Quick answer
- A few files: open a message, select an attachment and save it. That handles attachments from Windows Live Mail one message at a time.
- Many messages: Windows Live Mail keeps mail as EML files, so point an extractor at your store folder to extract attachments from Windows Live Mail in one pass.
- Mail still on a server: add your account in your extractor over IMAP and extract Windows Live Mail attachments without that client.
You want to extract attachments from Windows Live Mail, and that client gives you no bulk save button. Microsoft ended support in 2017, so no update will add one, and opening years of mail by hand wastes days. Below are three ways to extract attachments from Windows Live Mail, with clear limits for every method.
Why is it hard to extract attachments from Windows Live Mail?
Windows Live Mail attachments cannot be saved in bulk, because that client has no "save all attachments from every message" command and you open messages one by one. A Microsoft support article says Windows Essentials 2012, which includes Windows Live Mail, reached end of support on 10 January 2017. Microsoft no longer offers a download, and copies already installed keep working as they are.
Sync broke earlier. A gHacks report says Windows Live Mail 2012 stopped syncing with Outlook.com accounts on 30 June 2016, and that POP or IMAP is a workaround. Many users now hold old mail only inside Windows Live Mail, so attachments from Windows Live Mail sit locked in a retired client.
Where does Windows Live Mail keep attachments from messages?
Windows Live Mail saves every message as an EML file, and Windows Live Mail attachments stay inside it. A PCWorld article gives your default store as C:\Users\<your user name>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail. Subfolders match your mail folders.
Your path may differ, so confirm it in Windows Live Mail before you extract attachments:
- Select your blue tab left of Home, then Options and Mail.
- Open your Advanced tab and select Maintenance.
- Select Store Folder to see your real path.
That folder matters because EML folders are best input for bulk attachment extraction. Copy it before you start, and quit Windows Live Mail first.
How to save attachments from Windows Live Mail by hand?
Open a message and save its attachments from Windows Live Mail to a folder on your PC. It is free, and it fits a handful of files.
- Open Windows Live Mail and select a message that shows a paperclip.
- Select an attachment in its header.
- Choose to save it and select a folder on your PC.
- Repeat for every message that holds files.
Catch: you save attachments from Windows Live Mail one message at a time, so a mailbox with thousands of messages takes days. Files with same names land in one folder and overwrite one another unless you rename them first. Inline images in a message body are easy to miss.
How to extract attachments from Windows Live Mail with software?
Use Corbett Email Attachment Extractor to extract attachments from Windows Live Mail EML folders on a Windows PC and save every file in one pass. Its page says files keep their original format, inline attachments come out too and filters cover date, sender, subject, file name and size. Free demo extracts 10 attachments per folder.
Steps to extract attachments from Windows Live Mail with software
- Install it on a Windows PC and start it.
- Select Open in your top left menu bar.
- Select Email Data Files.
- Select EML Files, because Windows Live Mail saves messages as EML.
- Select Choose Folders for a full store folder or Choose Files for single messages.
- Browse to your Windows Live Mail store folder and select Select Folder.
- Wait for your folders to load, then select a message to preview it.
- Use search to find messages by keyword, sender, date or subject if you need only part of a mailbox.
- Select Extract, then Attachments.
- Select Browse and choose an output folder.
- Switch on Open folder after export is done, Skip greyed out folders, Create empty folders or Delete old folders only if you need them.
- Type
.pdfin File Extensions Filter to save only PDF files. Add.docor.txtfor other types, or leave it empty to save every attachment.
- Select Save to start.
- Watch live progress for every folder.
- Select Open Folder when a success message appears.
- Check your extracted files in your output folder.
Same Windows Live Mail attachment name twice? Corbett's page says a second file becomes File(1), so nothing overwrites. Lifetime licence starts at $99 with a 30-day money-back window. Want email addresses from that mail too? Use its Extract menu, or read how to export Windows Live Mail to Outlook.
How to extract Windows Live Mail attachments from a server account?
If your mail still sits on a server, extract Windows Live Mail attachments from that account directly and skip that old client. Corbett's page lists Gmail, Yahoo, Office 365, Outlook.com, Hotmail, iCloud and other IMAP accounts as sources. Select Open, then Email Accounts and Add Account, enter your address and password, select Find and follow Extract steps as above.
A Microsoft Q&A community answer explains why that works for Outlook.com and Hotmail. Since 2016 only IMAP or POP3 connect those accounts to Windows Live Mail, and IMAP is a better choice. Server mail reaches your PC through IMAP, so you can save attachments from Windows Live Mail accounts without opening an old client.
Which way to extract attachments from Windows Live Mail is best?
Match your way to extract attachments from Windows Live Mail to your volume. Save by hand for a few files, use software on your store folder for old local mail and use an account login for mail on a server.
| Way to extract attachments from Windows Live Mail | Best for | Needs | Volume | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Save by hand in Windows Live Mail | A few files | Windows Live Mail installed | One message at a time | Free |
| Corbett software on EML store folder | Old local mailboxes | Windows PC, store folder | Batch with filters | Free demo, then from $99 |
| Corbett software on server account | Mail still online | Windows PC, account login | Batch with filters | Free demo, then from $99 |
Moving to a new PC instead? See how to transfer Windows Live Mail to a new computer. Same job on another client: how to download attachments from Thunderbird.
Why do Windows Live Mail attachments go missing?
Windows Live Mail attachments do not show
Check security options in Windows Live Mail. A message can hide files when attachment blocking is on. Extracting attachments from Windows Live Mail EML folders skips that setting because files come straight from every message.
Windows Live Mail stops syncing Outlook.com mail
Windows Live Mail 2012 lost Outlook.com sync in 2016. Switch your account to IMAP in Windows Live Mail, or add it in your extractor over IMAP to extract attachments from Windows Live Mail mail on a server.
Attachments overwrite one another
Two files named invoice.pdf in one folder replace one another when you save by hand. Software that renames a second file keeps both.
Store folder looks empty
Your store may sit in a moved location. Open Options, Mail, Advanced, Maintenance and Store Folder to see your real path.
Message text is missing from extracted attachments
Corbett's page says Email Attachment Extractor keeps attachments only. Email body text, passwords and mail rules stay behind, so keep a backup of your store folder if you need messages too.
What to do after you extract attachments from Windows Live Mail?
Open your output folder and check a few Windows Live Mail attachments. Files keep their original format, and Corbett's page says folder layout follows your mail folders. Then keep your Windows Live Mail store folder until you are sure. To move your mail itself, after you extract attachments from Windows Live Mail, see how to move Windows Live Mail to Gmail or how to export Windows Live Mail to Thunderbird.
Key takeaways
- Windows Live Mail attachments have no bulk save, and Microsoft ended support for that client on 10 January 2017.
- Windows Live Mail keeps messages as EML files in
AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail, and attachments stay inside them. - Saving attachments from Windows Live Mail by hand works for one message at a time and fits a few files.
- Corbett Email Attachment Extractor extracts attachments from Windows Live Mail EML folders, keeps original formats and renames duplicates as File(1).
- Free demo extracts 10 attachments per folder, so test one folder before you buy.
Questions about Windows Live Mail attachments
How do I extract attachments from Windows Live Mail?
Save them by hand one message at a time, or point Corbett Email Attachment Extractor at your EML store folder to save all of them in one pass.
Can Windows Live Mail save all attachments at once?
No. It has no bulk save command, so you need software to extract attachments from Windows Live Mail messages together.
Where are Windows Live Mail attachments stored?
Windows Live Mail attachments sit inside EML files in your store folder, by default C:\Users\<your user name>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live Mail.
How do I find my Windows Live Mail store folder?
Select Options, Mail, then Advanced, Maintenance and Store Folder.
Is Windows Live Mail still supported?
No. Microsoft ended support for Windows Essentials 2012 on 10 January 2017 and no longer offers a download.
Can I extract only PDF attachments from Windows Live Mail?
Yes. Type .pdf in File Extensions Filter, and add .doc or .txt for other types.
What happens when two attachments share one name?
A second file becomes File(1), so no file overwrites another.
Does it keep original file formats?
Yes. Attachments from Windows Live Mail keep their format. Corbett's page says files keep their original format with no data loss.
How many Windows Live Mail attachments does free demo extract?
Free demo extracts 10 attachments per folder. A licensed version has no such limit.
Does it work on Mac?
No. Corbett software that extracts attachments from Windows Live Mail is Windows only.
