Written by Jennifer Walsh. Reviewed for technical accuracy by Shubham Dixit, Independent Expert in Email Forensics and Data File Conversion.
Shubham is an independent external reviewer and not an employee of PCDOTS.
Quick answer. Outlook Express is long gone, and it stored mail in .dbx files, one per folder. Outlook uses PST and cannot read .dbx directly, so what you do depends on your setup. On an old PC with Outlook Express still installed, Outlook has a built-in import. With just the .dbx files, you convert them to PST or open them in a free DBX viewer.
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What is a DBX file?
A quick bit of background clears up the whole thing. Outlook Express was Microsoft’s old email app, bundled with Windows up to Windows XP and then discontinued, replaced first by Windows Mail and later by Windows Live Mail. It kept your mail in .dbx files, and here is the key detail, there is one .dbx file per folder, so you get Inbox.dbx, Sent Items.dbx and so on, with a Folders.dbx that is just an index. Outlook uses a completely different format, .pst, and it cannot read a .dbx file directly. There is a good reason to make the move too, old .dbx files carry a 2 GB size limit and are known to corrupt once they get large, and the format is no longer supported, so getting the mail into a PST is safer for the long run. So moving Outlook Express into Outlook always comes down to one of two things, an import while Outlook Express is still around, or a conversion once it is not.
Outlook cannot open .dbx, so the mail is imported or converted to PST.
“The honest answer here depends entirely on what you still have. If the old machine with Outlook Express is in front of you, Outlook’s built-in import pulls the mail across, that is the free way and it works. The trouble is that on a modern PC there is no Outlook Express, and the usual free bridges lean on Windows Live Mail, which is also gone now, so those routes have quietly stopped being practical. That is why, for a folder of loose .dbx files today, reading them directly and writing a PST is the clean path. And if all someone wants is to read an old .dbx, they do not need Outlook at all, a viewer opens it.” Shubham Dixit, Email Migration reviewer (draft, pending approval)
Just want to open a DBX file?
Plenty of people are not migrating anything, they just need to read some old .dbx files, and Outlook Express is no longer around to open them. Two easy ways. Use a free DBX viewer, which opens a .dbx and shows the messages and attachments without Outlook Express or Outlook installed. Or convert the .dbx to EML with a free tool like DbxConv or undbx, then open the .eml files in Thunderbird, Windows Mail or any modern client. If reading is all you need, a viewer is the quickest answer, no import required.
On the old PC, the built-in import
If you still have the old computer with both Outlook Express and Outlook installed, Outlook can import the mail for free with no extra software. In Outlook, open the File menu and find the import wizard, in Outlook 2013 and later it is Open & Export then Import/Export, in Outlook 2010 it is Open then Import and in Outlook 2007 it is Import and Export. Choose Import Internet Mail and Addresses, click Next, pick Outlook Express, tick Import Mail, then Next and Finish. Outlook pulls the messages straight in. The catch, and it is a big one, this only works while Outlook Express is still installed on that machine. On a modern Windows PC without Outlook Express it is not an option, and the newest Outlook has dropped this legacy import, so the section below is for that situation.
The built-in import, only where Outlook Express is still installed.
Just the DBX files, no Outlook Express
This is where most people actually are, a folder of .dbx files copied off an old PC, and no Outlook Express to import them. Be aware up front, the free bridges lean on software that is also discontinued. The classic free route was to install Windows Live Mail, use File then Import messages to bring the .dbx files in, then File, Export, to Microsoft Exchange to push them into Outlook. It still works if you can get Windows Live Mail, but it is no longer supported and harder to find each year. The other free path is to convert the .dbx to EML with DbxConv or undbx, load the EML into Thunderbird, then move that into Outlook, which is a lot of hops. Because those routes are fiddly and depend on dead software, the direct answer below is usually simpler. You will also see online DBX converters, but they mean uploading years of old mail to someone else’s server, so for anything private a tool that stays on your own computer is the safer pick.
The clean route, a DBX to PST converter
For loose .dbx files on a modern PC, a converter skips the discontinued middlemen and reads the files itself. The PCDOTS DBX to PST Converter opens your .dbx files directly, with no Outlook Express and no Windows Live Mail needed, and exports them to a PST you import into Outlook, or to EML or MBOX if you prefer. It keeps your folder structure and attachments, lets you preview the mail first and handles many files at once. It runs on Windows with a free trial so you can check the result before saving. If you have the old PC with Outlook Express, the built-in import above is free and fine, this is for when that is not on the table.
The tool route, DBX files turned into a PST for Outlook.
The tool follows four short steps.
Step 1. Install and run the software, then click Open.
Step 2. Add your DBX files or a whole folder.
Step 3. Open Export and choose PST.
Step 4. Pick a destination and save, then import the PST into Outlook.
Related reading, our guides to import DBX files to Thunderbird and export Outlook emails to EML. To read a .dbx first, the free DBX viewer opens one without any client.
Three routes, and your setup decides which one is yours.
The methods compared
Pick by what you still have and what you need.
| Method | Best for | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in Outlook import | Old PC with Outlook Express | Free, needs OE installed |
| Windows Live Mail bridge | If you still have WLM | Free, WLM discontinued |
| DBX to PST converter | Loose DBX, modern PC | Windows, no OE needed |
| Free DBX viewer | Just reading a .dbx | Opens without any client |
Frequently asked questions
Can Outlook open a DBX file directly?
No. Outlook uses PST and cannot read .dbx. You either import from Outlook Express while it is installed, or convert the .dbx files to PST.
How do I open a DBX file without Outlook Express?
Use a free DBX viewer, which opens the file and shows the messages, or convert the .dbx to EML with a free tool and open those in any modern email client.
How do I import Outlook Express into Outlook 2007 or 2010?
On a PC with both installed, use Outlook’s Import Internet Mail and Addresses wizard, choose Outlook Express and tick Import Mail. It only works while Outlook Express is present.
Where are Outlook Express DBX files stored?
In a hidden Outlook Express store folder. In Outlook Express, open Tools, Options, Maintenance, then Store Folder to see the exact path and copy the .dbx files from there.
What is the free way on a modern Windows PC?
The built-in bridges rely on Windows Live Mail, which is discontinued. In practice, a direct DBX to PST converter is the simplest route for loose .dbx files today.
Does converting keep my folders and attachments?
Yes. A good converter preserves the folder hierarchy and keeps attachments inside each message when it writes the PST.
Pick the route that matches your PC
So there is no single button, but there is a clear choice once you know your situation. Still sitting at the old PC with Outlook Express? Use Outlook’s built-in import, it is free and it works. Just have a folder of .dbx files on a modern machine? The old free bridges lean on software Microsoft retired, so a direct DBX to PST converter is the clean way in. And if you only want to read those old messages, skip Outlook entirely and open them in a free DBX viewer. Match the route to what is in front of you, and your Outlook Express mail is back in reach.
