converting windows files into El Capitan

[chrisman9]

Dear Mac Users, Im trying to get my old PC windows XP saved-letter (text) files onto my new iMac. The files were created in "Outlook Express" which I think is a Microsoft product and is used for email (they are saved on an external harddrive.) With the Harddrive plugged into the iMac, when I click on one of the saved folders, the following appears in, curiously, an "iPhoto" window: "unreadable files the following file could not be imported. the file is in an unrecognizable format." What do you think? thanks

 

[BrianBaughn]

Do the filenames have an extension?

 

[chrisman9]

Do the filenames have an extension?

Dear BB, Where would I look to answer your question?

 

[BrianBaughn]

Dear BB, Where would I look to answer your question?

It's the part of the filename after the dot/period. If it's hidden you can right click the file and "Get Info".

 

[chrisman9]

It's the part of the filename after the dot/period. If it's hidden you can right click the file and "Get Info".

Dear BB, OK, thank you---all the Outlook Express folders (in which I had saved correspondence) show the 'extention 'dbx' (thanks for helping me)

 

[BrianBaughn]

Your question now is, "How do I convert Outlook Express DBX files into something a Mac can read?"

If you have access to a Windows machine, real or virtual, you might be able to use "SoftSpireDBX2MBOXConverter.exe" or "DbxConv" which I believe are free.

By far an easier solution is the $30 Emailchemy for Mac. You can download the demo to see if it will work.

 

[chrisman9]

Your question now is, "How do I convert Outlook Express DBX files into something a Mac can read?"

If you have access to a Windows machine, real or virtual, you might be able to use "SoftSpireDBX2MBOXConverter.exe" or "DbxConv" which I believe are free.

By far an easier solution is the $30 Emailchemy for Mac. You can download the demo to see if it will work.

Dear BB, Im looking at the 'DbxConv' site and it sounds like I would need to download their software onto my Old laptop (the source of the O/E files) to 'convert' them before sending them to my iMac. this is not convenient (and may not be possible either, as I cannot access the internet on the old thing. So---wouldnt it be simpler to download the DbxConv to the iMac then bring the O/E files on a thumbdrive to 'restore', I think you call it onto the iMac? Might this work? Thanks for your help.

 

[BrianBaughn]

As I indicated, those two apps I mentioned are Windows apps. I suppose you could download to a FAT formatted thumb drive on the iMac and put the downloaded app on the Windows machine that you own and try that. I haven't used them so I don't know the particulars of what to do or the Windows system requirements. Be sure to backup the dbx files before you start working on them.

 

[chrisman9]

As I indicated, those two apps I mentioned are Windows apps. I suppose you could download to a FAT formatted thumb drive on the iMac and put the downloaded app on the Windows machine that you own and try that. I haven't used them so I don't know the particulars of what to do or the Windows system requirements. Be sure to backup the dbx files before you start working on them.

Dear BB, OK, so I guess, followint your advising I will have to try the Download on this iMac. Please tell me about 'FAT' formatting of the thumbdrive and I'll give it a whirl. Thanks for your help

 

[BrianBaughn]

Most thumbdrives come formatted FAT32 so that Mac, Windows and other OS versions can read and write files to them. You can "Get Info" on the thumbdrive to check the formatting. If it's not FAT, you can reformat it using Disk Utility.

 

[chrisman9]

Most thumbdrives come formatted FAT32 so that Mac, Windows and other OS versions can read and write files to them. You can "Get Info" on the thumbdrive to check the formatting. If it's not FAT, you can reformat it using Disk Utility.

Dear BB, OK<> thanks. I will proceed. More questions likely forthcoming,

 

[chrisman9]

Dear BB, OK<> thanks. I will proceed. More questions likely forthcoming,

Dear BB, Ive at last downloaded the 'dbx.conv' files onto a thumbdrive and plugging it into my old PC I saved, also to the thumbdrive, some representative files from Outlook Express, my old mail program. And, now, I can see the files on the iMac. But what do I do 'save' them onto the iMac cause I ran out of capacity on the Thumbdrive and will need to 'go back for more. Thanks for your help

 

[BrianBaughn]

Great! Glad to know it works.

My advice...too much trouble to set up file sharing between the PC and the Mac just for this. Amazon has 64GB USB thumb drives for under $20 and I doubt you need that much space.

 

[chrisman9]

Dear BrianBaughn, I now have most of the files from my old PC on this iMac, but Im having trouble, still, getting the iMac to 'recognize' files I saved in microsoft's 'outlook express mail program. Trying to open them I get the error message saying, unreadable, can not be imported; they are in an unrecognizable format. Now, I did download the free dbxconv_source but unless Im not positioning it properly, it is not helping. I have both the unreadable outlook express files and the 'dbxconversion' files in a folder on my desktop. Any insights as to the next step ? Thanks for your help

 

[Anderton]

Now, i haven't tried this, but a quick search at google on ”.dbx to .txt mac” came up with a bunch of solutions, and also a online service: https://www.coolutils.com/online/DBX-to-TXT which i honestly don't know if it's gonna work.

 

[chrisman9]

Dear Anderton, I opened the 'coolutils...' link you sent. It seems, no surprise?, that theyre trying to sell their converters and I didnt find any reference to conversion of dbx files, so, your hunch seems right, it's not gonna work, at least not with their product. Are your doubts whether my files can be salvage at all here on the iMac ? Have you any other thoughts or suggestions? Thanks for your help