How to reinstate WinMail onto Windows 8/10/11

[killer]

Hello, I just found this forum after some search for getting winmail to run on Win10 but the steps in post #1 and #2 after done doesn't work for me. Click on winmail icon the cursor will just spin a bit and nothing happens.

My OS is Windows 10 pro
Version 1709
OS Build 16299.309

 

[endeavor]

Hello, I just found this forum after some search for getting winmail to run on Win10 but the steps in post #1 and #2 after done doesn't work for me. Click on winmail icon the cursor will just spin a bit and nothing happens.

My OS is Windows 10 pro
Version 1709
OS Build 16299.309

Hello Killer and welcome to the EightForums

Go back and read carefully, and just run all the steps again, no problems in doing that.
It sounds like you just missed a step, or did not do one of the steps properly is all.
One thing for sure is that it does work, and so it has to be something you did not do right.

If you have not run WinMail before (not likely) but be sure to read and understand the Errata bug list please.

I removed/simplified some of the wording in Post 1 and 2 in the last few days to make it better
..I also changed/added some of the screenshots around to make it better and more accurate
I always try to make it as simple and as easy to understand as I can, for everyone to understand

(..and btw, I agree with you on hanging back with Win10 v1709 b16299; however having said that I'm not really sure if you are doing that on purpose or not. Heck I still have one of my setups running v1607 b14393 <g> ..but yes I also have v1709 and v1803 too)

 

[killer]

Hello Killer and welcome to the EightForums

Go back and read carefully, and just run all the steps again, no problems in doing that.
It sounds like you just missed a step, or did not do one of the steps properly is all.
One thing for sure is that it does work, and so it has to be something you did not do right.

If you have not run WinMail before (not likely) but be sure to read and understand the Errata bug list please.

I removed/simplified some of the wording in Post 1 and 2 in the last few days to make it better
..I also changed/added some of the screenshots around to make it better and more accurate
I always try to make it as simple and as easy to understand as I can, for everyone to understand

(..and btw, I agree with you on hanging back with Win10 v1709 b16299; however having said that I'm not really sure if you are doing that on purpose or not. Heck I still have one of my setups running v1607 b14393 <g> ..but yes I also have v1709 and v1803 too)

Thanks for the assist. I have had done the steps multiple times and restarted multiple times as well. Looks like my pc is one of the few ones that wouldn't work. I am going to try the April update and hope to see it works.

 

[endeavor]

Looks like my pc is one of the few ones that wouldn't work.

They all work! There are no versions or builds that do not work anymore!
Where did you hear that? If you are referring to my Post 1 screenshot of Win10 v1703 b16199 showing not working, that was only to indicate when MS started the Windows Mail Depreciation effort. Actually I am sure if I applied the Post 2 updates to that version Windows Mail it would work fine again on it too. ...actually I may remove that screenshot now that I think of it and this has been brought up ...Edit: Done

There are no Windows 10 versions or builds that do not work with WinMail.

The answer to why your v1709 in not working lies within how you are interpreting or carrying out the instructions on Post 1 & Post 2. Read carefully and follow exactly, everything is worded the way it is for a reason. I wish I was there with you so I could see what you are doing, and how I could improve the tutorial to be clearer. It is for advanced users though, which I am sure you must be one.

I am going to try the April update and hope to see it works.

Updating to v1803 (not recommend yet by many) is not going to solve the problem with WinMail, and that lies within implementation. Stay with v1709 till you get WM going please, and then after that, do what pleases you.

When you find out what it is you are doing wrong and get WinMail going, please let me know if I can re-word anything in the tutorials to have helped you succeed quicker. Thank you.

Edit: suggestions for you killer, just be sure you are using the right x86 or x64 files (programs folder & msidcrl30.dll) for your OS bit; and if you are on x64? make sure you are working with the correct programs folder as noted in tutorial.

On Post 1&2, I've just renamed all the OS version screenshots, deleted a few, edited more things to make it simpler and less busy

 

[nitram22]

Hi endeavor. Everything was working fine on my 1709. I updated to 1803 but ran into problems. All looks fine but I can't send or receive anything. It will say receiving message 1 of 5 and stop with an unexpected error. If I hit the send button also getting an error message. I should have left things alone. I wish I could go back.

 

[endeavor]

I wish I could go back.

I wish you could too ..and you should already have had a way to do that!

I don't know why everyone feels they need to upgrade to v1803 yet! ..but no matter, you should of been backup prepared and that's your fault.

I have said this more times than I can count.

No one should ever do a big program install, or especially a Windows upgrade without a way back, whether it be the built in Restore feature (I've never used that though) or what I always do is use a separate backup imaging software and do a OS C:\ partition image backup before I do anything major on my main setups. That way when a big program install, or a windows update, or whatever, you install it and it breaks something, or you just don't like it, no problem, then its so much totally better/faster/easier to just image it back. In just a few minutes flat you can restore back to how it was when you created your last image.

Do Not Install or Upgrade Anything Without a BackUp, and a complete way back.

The WinMail project is only for Advanced Users who have a full command over using computers!

As for your issue nitram22, I feel for you, but you have to get you backup process in order!
However, if everything else is on the up and up, then all you should need to do is rerun every step of the tutorial Step 1 - 10 of the tutorial, and that should fix it - but I can't promise you. It worked fine for me

My main setup is Not currently on v1803 of course, and so to test, just for you nitram22, I just booted to v1803 from where I last tested it for the tutorial, and created 5 new emails and sent them to myself ...I wasn't quick enough clicking my screenshot to show where the prompt said receiving 5 of 5 emails, but of course it did, and it works fine and in came the emails one by one.
The problem is on your end.
Here's a screenshot I just now took of my test receiving 5 emails at once (I blocked out my full email address on the screenshot)

Spoiler: nitram22-test

 

[nitram22]

I tried the 10 steps again endeavor still didn't work but everything looks perfect. I'm doing something wrong but I'm not sure what. I should have backed up like you said. I guess I'm just a 60 year old dope.

 

[endeavor]

Hey, 60 yrs is not so far from me so watch it <I say smiling>

For my main setups I never do OS upgrades, and insist on fresh iso installs for so many dozens of reasons.

Anyway, even if you didn't save your OS Partition image (recommended always) if you had saved your Backup/Restore of WinMail ? as I painstakingly wrote up that procedure at the beginning of the tutorial, having used/testing it ever since Vista days - if you at least had that simple backup - then at least You Could restore that - and It Would get your working instantly! Do you at least have that? ...don't answer if it's no, it'll annoy me <g>

It looks like your WinMail Account settings perhaps got over written. Go to:
Tools> Accounts> yours ..and then click properties on it, and go over each tab making sure nothing has changed.
What you say <g> ..you mean you don't have all that written down or taken a screenshot of it to use at a moment like this <g>

It's all up to each individual to have a backup plan.

..but it sounds like your account info or setup info of some sort with gmail got overwritten in the upgrade - put it back <g>

Hey if you fresh install v1709 or v1803 and you reinstate WinMail again, and set up all your accounts again it will all work

Please, Please, Please, Everyone, do yourself a favor, Create Backups beforehand !
..It's So Blessed Easy To Do! ..and it'll save you so much time, over and over again.

 

[nitram22]

I finally got it working again. You were right about the gmail getting overwritten. I actually did backup my Windows Mail folder from AppData and replaced the new one with this. This must have caused the send and receive to break. I don't know why. I put in my Gmail manually and it now works fine. Thank you endeavor for your help.

 

[endeavor]

Nice job, and good work chasing it down, and winning. I'm proud of you!

Backup/Restore procedure, don't leave home without it.

 

[BridgeHead]

Just upgraded one laptop from 1709 to 1803. What a blessing it was to be able to come to this forum and find the instructions so nicely laid out and working perfectly. Many thanks Endeavor for your constant support of WinMail.

 

[endeavor]

Thank you BridgeHead for your support and kind words, it's very much appreciated!

___________________
I wanted to take this opportunity to point out and remind everyone, that it's always nice too when users click the little thumbs-up Like icon on any post that helps you, or tutorials, or you just simply like what was said - as an additional way of saying thank you.
...you can't see the Like button unless you are logged on though.

 

[Ex_Brit]

Excellent work guys ;-)

 

[killer]

I am trying to setup winmail fresh without any previous mails. I keep getting this error.

 

[endeavor]

Hello killer,

We had a member here just a few weeks ago who posted with that same error.
Go back and read all of them... Posts 361, 362, 365, 374, 375
How does the screenshots you get match up with his?
Now of course what he did and has, and some of what I said, will be different for each person, but there are clues in there I want you to see and do yourself - you see I want you guys to learn this stuff. That's why I keep saying this procedure is for advanced computer users, because sometimes there are situations if you are restoring backups and getting that error, could be of what was done along the way or trying to resstore your previous message store folder and your paths are different from before to now and it can't reconcile itself without manual intervention.

I can Guarantee you 100% if you did a fresh install of Win10 and followed the directions on post 1&2 correctly it will work 100% of the time when starting a virgin WinMail ! ...

...Sometimes though, when doing the Backup/Restore procedure I outlined in the tutorial spoiler for it, if not done correctly for instance like I mentioned there if you don't delete your store folder first but just overwrite it, then what files within that do not get overwritten is left to co-mingle information that was not intended to be and leads to message store corruption; the folder there needs to be Deleted first - and then place the new. Or, if like I said if your message store from your previous source has within it a different path set... However having just said that, a hundred times times I have taken my Win7 message store folder and copied/replaced it to Win8 or Win10 and I never got this error! ..point is, it should assimilate itself. However notice on Danny's post I mentioned above that you are going to look at, his screenshot I pointed out there, notice his path had a F:\ where instead should of said C:\
..I have a feeling here when this gets sorted out, I will have to add another sentence of explanation to the tutorial so if/when this happens to someone else, the answer will be written there to solve. I just need to sort it out in my head what to write first, and what you tell me that you find wrong with yours and what you do to fix it, will maybe guide me for the words to say

 

[killer]

That means that there is no way to start afresh without any existing store file? Using my existing store file, I keep getting Windows Mail could not be started. The application was unable to open the Windows Mail message store. Your computer may be out of memory or your disk is full. I have downloaded the WMUtil as well still getting the same result.

 

[endeavor]

That means that there is no way to start afresh without any existing store file? Using my existing store file, I keep getting Windows Mail could not be started. The application was unable to open the Windows Mail message store. Your computer may be out of memory or your disk is full. I have downloaded the WMUtil as well still getting the same result.

afresh..? When you first re-instate WinMail it automatically creates that 'WindowsMail.MSMessageStore' file afresh.
As you go along, that files gets constantly updated.
If you are using the Backup/Restore procedure to bring the exact same WinMail Setup with you to a different computer and/or OS, you will need that file as is along with the entire folder as is - However Do Not mix and match 'WindowsMail.MSMessageStore' files - you either use the whole store folder from where it came, everything is a matched set of itself.

Let's get back to my previous post - you are not giving enough information <you are killing me> <vbg>
Besides the fact that utility prompts you the same message, so, you should also be telling me what is the exact address of your store folder as it exists now on your computer.
Browse your computer to it and copy/paste your exact address for that folder please so that I can actually where you have this folder physically located.
Also, I took the time to make you a screenshot but you don't offer more of the information back to me, why?
Open regedit and tell me what your message store file path says their please, edit to copy/paste it here

If it's in the right place, like I show mine is:
C:\Users\Win10\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail
..where Win10 is my name here, yours will be different, that's why they universally call it:
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail\
...actually all OS's ''default'' (unless you manually changed it) the files should be located in:
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail\

If yours is truly there physically on your computer:
C:\Users\yourcomputersname\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail
..and in that location you actually have a file called:
WindowsMail.MSMessageStore
?
Does your registry also point to that source?

If your registry says something else, and YOU want it set default, then you can edit it correctly if you know how
or
Merge this registry info by creating a txt file, inserting it, and save as reg file, and merge

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Mail]
"Store Root"=hex(2):25,00,55,00,53,00,45,00,52,00,50,00,52,00,4f,00,46,00,49,\
00,4c,00,45,00,25,00,5c,00,41,00,70,00,70,00,44,00,61,00,74,00,61,00,5c,00,\
4c,00,6f,00,63,00,61,00,6c,00,5c,00,4d,00,69,00,63,00,72,00,6f,00,73,00,6f,\
00,66,00,74,00,5c,00,57,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,6f,00,77,00,73,00,20,00,4d,00,\
61,00,69,00,6c,00,5c,00,00,00

...which translated, simply changes your registry 'store root' folder for Windows Mail to be:
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail\

If, you are doing the spoiler Backup/Restore procedure, that exact reg info 'should be' already included in you export of the "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Mail" reg in that procedure, if, it's proper and accurately factual; iow, I suppose there are a very few instances which could cause this value in your registry to be in-accurate in the first place ...but that is another subject indeed.

PS,
You didn't say, are you using a previous message store folder you saved from a previous backup? or what? ..or is this a fresh install and you virgin setup WinMail afresh?

You need to give much more info of what you've already given in your posts all-around! ..in able to be of more help to solve your problem - Details Matter!

PS,
If 'After' you have done all of the above!
..and it turns out you actually have a current corrupted 'WindowsMail.MSMessageStore' file that's causing all this (i don't believe it yet though not sure) then if you had a backup OS partition image from a previous date in time, and WinMail was working fine when you made it, then you could take from it a 'new' copy of the message store folder afresh, and delete your current, and copy that in it's place, and this exercise will be over because of success; none of this should be this complicated if done correctly with the knowledge.
Everyone who has WinMail already setup for years, and wants to maintain it, then one should Always Always Always have a current backup of your message store folder, and the registry detail mentioned, for this exact reason (and/or a foolproof alternate companion is if you have a backup of your OS partition too) If you don't have either one, then you can Not use the Backup/Restore procedure in a Full way (only partial but that's another subject for another day) and/or you will have to start with a (almost) virgin WinMail setup and start from mail scratch, and which to do that is by....

 

[killer]

afresh..? When you first re-instate WinMail it automatically creates that 'WindowsMail.MSMessageStore' file afresh.
As you go along, that files gets constantly updated.
If you are using the Backup/Restore procedure to bring the exact same WinMail Setup with you to a different computer and/or OS, you will need that file as is along with the entire folder as is - However Do Not mix and match 'WindowsMail.MSMessageStore' files - you either use the whole store folder from where it came, everything is a matched set of itself.

Let's get back to my previous post - you are not giving enough information <you are killing me> <vbg>
Besides the fact that utility prompts you the same message, so, you should also be telling me what is the exact address of your store folder as it exists now on your computer.
Browse your computer to it and copy/paste your exact address for that folder please so that I can actually where you have this folder physically located.
Also, I took the time to make you a screenshot but you don't offer more of the information back to me, why?
Open regedit and tell me what your message store file path says their please, edit to copy/paste it here

~~ cut ~~

PS,
You didn't say, are you using a previous message store folder you saved from a previous backup? or what? ..or is this a fresh install and you virgin setup WinMail afresh?

You need to give much more info of what you've already given in your posts all-around! ..in able to be of more help to solve your problem - Details Matter!

~~ cut ~~

Sorry about not providing not enough info. Attached here the 2 screenshots you requested.
I am actually trying to create a fresh empty mail where I can create the account from scratch. Or I can import my existing mails should I choose to. In whichever I choose I need to get winmail to open up.

 

[endeavor]

You still did not type enough information, however from the screenshots I can glean some (but not enough) to see some issues of why this is happening. You have these dated recovery folders, the ones I can see anyway that are 2018-04-05.... etc, etc, ..and they are replicated into your registry store folder location as well. This is Not ideally, normal.
I can't tell, and you did not say, what the source was that you brought your store folder from? A different Computer, and/or different OS, etc. Was it fragmented liked this in the source? etc, etc, or was it a fresh install?
A normal WinMail store folder will have all of it's files in the main store folder directly under Windows Mail folder; iow, not placed as subfolders within these other dated recovery folders - this is not normal and doing a fresh install of Win10 and a fresh re-instate of WinMail will never do this either. This is an issue that happened by something you did and/or by store folder corruptions, etc, caused by various...
If I was there with my hands on your keyboard I maybe could reconstruct and salvage your accounts, etc, by selectively reconstructing and deleting - but it's too much to walk you through it typing like this, darn it, I don't like doing things this way; but I'm not there, so let's make this quick since You asked for a fresh WinMail start. I'm hesitant even to have you do this because I am not able to tell how computer savvy your are and I don't want to be responsible for your stuff. I'm not though you are! I don't even know if you correctly did the page 1 & 2 for you v1709..
..but if You really want to start from a WinMail scratch... (actually it'll be less than scratch)

With the WinMail program closed..
First thing you need to get your 'registry' store folder location corrected and set default, for what we will do next.
[instructions removed, since you now revealed you had moved your store folder location - see my next post now]

(Don't you have a backup Partition Image saved of your previous OS, or one of previous date and time OS's with a working WinMail? ..so that you could salvage your store folder, etc, (that is if it's not corrupted there too) so that you did not have to start from scratch?))

EDIT:
I wanted to answer your other question I missed at first, and the answer is yes, later, when you have everything fully setup again and working and you've made a Back/Restore procedure, then and only then, if you wanted to try and save some of those emails, take that BadMessageStore.zip I had you make and unzip it (at a different location of course) and you will most likely be able to import some emails from it, by using the File> Import> Messages> Windows Mail 7 button, and point the Browse button to that 'Windows Mail' folder you just unzipped, import it - however all the boxes and emails will all show up in WinMail GUI under a new "Imported Folder/Local Folders" listings, etc,
Anyway if you don't like it or something goes amiss, this time you'll have a backup of a good store folder to restore as detailed in the procedure ...at least you'll be able to get back to where you were before you started the import by replacing the store folder with the good one you made.

 

[killer]

I still have my old boot disk which I export the original registry. Import it to my new OS it still the same. Take note that my old setting the mail folders are in my E: which is the same drive as my new OS is looking at. However I noticed the store file is also at some back folder with a date. The old boot disk winmail is not working anymore when Win10 suddenly forced an update to my system effective killing it. That strange date folder could be created when I tried to launch it. I guess the main issue here is how to get a working store file because it keep asking for one regardless if my folder is empty or not. It won't create a fresh one. I have attached my original registry here you can take a look. Thanks.