Importing email from Outlook to Vista Mail: "MAPI not installed on this computer..."

Anonymous
2009-01-07T03:18:50+00:00

I am trying to import my email on a computer with Outlook into my new notebook with Vista Mail.  When I select Import/Outlook I get the following error message:

    "Messages cannot be imported from the MAPI client.  MAPI is not installed on this computer or an error occured while initializing it."

How do I find out if MAPI (whatever that is) is installed on my new HP Pavillion notebook?  If it isn't installed where do I get it?

Thanks!!

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Internet and connectivity

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Anonymous
2009-01-09T01:49:19+00:00

Bart,

Outlook Express should be installed with Windows XP by default.  If you go to Start, and then All Programs it should be in the list.  Let us know if you need further help, but it should be there.


Shane

Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

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Anonymous
2009-01-08T06:14:23+00:00

Hi Bart,

  If you have Outlook Express 6 on the Windows XP PC you can import the messages into it directly from Microsoft Outlook and then copy the Outlook Express data files to the Windows Vista PC.  You can then use the import tool in Windows Mail and choose the Outlook Express 6 option.   

Set up a temporary account in Outlook Express on the Windows XP PC and select the File menu, choose Import, then Messages, and Outlook (Outlook must be configured and will have to contain the messages you are wanting); then select what folders you want to import.  Once the import is complete and you see all of your messages you will need to find out where the data files are stored. 

Within Outlook Express 6:

Click the Tools menu, and select Options

Click the Maintenance tab

Click the Store Folder button

This will be the path to the files you need

Browse to that path and copy any files in that directory to the Windows Vista PC. 

On the Windows Vista PC:

Within Windows Mail, Go to File, then Import, then select MessagesChoose Microsoft Outlook Express 6Click NextChoose Import mail from an OE6 store directory, and click OKClick the Browse button

Browse to the folder that you copied the data stores to.

The files will not show up and you will see a message saying "No items match your search"  This is ok.  Just click the Select Folder button.

The path should now show up to the left of the Browse button

Click Next

Select which folders you want to import

Click NextThis will begin the import process.  Within Windows Mail there should now be a folder named Imported Folder that will contain whatever you imported over.  If you have any other questions, please let us know.  Thank you.


Shane

Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

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  1. Anonymous
    2009-05-12T15:10:02+00:00

    Shane

    Back in January you stated *"If you have Outlook Express 6 on the Windows XP PC you can import the messages into it directly from Microsoft Outlook and then copy the Outlook Express data files to the Windows Vista PC."*Well, I have OE6 on my XP machine and I cannot import my .pst messages into OE6, I get this infamous error message about Mapi (whoever that is)

    Thanks for your help !

    B

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  2. Anonymous
    2009-04-09T00:22:19+00:00

    Hello Shane

    Thanks for your response.  I'm still at it.

    I tried Hal's method.  Downloaded the WHOLE 291 MB office standard trial package (very big hoop to jump thru).  I set the apps to install on first access or some such, so only OUTLOOK is installed and running.  OUTLOOK does have my personal folder 'attached' and I can view old emails from within OUTLOOK.

    Here is how the import attempts go:

    1. Hal's method

    a.  Open and minimize OUTLOOK 2007 trial.

    b.  Open Vista Mail.

    c.  Select File - Import - Messages

    d.  Select Microsoft Exchange (or Outlook - both fail in the same way)

    e.  Hit "Next"

    f.  see window "Import Messages - Messages cannot be imported from the Mapi client.  Mapi is not installed on this computer or an error occurred while initializing it."

    g.  result; dead in the water.

    2.  Your method

    a.  Open Vista mail

    b.  Select File - Import - Messages

    c.  Select 'Microsoft Outlook Express 6" hit  NEXT

    d.  in 'Import from Outlook Express 6" window, select 'Import mail from an OE6 store directory'  [note - the other option to import from an OE6 Identity" is ghosted and not available.  But, on my first attempt at this, it was not ghosted - something has happened to turn it off].

    e.  Hit OK.  In "Location of Messages" window, browse to the folder in MyDocuments containing the dbx files.  Click Select Folder.

    f.  In "Location of Mesages" window, see "it was determined that your messages are stored in the following location.  If this is not the correct location or you would like to import from a different location, please select a new folder"  [I just chose this folder, why would I want to change it?].  The correct folder is shown in the browse box.  I click NEXT.

    g.  see "Import Mesages" window - "No messages can be found in this folder or another application is running that has the required files open.  Please select another folder or try closing applications that may have the files open."

    h. result:  dead in the water.

    Question/comments: 

    1.  I did not grab all of the dbx folders from the old computer.  I only copied those that contained my saved personal folders, and perhaps that is confusing the import function?  Interesingly, the import from Outlook to Outlook Exress on the old computer gave all of the OUTLOOK subfolders a seperate 'top-level' folder in OE6.  This made me think that I didn't have to copy everything to Vista on the new computer.

    2.  How do I know if MAPI is loaded and running?  Windows help and support provides neither on this subject.  Seems to be irrelevant.

    3.  I may try running "UNLOCKER" to see if that solves the problem with your method. That program unlocks files from other programs that may be 'using' the data file (or programs that used the file and neglected to release it).

    4.  I also tried simply copying the dbx files to the Identities folder in VIsta thinking maybe Vista mail would just inventory the folder and pick up everything in it.  Didn't happen.  APparently the import function is required to get Vista Mail to acknowledge the new folders.

    So - no luck yet. Hope I didn't weigh you down with too much detail.

    (my next mission - to clean up all the clutter imported by the Intellegent Transfer function.  It imported data and settings for programs that are not and will not be installed on the Vista computer.  )

    Anyway - thanks again.  Please let me know what you think.

    v/r

    wayne

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  3. Anonymous
    2009-04-08T15:53:06+00:00

    Hi Wayne,

      Thank you for visiting Microsoft Answers.  Sorry that you are having problems.  Have you tried copying the files to a different location other than the desktop?  If not, you may want to try creating a folder in your "Documents" folder and putting the files into it and then try the import.  If it still doesn't work, try Hal's method with Outlook 2007.  As Hal said; you are probably going to have issues with any version of Outlook older than 2003.  You said that using Hal's method failed.  How, and at what point did it fail?  Did you get an error message?  Please let us know how all of this goes, so that we can continue troubleshooting your issue.  Don't give up!


    Shane

    Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

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