Transfer OE Address Book To Vista

Reader Asks How To Move Their Address Book To A New Laptop

Q: I purchased a new laptop that has Vista Home Premium. I want to move the addresses stored in Outlook Express on my old machine to the new one, but there isn't Outlook Express on Vista, there's something called Mail. How can I move my contacts to the new laptop?

A: Outlook Express is no more. It has been "upgraded" and renamed to "Mail" in Vista, but fear not -- it's still basically the same. What you need to do is make a copy of the .WAB file on you old machine, and then "Import" it on the new machine.

1) In the Search tool (Start >Search) search for "Files and folders", and enter "*.wab" (no quotes) in the "What to search for" textbox.
(Or, navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\user\Local settings\App Data\Identities\{a string of numbers}\Microsoft\Outlook Express)

2) Drag the .wab file from the results window to your portable media -- floppy disc, thumb drive. This will copy the file. (or.. you can attach the file to an e-mail, and e-mail it to yourself.)

3) Take the thumb drive/floppy to your new machine and plug it in.

4) Now launch (fancy talk for "open") Windows Mail.

Click on "File", then "Import", and then "Windows Contacts".

You will be prompted for what to import, and simply point the wizard to your portable media, and then click on the .wab file.

That's it. You're done. Now your old Address Book is installed on your new computer.

Today's free download: Speakonia is a freeware utility that reads text out loud. Speakonia comes with about 20 voices (all with strong robotic accents) and lets you quickly change the reading speed and pitch. Speakonia can save text in WAV files for playback when you're driving or jogging, but unfortunately it can't save sound files in the MP3 format. The program interface is clear and straightforward; you simply select text in any document and press Ctrl C to read it aloud. Decent performance and free price make it a reasonable choice for the vision-impaired or people who'd rather do their reading with their ears than their eyes.

Copyright 2007-9 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Share this post :

Poisoned E-mail From Amazon

Transaction Notice Has Virus Attachment

Cybercriminals have started using an old trick with a new twist -- sending spam e-mails purporting to be from a real company regarding a "recent transaction" (or shipment). The e-mail has an attachment claiming to be a summary, receipt, or 'required' form.

Of course, the attachment is a virus, and "opening" it infects your computer.
(Many security experts would have told you this method was obsolete and no longer being used..)

In this most recent wave of spam attack, the company being spoofed is Amazon.com. It reads:
Your transaction has been processed by WorldPay, on behalf of Amazon Inc.
The invoice file is attached to this message.
This is not a tax receipt.
We processed your payment.
Amazon Inc has received your order,
and will inform you about delivery.
Sincerely,
Amazon Team

This confirmation only indicates that your transaction has been processed successfully.
It does not indicate that your order has been accepted.
It is the responsibility of Amazon Inc to confirm that
your order has been accepted, and to deliver any goods or services you have ordered.

Remember folks, your clicking bypasses your security, so resist your curiousness. Never click the links in unexpected/unsolicited email. Best yet, don't even open them.

Copyright 2007-9 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Share this post :

Is That Really True?

"Computers are not only now an integral part of our daily lives, they've also become the primary means by which urban legends and other pieces of misinformation are now spread — everything from "stupid computer user" stories to virus warning hoaxes (and the occasional real warning)."

Folks, I have warned against opening forwarded "virus warning" e-mails here before (see, SEND THIS E-MAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW!), and I've asked you to inform your friends and relatives (who seem to always fall for them) about them too. Try to "break the cycle"..

Today I'd like to tell you about Snopes. Snopes is the place to go if you suspect something as being faked, so you can "debunk" the frauds.

Snopes offers factual debunking in the following categories:

I often refer people to Computers > Virus Hoaxes & Realities. But I can highly recommend looking at the "Frauds & Scams" category, too.

Copyright 2007-9 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Share this post :

Time-lapse E-mail

This video "time lapse" shows the evolution of digital mail. It may bring back some memories..

Copyright 2007-9 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix

Share this post :