How to reinstate WinMail onto Windows 8/10/11

[spapakons]

To import .eml files into Windows Live Mail, open the application, navigate to File -> Import messages, select Windows Live Mail as the format, then Browse to locate your .eml file or folder, and follow the prompts to complete the import process, selecting the desired folders for import.

Detailed Steps to Import EML files into Windows Live Mail:

1. 1. Open Windows Live Mail:
   Launch the Windows Live Mail application on your computer.
   
   
2. 2. Access Import Function:
   Click on the Menu icon (usually in the top-left corner) and then select Import messages. Alternatively, you can press Alt + F to open the File menu and then select Import messages.
   
   
3. 3. Select Source Format:
   In the import window, choose Windows Live Mail from the list of options and click Next.
   
   
4. 4. Locate EML Files:
   Click Browse and navigate to the location where your .eml files are saved. You can select a single .eml file or a folder containing multiple .eml files.
   
   
5. 5. Choose Folders for Import:
   After browsing, you'll have the option to import Selected folders or All folders within your chosen location. Select your preference and click Next.
   
   
6. 6. Finish Import:
   Click Finish to complete the import process. Your imported messages will appear in the "Imported Folder" within the "Storage folders" section in the bottom-left pane of Windows Live Mail. You may need to click on the View tab and ensure "Storage folders" is highlighted if it's not visible.

 

[endeavor]

The topic sound interesting. Sorry, it's rather late (local time 0:44) and I don't want to read through all the posts.

It would be better before you post blindly, I suggest you take the time to read all the posts in this work then since this ''Windows Mail'' project is already 13 yrs in the making. Notice this is a ''Windows Mail'' thread and not Windows Live Mail.

 

[endeavor]

How do u import the eml files to this? i tried to export them as microsoft exchange and wont export

You don't need to and there is no reason to since there is a much better and all encompassing way to carry over you previous message store, and it's all explained in great laborious detail already on post 1 in the spoiler Backup & Restore Procedure 1, 2, 3.

Thoroughly read all instructions and notes in post 1 & 2 before proceeding, for the best WinMail outcome

 

[muell]

Good Day.
Maybe you have some hints for me.
Using windows 10 and tried to reinstall winmail but failed. Tried the suggested steps several times now.
What i did : Installed a new Win10 Pro (no upgrade) version 22H2, systembuild 19045.5965

Winmail is not starting after the steps done, doubleclick on the exe , just nothing happens.
Read somewhere else that copying the file acctres.dll solved the issue and yes, if i copy this dll inside the winmail folder, winmail is starting , i can see all my email etc.
BUT i can not access my account profiles ... seems that they are running,i do get new emails, but if i click on the menu item, just nothing happens.

Tried another way to reinstall winmail : there is a tool "WMrestore", a setup and yes, after installing it, winmail is working fine (no acctres dll or other steps are needed) BUT this tool installs other things, like to be paid for...
Uninstalling the tool but i am back as above, winmail not starting, copy the acctres.dll, winmail opens but no access to the menu item for my email accounts/profiles.

So i guess this tool above has changed the registry and the uninstaller removed those changes.
Any hint why your steps are not working on my fresh installed win10 ? or which registry entry could be missing ?
Thanks

 

[endeavor]

Winmail is not starting after the steps done, doubleclick on the exe , just nothing happens.

Know confidently that if all the steps were followed exactly it will work 100% every single time, proven many thousands of times.
You've just missed doing one of the steps properly is all.

Usually with WinMail not starting like that is because you are trying to start the wrong WinMail.exe version. For that issue See Post 1 = Step 1 through 7 and note the red lettering there in steps 4, 5, 6.
Note though, all steps = the entire tutorial (Post 1 & 2) needs to reinstated correctly, properly, for everything to work right.

Read somewhere else that copying the file acctres.dll

nope, you're confusing things; if that file is wrong then the Accounts tab won't work..

Tried another way to reinstall winmail : there is a tool "WMrestore",

I have no idea what this other WMrestore is or what it did, and I don't really want to know.
For Free, Everything needed for WinMail to work correctly is right here in post 1 & 2.
You just need to have a good understanding of basic computer operations. If you're an advanced user it will take you just 5 minutes to get it all working, but importantly every step needs to be understood and followed correctly; there are no shortcuts to this ability.

Any hint why your steps are not working on my fresh installed win10 ?

Since you did all this other stuff now, perhaps a new fresh install of Win10 OS, and start over with this Windows Mail tutorial with some knowledge under your belt.

 

[muell]

Know confidently that if all the steps were followed exactly it will work 100% every single time, proven many thousands of times.
You've just missed doing one of the steps properly is all.

Usually with WinMail not starting like that is because you are trying to start the wrong WinMail.exe version. For that issue See Post 1 = Step 1 through 7 and note the red lettering there in steps 4, 5, 6.
Note though, all steps = the entire tutorial (Post 1 & 2) needs to reinstated correctly, properly, for everything to work right.


nope, you're confusing things; if that file is wrong then the Accounts tab won't work..


I have no idea what this other WMrestore is or what it did, and I don't really want to know.
For Free, Everything needed for WinMail to work correctly is right here in post 1 & 2.
You just need to have a good understanding of basic computer operations. If you're an advanced user it will take you just 5 minutes to get it all working, but importantly every step needs to be understood and followed correctly; there are no shortcuts to this ability.


Since you did all this other stuff now, perhaps a new fresh install of Win10 OS, and start over with this Windows Mail tutorial with some knowledge under your belt.

Thanks endeavor, for this article at all and your quick reply. I love winmail and used it till last month on my win7.
But now its time for win10 ...
I would say i am a skilled windows user but right, sometimes the "experts" might know it better and not following or changing steps.
Like as i am already admin to my own windows i thought that i did not need a tool for taking ownership, i just took ownership without a tool ...
Will try another fresh windows install soon and follow your steps 1 by 1.
Thanks

 

[muell]

Thanks endeavor, for this article at all and your quick reply. I love winmail and used it till last month on my win7.
But now its time for win10 ...
I would say i am a skilled windows user but right, sometimes the "experts" might know it better and not following or changing steps.
Like as i am already admin to my own windows i thought that i did not need a tool for taking ownership, i just took ownership without a tool ...
Will try another fresh windows install soon and follow your steps 1 by 1.
Thanks

btw, just copied over again all the files from your zip, so for sure the right winmail.exe.
Same behaviour, winmail.exe does not start.
But if i copy the acctres.dll and msoeacct.dll into the folder , winmail is starting but still i can not access my email profiles.
But the profiles are working, new emails came in.
And i am running winmail in german, but dont think this makes any difference

 

[endeavor]

i thought that i did not need a tool for taking ownership,

Yes of course you can do it manually, but using Brinks little simple registry addition to Take Ownership with a simple right click, is so darn easy and much faster / simpler than doing it manually - it's a no contest to use it.

Again, if x64 OS be sure you are creating the shortcut to your desktop using and starting from the proper WinMail.exe in
C:\Program Files\Windows Mail
and NOT
C:\Program Files (x86)

Take ownership and delete the original C:\Program Files\Windows Mail folder, and then replace it; iow, do not try and copy the new one over itself.

...and of course in the first place only replacing all the files in:
C:\Program Files\Windows Mail
(again don't touch that "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Mail" folder)

Everything is written in the tutorial the way it is for a reason and learned purpose.

 

[endeavor]

But if i copy the acctres.dll and msoeacct.dll into the folder

No no no no that is not the way to do it, you are trying to cob job things together incorrectly by doing it the wrong way and rewrite history from and for who knows why, but it's the wrong way, period, end of story. You just don't realize how many years we have done all of this successfully, when you are on basically day one here being a new member; which btw I forgot to say Welcome to the Eight Forums

Follow the tutorial properly, and exactly, or you won't get the right outcome.
The tutorial is jam packed with information, and there is no way you have gleaned all of it in just one day.
Either you do it the right way from scratch, properly, or I can't help you.

 

[muell]

Good news and many thanks. Your hints solved my issue !
OK, right, i did not read and followed your Post 2, that was my main problem.
But now i found that just the acctres.dll.mui file was missing to show the email accounts/profiles.
I just had to copy it (ok into my winmail folder, together with all the other dlls, as i do not like to copy dll that are needed by a single application into the main win32 folder)

But again, your posts are perfect (if i would have read them in all details) and sure the posts need to be for windows beginners too.

So again, you solved my problem, saved my day and keep doing and supporting (stuped "experts" like me)

 

[muell]

Just a thought, could it make sense to add a new Post / file package ?
Guess that today no one is left with x86 (windows 10 or 11)
So 1 file package with the winmail files, all the DLLs needed into the main winmail folder.
And 1 registry file with all the changes together, so the new steps could be (like for me) :
1) replace the winmail folder with this folder (exe and dlls)
2) run the reg file
3) use winmail and be happy

Just as a 2025 Update to your grown post with different steps needed in the past.
Winmail is such a perfect little, small tool, not overloaded but has everthing you need to read and write emails, so manager your junk mails, block spam ... and thats it.

 

[endeavor]

Just a thought, could it make sense to add a new Post / file package ?

Guess that today no one is left with x86

You would be surprised how many people still use x86.
I've told members right along many times in various posts throughout this thread, that for a WinMail reinstate I recommend each person stage and line up in order just the files needed for 'their own' particular OS's installs to make it easier for themselves to reinstate WinMail each time they need to. Once you get it down, you got it easy, click, click, click....
Realize out front here I have to maintain both x86 & x64 in all OS's though, and still support Windows 8.

I realize that for a 'first time reader' of this tutorial that it takes some dedicated time of reading and understating to get it right, that's why I say it's for advanced computer users in the first place.
For me when I do it myself, as I've said I have all the files lined up in order with what to do. I have the files and target folder shortcuts and everything already in place, and I simply go down the list and reinstate WinMail in just a few minutes. It's so easy ...click, click, click ..and it's done. I don't need an installer because I am the installer, LoL.
At this stage of the game it would be way too much effort to create and incorporate a full comprehensive installer for WinMail to cover everything all at once, it's just not worth the time and effort, and besides there are fewer and fewer members who use WinMail anymore. I understand this. I never moved this tutorial over to the Ten or Eleven sister Forums here for obvious appropriate reasons.

I just had to copy it (ok into my winmail folder, together with all the other dlls, as i do not like to copy dll that are needed by a single application into the main win32 folder)

FYI and FWIW, it is to know that All the Files and Registry entries given within this tutorial right from the beginning, and then again more-so after the 2017 depreciation where MS further removed the OE legacy code of WinMail as explained and linked in Post 1 Spoiler: Circumvented info 6/2017. And so then to reverse Everything that MS removed to get WinMail back working again - all files and code given as downloads in this WinMail Tutorial were meticulously gathered and assimilated to reinstate and put everything back to the original locations that MS designed and coded it to. MS put files in the System32 folder and not the Program folder for a reason, and so again everything was painstakingly restored back original. All files and registry entries given here are MS original to Vista/Win7 orientation.

...btw muell, I know you want to do it your own way, but everything in the tutorial is written the way it is for a reason, and to solve problems in overall operation.

 

[agev]

Hi again endeavor,

I’ve previously written a post (#813) in December 2022.

This time, I fell clumsily at the last hurdle.
I was trying to install WinMail from a W7 OS with WinMail fully working to a Win11 24H2 fresh install on another laptop.

I’ve completed steps 1-15 correctly, opened and set WinMail as the Default Mail Client.

I did steps 1 &2 of the restore procedure and opened WinMail to find… no messages.

I then realised that I had made the silly mistake of unzipping the MSF in the wrong location and ended up with one Windows Mail folder inside of another Windows Mail Folder.

I deleted the corrupt Windows Mail\Windows Mail MSF and this time extracted the zip backup in its correct (%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail) path.
But when I reopened WinMail, I still had no messages.

It’s a friend’s computer, I didn’t have time to try and fix this issue.
What am I missing?

If I’m not mistaken, all I have to do is delete the corrupt MSF folder and replace it with the working MSF in its correct location before restarting WinMail.
Should I have repeated step 2 of the restore procedure and merged once again the latest saved registry export before restarting WinMail (which I didn’t do).
Should I have restarted the computer at some point?

What is the best procedure in such a case?

Thanks in advance,

agev

 

[endeavor]

Hello agev, good to see you again.

I cannot say it any better than what I have meticulously written it in the the spoiler for Backup/Restore Procedure 1, 2, 3 already on post 1, only because if I try and repeat myself here off the cuff, I don't want to chance a remembering mistake in thinking or wording.

To do a Save and/or Restore of your message store, always refer to the spoiler for Backup/Restore Procedure 1, 2, 3 on post 1, it's jam packed with carefully worded details.

Of course though please, if by chance I missed an important wording or exception, I'd want to know please so I can fix it immediately

...some repeated points of interest though are:
Make sure you don't have any nested folders either, or create them if you do not use the Extract Here method.
Never extract over itself causing a Merge of contents.
The end result BEFORE starting WinMail of its folder structure should be:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail
..in other words..
C:\Users\xxxYourComputerNamexxx\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail

Also remember the end result must be only 'One' Windows Mail folder in
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail

iow, Never nested with two Windows Mail\folders like this:
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Mail\Windows Mail

If you happen to start WinMail while you have any type of nested folder situation - it will instantly corrupt itself - and you must start over again.

...other points of interest though are:
Importantly is that your message store (Windows Mail) folder (what you have in your backup zip file) is 100% correctly done in the first place? ..and created while it was 100% previously working ...if yes, then you can unzip it using (Extract Here) as many times as you want without ever losing that saved precious cargo within it, so protect it, and so always create and keep the most recent one, while it's 100% working correctly of course. Never add/merge anything back into this zip either; iow, have it created while everything is 100% working.

If I’m not mistaken, all I have to do is delete the corrupt MSF folder and replace it with the working MSF in its correct location before restarting WinMail.
Should I have repeated step 2 of the restore procedure and merged once again the latest saved registry export before restarting WinMail (which I didn’t do).
Should I have restarted the computer at some point?
What is the best procedure in such a case?

Be sure WinMail is not running, nor any instances of it running in task manager while you are working on it
Replace the MSF as is written to do, yes, but it has to be done correctly.
Also just in case how hard is it to delete that registry key and merge the backup one - 5 seconds total ...but usually no you don't, if, you did things correctly, which you didn't.
If everything is done correctly on a Backup & Restore procedure, no computer reboot is necessary.

 

[agev]

Thank you endeavor for your prompt and comprehensive response.

No sweat!
I’ll restart from scratch as soon as I can access my friend’s computer.

I’ve already reinstated WinMail successfully a few times, this last time I made the fateful unzipping mistake.
I did suspect that I would have to start over again, just wanted to make sure.

Having read the spoiler for Backup/Restore Procedure 1, 2, 3 more times than I can count and having appreciated your carefully worded details , I knew exactly what mistake I had made.

If you happen to start WinMail while you have any type of nested folder situation - it will instantly corrupt itself - and you must start over again.

Good to know. I’ll make sure to check before opening WinMail.

And yes, the message store folder was 100% correctly done and created while it was 100% previously working.

Thanks again,

agev