This Cloudeight freeware pick lets you read Outlook Express DBX files, EML files and more

By | October 29, 2011
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We are telling you…warning you…there will come a day when Outlook Express has completely disappeared – but all those DBX files that it left behind might still be hanging around if you saved them. And if you’re using Outlook Express on Windows XP right now, you might want to save them – they contain all your emails and folders you know.

So what, you say? Here’s what, we say! If you don’t have Outlook Express those DBX files won’t mean a thing. They are Outlook Express database files and they contain all your Outlook Express messages. All those saved messages you’re just dying to read but won’t be able to as Windows moves away from Outlook Express – which is a shame and another story altogether

There are, as of now, more of you using Windows 7 than Windows XP. And those of you who still use XP will be making a switch in the next year or two – to Windows 7 or Windows 8. And Windows 8 won’t have Outlook Express or Windows Mail or any mail client. You’ll be using Windows Live Mail – or something else.

So, what’s a dyed-in-the-wool Outlook Express user going to do years from now when Outlook Express is a distant memory but all your memories and emails are stored in Outlook Express DBX files that you can’t read because you no longer have Outlook Express? We’re here to help you. Have no fear, Mail Viewer is here. If all your old email from Outlook Express is stored in DBX files and you don’t have Outlook Express installed, here’s what you’re going to see if you try to open a DBX file:

785898uyfuiaghulk/cc55tyvhui5g5gui3qweghruttry8t9y89y a”’l8988 8888= &&&—8 8888 *** ;ht9y bbna[y9ytgabb ggq; ttbna*&&*

If you can read that, you’re amazing. Most of us can’t. DBX files will be gibberish if you try to open them with anything else besides Outlook Express. But, now along comes Mail Viewer and that’s good news. When Outlook Express is totally gone, at least your old Outlook Express mail messages, stored as DBX files will be readable if you have installed Mail Viewer, that is.

Mail Viewer is a handy-dandy little program that lets you read Outlook Express DBX files – plain and simple. Maybe it doesn’t sound so interesting today, if you’re using Outlook Express, Future versions of Windows, won’t have Outlook Express. That’s when Mail Viewer will become very important. It would be a good thing to download now, it before you need it, than to wait until you need it and can’t find it – right? Plus it can read older .idx and .mbx files from Outlook Express 4 and 5 as well as .dbx files from Outlook Express 6. Sort of a program for all seasons! You can open up those old emails and copy them to a new email and save them again no matter what email program your future holds.

And the icing on the cake? Mail Viewer can open EML files too. Lots of those around you know.

Here’s what the author has to say. Luckily for you, unlike me, he’s a man of few words:

“Mail Viewer is a “Viewer for standalone files containing Microsoft Outlook Express 4,5 and 6 message database (*.idx/*.mbx/*.dbx) and standalone EML files. This application is based on MiTeC Outlook Express Reader. It displays list of contained messages and their header. Message can be viewed in detailed view including attachments (save ability) and HTML preview and printing. Messages can be saved to *.eml files. “

So, no more need to be said. If you don’t know what Mail Viewer does by now or why you need it, you probably won’t and probably don’t. Anyway, we thought it was so useful for the present and the future, we named Mail Viewer our Freeware Pick Of The Week. Go get it!

The details:
Mail Viewer
Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 (32/64 bit)
964 KB Zip file
What is it? It’s an Outlook Express DBX (database folder) file viewer; an .EML viewer
Also reads Thunderbird and Windows Live Mail databases

8 thoughts on “This Cloudeight freeware pick lets you read Outlook Express DBX files, EML files and more

  1. Linda B

    I downloaded Mail Viewer as you suggested, as I am one of those dyed-in-the-wool Outlook Express users you speak of. Now, my question is, what do I do with it/how does it work? I followed the link you gave and downloaded from there, but nowhere on the site does it explain how to use it. I’m definitely at a loss – how will I know what to do when/if I use it? Thanks for all the great information you give – I have learned so much from your site and Information Avenue newsletter!

    Reply
    1. infoave Post author

      If you’re using Windows XP you don’t need this program – Outlook Express opens DBX files and EML files. We posted Windows XP as one of the operating systems it works on – but also noted that Mail Viewer is primarily for those who no longer have access to Outlook Express – i.e. Vista and Seven.

      That being said you can use it simply by clicking “File” “Open” – you’ll be presented with 4 options – Open Outlook Express Database (DBX), Open folder containing EML files with an additional option to “Browse Windows Mail/Windows Live Mail store” and option to browse the Thunderbird Message Store – and an option to Open an EML file.

      It’s a very simple program.

      Reply
  2. chris

    Downloaded OK. Opened up only once, after I had stopped AVAST from stopping it. But never worked again. Weird. Still looking for a program to work. Thanks anyway.

    Reply
  3. Barbara Jean Bowden

    Well, after readings above comments, I need to know if this wonderful program actually works? I no longer use Outlook Express, have many messages that are on an old xp machine, and have copied them to my vista, but cannot open the dbx files. Thank you for your help.

    Reply
  4. P Hutchinson

    I’m looking for a dbx viewer that I can download onto the same flashdrive I’m storing email on, so that I can read old emails from any computer with a USB…

    Is there any such animal?
    If it’s something I have to buy, I want it to be a one-shot program and not a continuing “service”…

    Reply
    1. infoave Post author

      Since a flash drive is just another drive, the program does not have to be “installed” on the flash drive, merely the computer into which the flash drive is plugged in. You could also download the installer to the same flash drive as the DBX files. Keep in mind DBX is not a stable format which is why Microsoft abandoned it in Windows Mail, the successor to Outlook Express. Your best bet is to extract the emails from the DBX files and save them as .eml – a format which can be read by and imported by many email programs.

      Reply
  5. cdg

    I downloaded and ran this program, and then attempted to open a .dbx file and display a message. All of the html formatting is ignored, and the message is displayed as one long string of characters on a single unreadable line. In short, this program is useless. You may as well us Notepad to read the .dbx file. Then you can search for text strings, etc. However, a better solution is to install Windows XP as a virtual machine using Virtual Box, and then you can use Outlook Express and all the other programs that W7/8/10 no longer support.

    Reply
    1. infoave Post author

      That post was written 4 years ago. We don’t constantly go back and change programs. Further, the article never says “preserves HTML formatting”. When we tested it, it rendered readable emails — I highly doubt that people trying to save important emails are going to care about pretty pictures and fonts. Your post is inaccurate on so many levels. Windows Mail – the last version of Outlook Express which came with Vista, most certainly does work in Windows 7, Windows 8x and Windows 10 – I’ve used it all three and I’m using it now in Windows 10. And, you can import Outlook Express mail messages, folder structure, and contacts from Outlook Express to Windows Mail. Installing a Virtual Machine is really a stretch just to open DBX files. It’s amazing how many self-proclaimed “experts” out there who can’t let go of Windows XP and then denigrate posts over 4 years old wand promote installation of a VM just to use Outlook Express. I want to make sure everyone sees your post and your “solution”.

      Reply

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