How to Import or Restore Windows Mail or Outlook Express Mail Rules

If you have made a backup copy of your Outlook Express mail filters, you can recover them from the saved file. It can require some work but in the end you'll have a new Windows Mail or Outlook Express with all your old mail rules, and I think that's worth it.

Restore Windows Mail Mail Rules

To recover or import your Windows Mail email filters from a backup copy:

• Double-click on "Mail Rules.reg" in Windows Explorer.
• Click Yes.
• Click OK.

Restore Outlook Express Mail Rules

To import or restore mail rules in Outlook Express from a backup copy:

• Open Notepad.
• Select File | Open from the menu.
• Locate and open the "Mail Rules.reg" file that contains your backup mail rules.
• Highlight the string contained in braces ("{}"), following "[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\­Identities\" in the second line. Make sure you highlight the string including the braces.
• Hit Ctrl-C.
• Select Edit | Replace from the menu.
• Click in the Find what entry field and hit Ctrl-V.
• Go to the Outlook Express settings in the Windows registry.
• Click on the Identities key in the tree in the left pane.
• Double-click on Default User ID in the right pane.
• Hit Ctrl-C.
• Hit Esc.
• Go back to Notepad.
• Click in the Replace with entry field.
• Hit Ctrl-V.
• Click Replace All.
• Hit Esc.
• Close Notepad saving the changes to the file.
• Double-click on "Mail Rules.reg" in Windows Explorer.
• Click Yes.