22. June 2016 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized

Here's My Problem.... (Please bare in mind I have now spoken to two Microsoft Answer Tech's Via Online Chat which neither could resolve)

Microsoft are going to turn off Windows Live Mail 2012 as its not longer being supported anymore when we have Outlook 2013 etc we can use (Fair Enough). My Parents Are old and have been using Windows Live Mail for years now and don't like change. so they need to move with the times and start using Outlook 2013. 

The Problem

My Parents have a Folder with within the Windows Live Mail 2012 application called "Storage Folders" all the sub folders created within Storage Folders contain emails. These emails are stored locally on the machine found here..

C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Storage Folders

each of these emails have a .eml file extention (which i presume is the file extention Windows Live Mail give by default for emails within the application.

So before Microsoft Terminate the use and support of Windows Live mail 2012. I need to transfer these emails to Outlook 2013 which is the new application now going to be used as the default mail program from here on. 

My Question

How do I go about exporting the emails (.EML File Extention) from Windows Live Mail 2012 and importing them into Outlook 2013?

Tried & Failed

Windows Live Mail 2012 Exporting = Failed (See Below)

There is a Default Mail Client allocated as I have checked and double checked Outlook 2013 is the Default Via Control Panel..(See Below).


After Clicking "OK" from the Error Message above of no default mail client. this is now presented. so no further Forward here.

I have copied the Entire Folder from the Local Drive.. which is located and stored here..

C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\Storage Folders

But have no idea how i can now import the emails into outlook for referencing later. 

Troubleshooting Done.

I have contacted Microsoft Answer Tech online via the online Chat service they have.

The First Tech support guy Ryan.M I spoke with for approximately 40 mins then he decided this was just to difficult to resolve and ended the chat session (Thanks for NOTHING PAL!).

The second Tech support person i spoke with Marielle.C attempted to help.. however after 30mins or so.. said the only option would be to send each and every email individually to the email address again and then you will have the emails. (not being funny but already thought of that and its not practical as there are hundreds of old emails that need to be kept stored in the sub folders of the "Storage Folder". as a result that support chat also ended. (at least she tried to help. for what it was worth anyway).

I am currently out of Idea's, Options and solutions. surely there must be an easier way of sorting this out? after all Microsoft have decided to end the Windows Live Mail application (with what seems.. No facility to backup, export or transfer old emails). 

If anyone has any Idea's or Microsoft themselves actually have a tool of some kind that can either 

1. Export the .eml files into Outlook 2013 

2. Convert the .eml files into a .PST file or other format Outlook can read 

That would be Great! other than that i am Screwed! here.

Thanks in advance for any replies or attempts of help. 

Street Hawk.

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