Vista - Transfering email from Wndows Vista Widows Mail to Windows XP Outlook Express.

I have a laptop with Windows Vista that, because of too may problems, I
need to restore to its original condition by erasing what is on it now. My
main computer is a desktop with Windows XP. I had previously imported the
files from my desktop to my Vista laptop, but not all folders imported
properly. Some were left empty, and all imported mail folders, including
Inbox and Drafts, etc. are listed in a separate folder entitled Imported
Folder rather than having been integrated with the corresponding folders in
Windows Mail. The Imported folder with all is subfolders has by now been
modified because, for the last few months, I used only the laptop for email.
When I now try to export my Windows Mail messages, I get an error message
telling me that MAPI could not be initialized. So I suppose all I can do is
save my message store on an external media, then reinstall it after I have
restored my laptop and then, hopefully, export my messages to to my
desktop.

My questions:

1. Is it normal for Windows Mail to list all imported files in a separate
folder or is that one of the bugs of my Vista laptop?
2. Is there any way to merge my laptop Windows Mail files into my desktop
Outlook Express files? If so, How? I don't want to overwrite anything.

Thanks to anyone who can give me some advice.

"Eberthiel" <thiele@maine.edu> wrote in message
news:AF366719-2E4C-4137-B25F-7B9CACCE43A1@microsoft.com...
>I have a laptop with Windows Vista that, because of too may problems, I
>need to restore to its original condition by erasing what is on it now. My
>main computer is a desktop with Windows XP. I had previously imported the
>files from my desktop to my Vista laptop, but not all folders imported
>properly. Some were left empty, and all imported mail folders, including
>Inbox and Drafts, etc. are listed in a separate folder entitled Imported
>Folder rather than having been integrated with the corresponding folders in
>Windows Mail. The Imported folder with all is subfolders has by now been
>modified because, for the last few months, I used only the laptop for
>email. When I now try to export my Windows Mail messages, I get an error
>message telling me that MAPI could not be initialized. So I suppose all I
>can do is save my message store on an external media, then reinstall it
>after I have restored my laptop and then, hopefully, export my messages to
>to my desktop.
>
> My questions:
>
> 1. Is it normal for Windows Mail to list all imported files in a separate
> folder or is that one of the bugs of my Vista laptop?
> 2. Is there any way to merge my laptop Windows Mail files into my desktop
> Outlook Express files? If so, How? I don't want to overwrite anything.
>
> Thanks to anyone who can give me some advice.
>
>

You may get better milage if you ask these questions in the
microsoft.public.windows.vista.mail group.