Registry Tweak to Change Message Store Folder in Windows Live Mail Email Client

In previous article, we told you how to change email storage location in Windows Live Mail desktop client using its Options window:

How to Change Email Storage Location in Windows Live Mail (WLM)?

Today in this tutorial, we’ll tell you the registry method to do the same task. Using Registry editor to change email storage location might come handy if you want to change the location in more than one computer. Just change the location in Windows Registry, take a backup of the key and run it in other systems.

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You can also use the registry script every time you format and reinstall fresh Windows. Just run the registry script and the location will be automatically changed.

Following are the required steps:

1. Make sure Windows Live Mail is closed. Now type regedit in RUN or Start Menu search box and press Enter. It’ll open Registry Editor.

2. Now go to following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail

PS: If you are using Windows Mail in Windows Vista, go to following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Mail

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3. In right-side pane, look for a String Store Root.

4. Double-click on it and change its value to the full path of your desired new location to store email messages.

Change_Message_Store_Location_WLM_registry.png

5. Now open Windows Live Mail and it should move the emails to new location. If it doesn’t do it by any chance, close it and go to following folder:

%USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail\

Copy all content of this folder and paste them in new location which you set in Registry.

6. Rename the Windows Live Mail folder to some other name and restart Windows Live Mail. Now it should start using new email storage location. You can now safely delete the old Windows Live Mail folder mentioned in Step 5.

Published in: Mobiles and Internet

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

Comments

NOTE: Older comments have been removed to reduce database overhead.

  1. This works but if you use a network folder, share, or anything location that my not be available 100% of the time it will not work right.
    An example is I have a WHS setup as a workgroup and 5 PC’s… I wanted to have 1 network folder for pop3 WLM storage and share it between the pc’s… It will work like this but if the network folder is not available WLM will defalt too like your useing it for the first time…
    So I’m looking for an alternative email client, I’m not sure if MS Office Outlook does this as well I haven’t played with it…
    I may jest give up and start using the stupid windows live web app ugh…

  2. same problem, i have make a copy from the folder windows live mail to a disk who is connected to a router asus ac68u.
    Have try it, go to the network folder via WLM, but i wasn´t able to click on ok button. appears transparent.
    I don´t know if it is because i have to introduce user and password to acess the foder…?

  3. How can I stop the storage folder from opening in a newsgroup and constantly showing emails i’ve already deleted.???

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