Recover Mail and AOL Data From 'Saved on My PC' Backup

So, you want to move your AOL data to a new computer, even if AOL is no longer working on your old one? Or, you want to recover emails and other data from a backup copy of your Saved on My PC files after a hard disk crash?

Follow these steps, and you will be up, running, and AOL-ing again.

Restore Mail and AOL Data From a 'Saved on My PC' Backup

To recover your AOL mail and data from a Saved on My PC backup:

1. Sign in to AOL with your screen name at least once. Make sure AOL is not currently running.

2. Search your computer for a file called (your AOL screen name).abi.
   If your screen name is myscreenname, for example, search for a file called myscreenname.abi.

   You should find it in a folder called Organize. A typical location is C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\AOL\C_America Online 11.0\organize.

   You can go to this folder directly by copying and pasting the address in the address bar in File Explorer.

3. Go back one directory to the C_America Online 11.0 folder. For other versions of AOL, the folder name may be different. In any case, click the C_America Online folder.

4. Rename the organize folder to organize.save.

5. Go back a directory to AOL.

6. In a new File Explorer window, open the folder containing the backup copy of your old Organize folder. AOL automatically saves the backup files in your My Documents folder.

7. Highlight the backup organize folder and press Ctrl+C.

8. Switch to the AOL folder window.

9. Highlight C-America Online 11.0 or whatever the folder containing the organize.save folder is named in your system.

10. Press Ctrl+V.

11. Log in to AOL.

12. If everything is back in place, and you can now delete the organize.save folder.