Import old mails without wiping existing

Initial setup
1

On the old PC, installed the latest version of eM Client, imported all mails from Windows Live Mail.

Set up the new PC, installed the exact same binary of eM Client, and [without realising this was the wrong thing to do] went through the initial setup and got email working perfectly. All existing emails synced with the ISP.

Now I want to import all those old mails from the old PC.

Option (1) - backup the old PC from within eM Client & restore in the new one - no, that is going to wipe all the stuff I have just set up and downloaded

Option (2) - copy the entire database folder (C:\Users{username}\AppData\Roaming\eMClient) onto an external disk and import into the new eM Client - error message
“The selected directory doesn’t contain eM Client data files or the data files were created with too old version of eM Client”

Well both those statements are clearly not true so by definition there is a bug in the software, but surely there must be a workaround?

2

What I suggest you do is move eM Client from the old device to the new one following the process here: New device and eM Client? No problem! | eM Client

It won’t change the messages on your server. As soon as the restore is complete on the new device, the server synced folders will immediately revert to what is on the server, not what is in the backup. Nothing will be lost.

However, if you are using POP3 accounts, you will need to follow the partial restore option described here: How to restore backup in eM Client | eM Client

3

Umm, OK thanks, but pardon me, if an error message says one of two possible scenarios exist and neither one does that’s a bug.

I have avoided copying the entire database over as described in that post because I’m switching from POP3 to IMAP and didn’t want to mess up the settings but I guess I’m just going to have to live with redoing the IMAP sync.

Thanks Gary

5

This can happen if you are trying to import from version 6 to 9, it may not work as that is a very old version.

What you can do is install version 8 instead, then do the import from 6, then upgrade to 9.

6

Thanks Gary, but as I pointed out in my original post, "Set up the new PC, installed the exact same binary of eM Client " - i.e. both are on 9.2.2157 (5b49542)

7

There is only one import from eM Client option, and that is the import from 6.

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In most cases if you try to use that in version 9, you will get the error you gave.

It won’t import version 9 data, it will try to import version 6 data which may not be there. Therefore the error. It’s not a bug.

8

:person_facepalming:

My bad, I didn’t spot that :disappointed:

So is there not an import option for the scenario I’m in? Just move the database over and carry on from there?

9

Yes. See the link I gave which gives instructions for moving across to a new device either using backup/restore or moving the database folder manually.

10

Yeah ok done that thanks.