regedit' from the Windows start...run every time, | | | | Syncback(free). Right under that field, select the: |
| because you can run the 'regedit' program with | | | | 'Wait until the program has finished before running |
| command line switches right from within the | | | | profile' option and select the: 'wait for a maximum of' |
| 'Programs' tab of Syncback(free)! This trick works | | | | option with a value of maybe 15 seconds. Also select |
| with both Windows XP and Vista and you can use it | | | | the: 'Abort the profile if the program fails' option. |
| to set up a one button backup of any part of your | | | | Also, even though you are using regedit within |
| registry using Syncback. | | | | Syncback to do an export, it still wants you to |
| The 'regedit' will be run within Syncback as a | | | | specify a source and a destination directory for the |
| command line program with 'switches'. Only a few | | | | backup. For the source I specify 'C:Email BackupEmail |
| command line switches are provided with 'regedit', | | | | Rules' which is where the registry export was done |
| and luckily the nondestructive export switch is one of | | | | to. For the destination I specify "J:Email BackupEmail |
| them. Your command as used inside of the 'Run | | | | Rules" which is an external drive. |
| Before Profile' field of the 'Programs' tab within | | | | That is all you have to do and you can save your |
| Syncback will look something like this:regedit /e | | | | Syncback profile now. By just running that Syncback |
| "C:Email BackupEmail RulesemailRules.reg.txt" | | | | profile from now on you will cause a registry export |
| 21-A249-6998EAAF23F3}SoftwareMicrosoftOutlook | | | | to take place and that file to be backed up to |
| Express5.0RulesMail" | | | | external media. Sweet! |
| That command calls the regedit program and passes | | | | Now for the explanation of how to restore your |
| it the /e switch, which is the nondestructive export | | | | email rules if you have a computer malfunction. If you |
| switch. It also passes two parameters, the first of | | | | had to reinstall your operating system or Outlook |
| which is the path/name of the file to be exported to, | | | | Express then you may or may not be able to just |
| and the second is the group registry key that will be | | | | run the exported file to restore the email rules. That's |
| exported from. The group key specified and | | | | because the identity # used by Outlook Express in |
| everything under it will be exported. I like to export | | | | the registry may have changed. Just to be sure, you |
| to file types with the extension '.reg.txt'. If I need to | | | | will have to check that it has not changed. |
| restore the file, I would change the extension to just | | | | To get the new identity # now being used by |
| '.reg'. Double clicking on the file would then restore | | | | Outlook Express, open regedit from start...run then |
| (merge) it into the registry, restoring your email rules. | | | | navigate to 'Identities' under 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER' |
| So how do you get the registry group key value to | | | | and open that up. Now open up the '.reg.txt' file you |
| use in the command above? The easiest way is to | | | | exported to and compare the identity # shown in |
| run regedit from start...run to bring up the actual | | | | there to the one shown in the registry. If they are |
| regedit program. You would then navigate to the | | | | the same then you are in luck, all you have to do to |
| proper sub key within regedit, right click on it and | | | | restore your email rules is to change the extension |
| choose 'Copy Key Name' to copy the key name to | | | | on your exported file from '.reg.txt' to '.reg' and |
| your clipboard. | | | | double click on the file to run the restore(merge). To |
| To navigate to the proper sub key, open the | | | | run it under Vista you may have to right click on the |
| 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER' folder, and then the | | | | file and select 'Run as Administrator'. |
| 'Identities' folder. You should then see one or more | | | | If the new identity # that is being used by Outlook |
| folder names made out of a long string of all random | | | | Express is different, then you will need to do a |
| hex characters (a-f and 0-9). If you have more than | | | | simple Find/Replace operation on the exported file. |
| one of these random folder names, then you will | | | | First use the 'Copy Key Name' right click function |
| have to determine which one is the one that goes | | | | within regedit to copy the identity # key name to |
| with the instance of Outlook Express that you want | | | | the clip board. Next open your registry exported file |
| to backup before you proceed. If you only have one | | | | in a text editor and select Edit/Replace to open the |
| of these folders, then that is it. So open the relevant | | | | Replace dialog box. Paste the identity # key name |
| funny characters folder, and then the 'Software' | | | | from your clipboard into the 'Replace with:' field of |
| folder, and then the 'Microsoft' folder, and then the | | | | the Replace dialog box. Now click within the file and |
| 'Outlook Express' folder. | | | | select the identity # key name as printed in the file |
| Almost done! Now, under the 'Outlook Express' folder | | | | and copy that to your clipboard. Finally, paste that |
| there should be a folder with a name like '5.0' that | | | | into the 'Find what:' field of your Replace dialog box. |
| denotes your email program version so open that. | | | | Now at this point take some time to make sure that |
| Under that open the 'Rules' folder and look for a 'Mail' | | | | the 'Find what:' field and the 'Replace with:' field of |
| folder. Right click on the 'Mail' folder and then choose | | | | the Replace dialog box have 2 strings that are |
| to 'Copy Key Name' to copy the entire long registry | | | | exactly the same except for the actual identity #'s. |
| key name we just arrived at to your clipboard. | | | | They should have the same higher key, |
| I would suggest that you create the above regedit | | | | 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER', and they should both have |
| command by building it in notepad first to make sure | | | | the {} characters around them. Any other special |
| it is letter perfect. You generally want to use the | | | | characters like '/' should also be mirrored. Also make |
| double quotes around the path/file name and the | | | | sure there are no extraneous spaces before or after |
| export group key name otherwise spaces within the | | | | either of the strings. If you are all ok on that then |
| items will cause an error. There should be no carriage | | | | click your cursor at the beginning of the file and |
| returns within the statement, any appearance of that | | | | select 'Replace all' in your Replace dialog box. If |
| above is caused by automatic wrapping on this web | | | | everything appears to have gone correctly, then |
| page. You can test the command before putting it | | | | save the altered file as a file with the extension '.reg' |
| into Syncback by putting it into a file with a '.bat' | | | | and then just double click on that to restore your |
| extension and then running that and checking that | | | | email rules. |