How to reinstate WinMail onto Windows 8/10/11

[endeavor]

Hello Andreas2022 and welcome to the Eight Forums with your first post.

I have been using the instructions, on this page, to reinstate Win Mail for YEARS. It always worked.
However, I never used Windows 10

Huh? How's that?
You mean you used this Tutorial previously for Windows 8 then, since you never used Windows 10 before.
(Windows 7 WinMail tutorial is on the Seven Forums, of which obviously cannot be used for Win8/10)

The facts are and have always been the Tutorial on Post 1 is for Windows 8 & Windows 10 up to version 1709.
Any version OS after v1709 needs to then also accomplish Post #2
All directions here are very clearly and meticulously explained in every detail, from Post 1 Through Post 5.
All the answers to all your questions asked today are Already given, the question is why did you not see it..
btw, using Win10 with WinMail is much much more labor intensive than using it with Win8, and also requires you to be much more vigilant, and always be aware, And Prepared, when a Windows Update happens, see Post 5.

When I tried to check for mail, I get the an error message with an error code - see the screenshot.

Please see the information on post #1 under the Spoiler "Important Time Line Notes" and under Note: 7/2019. Please read that whole piece. Also notice all your error screenshots I've already posted there at the end of those notes in the next Spoiler there called:
"Screenshots: Send, or Save, or 0x800C013E error messages"
..and you'll see I already give you all those same screenshots with explanations of why, and please read it this time.
Anyway after the fact, seems you now have a corrupted MSF. You can read about how to fix it all there too.
To fix it now you'll need to do a Restore, of the Backup & Restore instructions 1, 2, 3

I'm sorry but you need to follow all the directions properly and in order, there is no way around it.
It's complicated For Win10 and you have to take the time to understand it all before you proceed.
Remember this is a self-help tutorial for Advanced Users

Please read Post #3 very slowly, and then the same for Post 1 & 2 again this time, read every spoiler too, and read Post 5!
Read everything, understand everything, follow directions, it will work, it does every single time.
There are are no shortcuts, you must do the work first. It's easy!
Please don't post until you do your part, thank you.

 

[Andreas2022]

Well, I tried everything and it did not work.

However, I have to point out that I have been carrying the same MSF files for nearly 20 years now.
It started with an old proprietary e-mail client in 1995, imported the files into Outlook Express in 2000 and later into Windows Mail.


Anyways, I still could 'fix' it.
I opened WinMail (which still worked, apart from the error message), exported all my messages using the 'export messages' function, made a clean new installation, imported the messages and it runs perfectly.

It took me about 10 minutes to rearrange the message folders (they were a bit misplaced, but not by much), but everything is there and running - all 20,000 messages still in their original folders, as they were before.
Some of the folders got a new internal id, but that is not important.

 

[endeavor]

Well, I tried everything and it did not work.

If done correctly it will work every single time, 100% !
You must of missed something along the way is all.

However, I have to point out that I have been carrying the same MSF files for nearly 20 years now.

..sure I also have emails carried over from from that far back incorporated in my current WinMail as well, but for OE back then we used importing from OE to OE clients, but if you read the instructions with WinMail where now we use the manual Backup/Restore 1, 2, 3 procedure specifically for WM to WM operations, for all the Excellent reasons already so well expressed in the tutorial there.

apart from the error message

If done correctly there will be No Error message, and there will be no mish-mash of Recovery folders and/or Recovered Messages listings in the MSF location either; it should all be pristine clean.

Some of the folders got a new internal id, but that is not important.

..well it is important, and it shows it was not done correctly because there would be no errors, and have no need of auto recovery features to kick in, or use of the import function which is already explained in the tutorial. Sounds like it's a mess, but if you're happy then so be it.
Sounds like you did not do the Backup & Restore 1, 2, 3 procedures correctly in one way or the other, from one to the other, cause if you did it would be perfect.

Anyway in posts 1 & 2 (through 5) I've explained in incredible detail everything that needs to be done; also in my previous few replies to you, and so the rest is up to you. If I was there with my fingers on your keyboard I would be happy to do it for you, and every time would be successful in minutes (as long as you have a clean/clear MSF source of course)

I'm always more than happy to add/edit wording in the tutorial where needed, if needed, to lend to a 100% success. I've edited those instructions many times over the years all in an effort for giving exact details to be of the best help. I've edited the tutorial so many times that once z3r010 (forum admin) teased me as he told me the exact count of my edits (iirc which was well over a thousand or two) I'm just thoroughly dedicated to details though, to make it the best that I can for everyone's success.

 

[Mike Lynch]

Yes, I agree.

 

[Kukattooo]

Next problem: google will turn off "less secure apps" by May 30 and kick out any use of eMail clients that only use "username & password" – and WMV is affected ... Google will force to use "more secure technology" ... is there a way to make WMV capable of (any kind of) "enhanced google security"?

Btw: the offline dll is working fine so far – only flaw is that sending mail is not possible after an offline moment without quitting WMV and restarting it. That's no problem as long the possibility to save unsaved work is given – what is the case.

 

[Mike Lynch]

I have no idea how my whatever appeared here. I never subscribed to this thread that I know of!

 

[endeavor]

I have no idea how my whatever appeared here. I never subscribed to this thread that I know of!

The easy answer is that when you post to a thread here, you are automatically subscribed to it and get notices each time there is a new post in this thread, and so if you don't want to be subscribed to it, then go into your settings, find, and click unsubscribe! ..it's that simple.
And yes you did post Twice to this thread the day before yesterday, where you first quoted the ENTIRE post 1 tutorial (which was unnecessary) and you simply said "I agree" ..and then after that you posted another post Again, with the above post without the full quote this time, and as you see you just said, I Agree. Your first post was removed, and your current one stayed.

____________________________________

Btw: the offline dll is working fine so far

Yes I know it is <vbg>
I was wondering where you went Kukattooo, you never answered my last PM to you either with so much of my time put into working on it for you; but I get that a lot, people use people for their own needs and then disappear.

I also left some screenshots to finalize the IMAP testing I did for your request, and you can find those posted: Here

Note: I will Not return to that IMAP testing ever again, finis !

Next problem: google will turn off "less secure apps"

And I say good riddin's to google, imho <g> Who cares anyway <g>

I choose to Never use Windows Mail in conjunction with any third party free online commercial email companies like gmail, yahoo, etc, to pull in my email. There is nothing more 'not-private' about it with marketing bots continuously scanning the content of your emails, as well as you know who else is watching!
I only use WinMail connected to my own name dot.com server, with a thousand email address capability (pop, imap, whatever) ...and so in that way I have full control over it without the prying eyes that constantly watch, when you use these free online email services. Which btw they are never free, because you pay for them dearly with your privacy!
Actually just thinking about it, if you are using IMAP with these online companies then it's even more likely for you to have your issues mentioned last year you had with them. Use you own Kukattooo.com instead! Yes you will have to purchase it, but it's relatively inexpensive anyway; for instance I get my own server and ...com (your name.com) for free, which comes with an aprox $50 a year cost for basic service.
For the last 20 years I've used the very basic plan, and do not need or use any add-ons/ups, I just use basic service (is a lot) which also comes with 1 free domain name x2 ...for instance Kukattooo.com + Kukattooo.net
<<Web Hosting | Hosting Services for $1/month>>
..scroll down to see Essential

... is there a way to make WM capable of (any kind of) "enhanced google security"?

LoL, there is no 'security' with using google anyway; enough said by me about that.
You will just have to wait and see what they do, and what you can find for a way to work-around it.
(or get your own ...com)
It's not a WinMail issue that I will ever be looking into though.

_______________
Peace to the World now please

 

[Andreas2022]

Anyway in posts 1 & 2 (through 5) I've explained in incredible detail everything that needs to be done; also in my previous few replies to you, and so the rest is up to you. If I was there with my fingers on your keyboard I would be happy to do it for you, and every time would be successful in minutes (as long as you have a clean/clear MSF source of course)

That is probably the problem ... SOMEHOW, the MSF was hold together by stitches and good faith so far, but Win 10, in the end, broke it.

There are numerous factors that have to be taken into account here, especially the fact that, before I ever found this tutorial a while ago, I had some trouble of the MSF and several times, I repaired it - don't ask how, I don't remember.
Now, after 20 years, my MSF with dozens of gigabyte and tens of thousands of messages, could not be carried on.

Nonetheless, your tutorial is STILL helpful, because it gives important insight into the live and work of WinMail.

In that regard, your work, overall, was and is nonetheless EXTREMELY helpful!
It does/did help me understand WinMail even better.

 

[endeavor]

There are numerous factors that have to be taken into account here, especially the fact that, before I ever found this tutorial a while ago, I had some trouble of the MSF and several times, I repaired it - don't ask how, I don't remember.

Okay, I can certainly understand your explanation and how it happened, unfortunately though once a MSF is corrupted it's (relatively) lost.
So before you create a backup of your MSF of course it needs to be in proper order or you're just carrying over the corruption, so don't bother.
You'll need to either let WinMail create a new one on a first fresh OS install, which will be pristine, Or, via the instructions shows you how to force WinMail (deleting current MSF and let it create anew) ..and then start your messages from the beginning again. You could even try pointing the new MSF import browse button to another any condition MSF to see if it will (albeit disorderly) can capture something from the corrupted one.
In every case though, when you get your MSF in good working order the way you want it, is to then create a Backup 1, 2. 3 of your WM setup for the inevitable important later use

It's imperative no matter what, to Never let a (Not Backed Up) working MSF ever be subject to a Windows Update causing MSF corruption on it, because you will lose it every single time. This is why it's imperative for Windows Mail users (especially on Win10/11) to always, always, always, create a good backup of the MSF and zip/rar it First, and keep it safe (and current up to date) ..so that when you do do a Windows Update, you can easily survive the breakage by simply doing a Restore 1, 2, 3 ..All of which is explained in detail in the instructions.

This is also why what I've written in Post #5 ..for everyone to read and understand the Spoiler information for:
Win10 information, about controlling Windows Update, to run Only when You want it to, etc...
..is so darn 100% important.

Best of Luck to you (..but there's really no luck here, it's simply having the foresight, mindset, to create a 'working' Backup 1, 2, 3 in the first place)

 

[Andreas2022]

I think there might be a misunderstanding here ...

I had backups, of course.
They worked perfectly fine with Windows 8.1.

I created a fresh Win 10 installation on my new machine and for the love of Christ, it wouldn't work. It generated the error message that I described.

For testing purposes, I re-installated Win 8.1 and it worked fine. Then again, I made a fresh Win 10 installation and the MSF, which worked perfectly fine with Win 8.1, simply refused to work - with the aforementioned error message.
Perhaps the problem was that the Win 10 version is a Dell Windows 10 version? I don't know.

WinMail itself also ran perfectly fine, but whatever I tried to make my backed up MSF work - it failed.

Which then, ultimately, led me to the decision to use the export-import-function.


So the problem is not a lack of backups or anything, as I thought I had explained.
The problem is that it was impossible to get my existing MSF to work with Win 10.

 

[endeavor]

Now, after 20 years, my MSF with dozens of gigabyte and tens of thousands of messages, could not be carried on.

I just cannot fathom your statement. You're saying you currently have over 12+ GB! of messages?
It must be attachments taking up all that space? ..nonetheless, that is ridiculous/unnecessary amount anyway.
There is a max limitation of WinMail with how much email/news data it can carry on with.

I think there might be a misunderstanding here ...

Yes there is, and respectfully it's you who's not understanding on how exactly the procedure works, or you're not implementing correctly is all.

For testing purposes, I re-installated Win 8.1 and it worked fine. Then again, I made a fresh Win 10 installation and the MSF, which worked perfectly fine with Win 8.1, simply refused to work - with the aforementioned error message.

There is no error message if done correctly, period. If there is, understand you are not doing it right one way or the other.
I've already given you the information about the error screenshots you posted, please go back and see my previous reply to you about those screenshot errors in my post #761 above. I'm not going to repeat it all again here, but it's important!

Perhaps the problem was that the Win 10 version is a Dell Windows 10 version? I don't know.

No, the complete Backup/Restore 1, 2, 3 instructions (of the MSF, etc) if done correctly, is interchangeable back in forth, to and fro, right from either Vista/Win7/8/10/11/Server OS's ..one into the other, it makes no difference, and it will work perfectly with No Errors that you have showed, if done correctly, as long as the source has no errors and is clear in the first place! The difference is how and when you make the backup, timing, and in what order your restore it, and the exact details of what you do; for instance as mentioned in the Tutorial, do not copy one MSF on top of another (accounts will mix and corrupt) ..you must delete the broken first, and then paste in the working in its place, etc.

WinMail itself also ran perfectly fine, but whatever I tried to make my backed up MSF work - it failed.

If done correctly it cannot fail, as long as the original MSF folder is/was fully working at the time you made a backup of it.
It's all written up in the tutorial already, I want to help you, but anything else I say I'm just repeating myself over and over again.
If my eyes could actually see what you have previously working, and my eyes look at your whole MSF structure, and what you are doing with it, and how you are interpreting the instructions (iow, translating?) ..I would be able to point out what the problem is.

 

[Andreas2022]

There is a max limitation of WinMail with how much email/news data it can carry on with.

Where is that limit, in terms of the number of saved messages and/or folders?

 

[endeavor]

Where is that limit, in terms of the number of saved messages and/or folders?

You won't find it listed anywhere anymore that I'm aware of, so I suppose I should not of said it as a matter of fact, so don't focus on that. What I can say as fact is that I remember there was a time many years ago when I had a lot of tech newsgroups accounts and each were filled full with messages, and also had a lot of email accounts each filled full with messages too, and one day I started noticing a slowdown of it taking WM too long to open, and it would not respond promptly as I switched between emails, newsgroups, and other functions ..and as I kept adding more and more messages in the weeks following the worse it got (it also becomes more susceptible to message store corruption and is partly why MS MVP Steve Cochran made his WMUtil utility) Anyway after I had dramatically cleaned out both my email and newsgroups message store, it started working fine again.

At any rate when you said you had 12 GB of messages, I'd say that's a problem yes, and has its own issues, But, I Am Not Saying that is why you have those errors you posted about, no, because those types of errors in Win10/11 are specific and caused by.. ..what I have already so well outlined in the tutorial on post #1 under the spoiler "Important Time Line Notes" under Note: 7/2019.. ..and then under spoiler "Screenshots: Send, or Save, or 0x800C013E error messages" ..focus on that resolve instead and go back and read and follow the pointers given there, but especially meticulously follow the Backup 1, 2, 3 And Restore 1, 2, 3 instructions detail in its spoiler.

 

[jcc2]

Good day Endeavor and greetings from Lima.

I have not logged in or written in the forum for quite a while but I always keep an eye on it to check of any new suggestions or changes you might have made considering the latest versions of Windows 10, Windows 11 and Windows 11 DEV.

As you probably remember, i am running WinMail following your clear instructions for many years without any major problem or situation I could not resolve with your assistance and/or going over and following your instructions to the dot.

At home I am currently running WinMail without a problem in Windows 8.1 Pro and in my office PC in Windows 10 PRO Bld 19044.1586.

I am also testing WinMail in VM versions of Windows 11 Pro in Windows 11 Pro Bld 22000.588 and Windows 11 Pro DEV Bld 22579.1.

In this last VM test I had a minor problem when I tried to unzip the X64-SYSTEM32.ZIP into the Windows\System32\ folder.

Files ACCTRES.DLL and MSOEACCT.DLL were unpacked fine without problems, but file ACCTRES.DLL.MUI from folder EN-US was not allowed to be unpacked into the EN-US folder in System32. Eventually I was able to copy it by taking ownership of the EN-US Folder and that solved the problem and WinMail is running perfectly in all of my PC's and VM Test machines right now.

I don't know if the problem I had with the ACCTRES.DLL.MUI was caused by some error in my installation or the latest Windows 11 DEV Bld is blocking it for some reason. This did not happened with the previous Windows 11 DEV Bld 22572.1 or 22572,201.

I hope you can be able to check if this is a personal installation issue or it is a new minor problem that needs to be studied further.

Once again Endeavor, many thanks for your incredible work and dedication to making WinMail available to so many folks all over the world.

All the best,

JCC2

 

[endeavor]

Hello JCC2 and again greetings to you in Lima,
Nice to hear from you again

I hope you can be able to check if this is a personal installation issue or it is a new minor problem that needs to be studied further.

It's a minor problem, and yes I did notice this especially when working on the localization language change project, and was working with a lot of languages. I actually wrote in those Language Change instructions (not openly posted) about it, and what to do, which is...

(copy/paste from my notes)
In System32 folder newer OS's won't give you permission to overwrite a language folder, or a file within it. Once the file gets loaded it won't allow an overwrite. Also newer versions of Defender antics may also get involved. And so with WinMail, if it's just the copy / paste on a file is denied to you, then simply use the right click 'Take Ownership' tool you've already installed from Post 1, and right-click on just the acctres.dll.mui file itself inside your chosen language folder, take ownership of just that one file, delete it, copy/paste your new one in its place, done.
Of course Never take ownership of the actual System32 folder itself!
However in the case of taking ownership of the WinMail Programs folder in its location, is fine though - and preferred!

No other changes are necessary, it's all pretty simple really.
_____________

And so jcc2 in general it's preferable to just take ownership of the WinMail file itself in System32, but not the folder; in your case with WinMail EN-US language folder with that one file, no harm was done.

 

[jcc2]

Hello JCC2 and again greetings to you in Lima,
Nice to hear from you again


It's a minor problem, and yes I did notice this especially when working on the localization language change project, and was working with a lot of languages. I actually wrote in those Language Change instructions (not openly posted) about it, and what to do, which is...

(copy/paste from my notes)
In System32 folder newer OS's won't give you permission to overwrite a language folder, or a file within it. Once the file gets loaded it won't allow an overwrite. Also newer versions of Defender antics may also get involved. And so with WinMail, if it's just the copy / paste on a file is denied to you, then simply use the right click 'Take Ownership' tool you've already installed from Post 1, and right-click on just the acctres.dll.mui file itself inside your chosen language folder, take ownership of just that one file, delete it, copy/paste your new one in its place, done.
Of course Never take ownership of the actual System32 folder itself!
However in the case of taking ownership of the WinMail Programs folder in its location, is fine though - and preferred!

No other changes are necessary, it's all pretty simple really.
_____________

And so jcc2 in general it's preferable to just take ownership of the WinMail file itself in System32, but not the folder; in your case with WinMail EN-US language folder with that one file, no harm was done.

Thanks for your reply Endeavor....

Funny thing is that this only started happening with the latest DEV Bld. Anyway, as it is just a minor problem I will just take ownership of the file and then copy the required version into the folder in my future tests in VM's
I imagine that eventually you can include this issue in your Reinstate Instructions for Windows 11, specially when the DEV Bld goes into general use.

Stay safe from COVID 19 and lets hope that PEACE will return to this crazy world!!!

JCC2

 

[endeavor]

Please only quote from previous message what is necessary for you reply, and not the whole post, thank you.

I imagine that eventually you can include this issue in your Reinstate Instructions for Windows 11

I've edited Post 2, Step 13, to add a quick note about Take Ownership of that file
fwiw, there are a number of ways to accomplish this, and for Advanced users it should be a known anyway

Funny thing is that this only started happening with the latest DEV Bld

Not a surprise, actually it's expected.
The reason it did not prompt you on your first install is because that file is not present within the Latest installs of Win10 and any version of Win11 installs in the first place. See post 1 spoiler: circumvented info 2017, explaining where Microsoft has removed the OE legacy code; and so yes it'll let you place the file at first without any fuss, but after your second attempt to replace what's already there, and loaded, then yes it will prompt you.

~fwiw, please read the post 1 Timeline Spoiler Note: 10/2021, because using WinMail on Win10 & Win11 is so much more complicated to keep it going than what you were using previous years on Win8, and requires special attention at every single major update.

~Also please read Post 5 spoiler for information how to protect WinMail on Win10/11 so that you can decide to have control over when Windows Update is able to run, when you are ready for it, for WinMail sake.

Thank you,
Stay safe wishes to you as well, and yes, peace to this crazy world.

 

[EddieR]

Next problem: google will turn off "less secure apps" by May 30 and kick out any use of eMail clients that only use "username & password" – and WMV is affected ... Google will force to use "more secure technology" ... is there a way to make WMV capable of (any kind of) "enhanced google security"?

Btw: the offline dll is working fine so far – only flaw is that sending mail is not possible after an offline moment without quitting WMV and restarting it. That's no problem as long the possibility to save unsaved work is given – what is the case.

 

[EddieR]

Have your Gmail forwarded to another service. I use the one owned by my ISP. Then set up WinMail to download from the other service.
Easy, so far.

 

[jrgx]

Next problem: google will turn off "less secure apps" by May 30 and kick out any use of eMail clients that only use "username & password" – and WMV is affected ... Google will force to use "more secure technology" ... is there a way to make WMV capable of (any kind of) "enhanced google security"?

Btw: the offline dll is working fine so far – only flaw is that sending mail is not possible after an offline moment without quitting WMV and restarting it. That's no problem as long the possibility to save unsaved work is given – what is the case.

This issue to sync messages using a google account has started
stopped syncing messages !!