Q: Reading your answer in the Redmond Reporter the other day about how to really, really delete Outlook Express emails, reminded me that I still have all the emails I saved when I switched from OE to Outlook a couple of years ago. I now know how to delete them, but my question is about how to access the ones that I still want to refer to occasionally. Is there any way to open a .dbx file when you’re using Outlook for email?

A: Outlook Express emails can be “Imported” into Outlook and this is the prescribed method when both OE and Outlook are installed on the same computer: In Outlook, on the File menu, click ‘Import and Export’ >’Import Internet Mail and Addresses’, then click ‘Next.’ Click ‘Outlook Express’ > Select the ‘Import mail’ check box and click ‘Next’ then ‘Finish.’ To save a copy of the import summary to your Inbox, click ‘Save in Inbox.’ Keep in mind, this will import ALL emails from Outlook Express. Once imported, you can then

Q: I’m hearing a lot lately about Open Source Software and that it’s free. This sounds great, but I don’t know anything about it or where to get it. Is it available to everyone?

A: Open Source is the name given to the source code (and the community who uses it), which is the language all software is built upon, that is published and made freely available under the GPL or Gnu Public License. As such, there is an abundance of truly free software built upon open source code.

Conversely, there is also an abundance of Pay-For software built upon it, as well. There are free software applications available all over the internet just for the downloading and installing, but be careful what you choose and read the reviews. For more information on Open Source, check out www.opensource.org and the Free Software Foundation at http://www.fsf.org/

Wayne Nelson and Jeremy Self own and operate Wired Northwest, LLC in Redmond. Submit your questions to: techtalk@wired-nw.com.