One of the handiest tips I have ever come across I got in the help pages of a UK computer magazine some years ago. In two relatively simple steps, (if you're an Outlook Express user), you can move both your message store and your address book into a directory where they can be easily backed up, and therefore are not as likely to be lost if the (inevitable) blue screen of death one day visits you.
I've moved the storage folders for both my OE messages and the OE Address Book into a sub-directory of my 'My Documents' folder.
First, create the new folder in your My Documents folder and then two sub-directories within it. (For obvious reasons, I call the folder 'OE Express', and the two sub-directories, 'Messages' and 'Address Book'.)
Moving the message store from its existing position is simplicity itself.
Open OE, go to Tools/Options/Maintenance and click on 'Store Folder'. Click on 'Change' and navigate your way to the new 'Messages' folder you've just created.
Click 'OK' / 'OK' (It will offer you the option of transferring your existing messages to the new store. Say 'yes'.)
Done
....
Moving the Address Book is a little more involved, but still not difficult.
Start/Run type 'regedit'
Click youur way down to HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/WAV/WAB4/WAB file name.
(Just in case you screw things up, it's a god idea, [but not absolutely necessary], to make a backup of your existing Address Book before proceeding. From the Registry Menu, select 'Export Registry File' and save the WAB file to your Desktop. Call it OLDWAB or whatever. If things go wrong, you'll be able to restore it simply by double clicking on the file.)
Back to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/WAV/WAB4/WAB file name, in the right pane double click 'Default' and enter the new path of your WAB. (e.g. C: \My Documents\OE Express\Address Book\[your user name from the WAB file].wab) [I find the easiest way to do this is to amend the existing string rather than writing it all out afresh.]
Close the Registry Editor and it's done.
If you want to prove you've got it right, open OE, make an amendment to your Address Book, the go to My Documents, open the .wab file that's in your My Documents folder and see if the amendment appears in it. If it doesn't, you've not written the string in correctly.
....
I have a small program to make backups of my My Documents folder in one step. I do this, if not daily, then three or so times a week, and with your emails and Address Book part of the 'My Documents' folder, they get backed up in the same single step. It's Freeware, but a registered copy costs all of $15.00, and it's so handy, I sent the man the money.
Go to
www.fileware.com and download the free FileSynch program. This has saved me on mor than one occasion when I've had a major crash.
I've never tried it, but I think users of Outlook could do something similar to move their message store and address book, although the steps would be somewhat different, as Outlook stores its messages differently to OE.