OT: Netscape data files

From: Jerome Fine <jhfine_at_idirect.com>
Date: Mon Mar 4 22:26:08 2002

>Richard Erlacher wrote:

> Though I don't use it myself, a friend, subject to the whims of the management
> of QWEST, has been forced into using their somewhat customized Netscape
> version. His system recently experienced a crash of some sort, resulting in
> its becoming operational, though impaired by the fact the SCANDISK utility
> reduced a number of directories from what they formerly were to the infamous
> DIR000n where n is some number between 0 and 1FE or some such. The files
> seem, apparently, to be in place, though the structure is lost. He wants me
> to help him find his Netscape data files so he can recover his address book
> and most recent emails from when he was using QWEST, which he doesn't any
> longer.
> Do any of you guys use Nestcape under Windows and know it well enough to know
> which files contain these items? Internet Explorer knows how to import this
> data from Netscape, but doesn't know how to search for the files. If I knew
> the file names, I'd have no trouble, methinks.
> Any "spiritual guidance" with respect to this problem would be appreciated.
> thanks,
> Dick

Jerome Fine replies:

You did not supply the operating system nor the version of Netscape.
These are ESSENTIAL for any valid help, but if you are using
W95/W98 and Netscape 4.XX (the following seems to apply to
both V4.03 up to V4.78 of Netscape), then this may help. Next
time, try and determine a bit of the Hardware and Operating System
information.

As David Jenner stated, the directories you normally need to look for are
(numbers indicate a directory name and sub-level in the directory tree):

1-Program Files
    2-Netscape
       3-Communicator (needed files not in this directory)
       3-Users
           4-name-of-the-user (normally)
              5-Mail
                 InBox (text of the messages)
                 InBox.smn (index of the messages)
                 Other-File-Names
                 Other-File-Names.smn

The files are always in pairs. From my observation, there are also a few
other files in the "name-of-the-user" directory which I don't know much
about. In Windows 98, I have found that multiple "name-of-user" directories
are allowed. I will shortly be upgrading to that environment, so anyone
who has any questions, I may be able to help with my experience in
respect of the upgrade AND with how I use "Multiple User IDs" with
a common "Mail" directory for all of them. A separate "Mail" directory
for each User ID is the normal case, so if that is what you want, it is
usually set up all by itself by default. Having one common "Mail"
directory took me several days to figure out and implement.

If there are any more questions about V4.78 of Netscape, I may
be able to help a bit.

Sincerely yours,

Jerome Fine
Received on Mon Mar 04 2002 - 22:26:08 GMT