Backing up Address Book in Outlook Express

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sherib

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After recent problems I've been backing up My Documents onto CDs. This has gone OK using copy and paste. I've tried to do the same with the Address Book in Outlook Express but when I try to open it from the CD get a message saying
The Address Book has been locked by another applicatation
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Would be grateful for any suggestion and hope that isn't too stupid a question. I've read that Settings (?system status) should also be backed up but even though I'm an Administrator that doesn't work either using a CD. The message I get from Backup Utility is:
The backup file name could not be used. "E:\Backup System State inc Registry 25.02.05,bkf". Please ensure it is a valid path and that you have sufficent access.
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Have no idea where that date came.
:confused:
 
Just tried this on OE, File / Export / Address book and saved it as a WAB file. When I click on it, it opens fine in the same format as OE, should also make it easy to import. Just backup the file as normal.

You have a look at www.download.com for some free backup utilities to make it easier or automated
 
Re: Copying O. E. Address Book to CD - locked

Thanks for that advice stobear. It worked - up to a point. Exported successfully to My Docs where I could open it. However, when I copied it to the CD for back up purposes, it couldn't be opened. Message came up that it was locked by another application. In the end I copied it to a floppy disk and have no problem opening it there. Couldn't figure out any way to open the Address Book on the CD. At least I have a backup now. Could you try it and see what happens as the floppy was a last resort?
 
If you can't open it from a read-only volume such as a CD then presumably when it opens it OE attempts to write something to that volume so that it will only work from a read-write volume. Maybe there's a hack for this allowing access to backups on read-only volumes?
 
Don't know anything about volumes so won't mess around there. I did try to change the file from 'read only' to 'archive' but that's not allowed. Are you saying someone (a hack) might have a way around this? That would be great - thanks CM. Looking forward to that but why does it open OK from a floppy?
 
sherib - to re-phrase what has been said above :
- when you try to open the file on CD your mail client wants to write a file at the same time, but since you are using it from CD and CDs are nominally read-only the program complains and doesn't open the file.
- when you copy the same file to a floppy and try to open it the program doesn't complain because the floppy is read/write and the file is written.

z
 
sherib said:
Don't know anything about volumes so won't mess around there. I did try to change the file from 'read only' to 'archive' but that's not allowed. Are you saying someone (a hack) might have a way around this? That would be great - thanks CM. Looking forward to that but why does it open OK from a floppy?
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Zag has re-explained what I posted earlier. I wasn't saying that there definitely is a solution to the issue of opening the files from a read-only filesystem/volume but just saying that if you Google for information you may find that somebody has found a workaround.
 
Thanks for those explanations from CM and Z. Hadn't realised that everything copied to a CD is read only. Address Book aside, it's a pity one can't get CDs that are read/write like a floppy. Maybe that's down the road. I'm satisfied that I have a backup. If the experts around here haven't got an easy answer I wouldn't think Googling would come up with much but I'll give it a go. I know enough to know how little I know in this area!
 
Just re-read the original question, and the backup generates a *.bkf file which I assume is the generated by the backup program. Obviously one cannot open this file as it needs to be restored using the original application ie you wont see or be able to access the individual files bundled in to the backup file. Did I mis-interpret?
 
I presumed that backing up to a BKF file was a first stab at backing the stuff up but that this was superceded by whatever information was in the link that stobear posted?
 
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