IP: A word of caution for those upgrading from IE% BETA to IE5 Gold IE/OE 5 -- the case of the disappearing email [software bug]

[Dave Farber <farber@cis.upenn.edu>]

I deleted IE 5 beta a long time ago when it stopped me from using PGP due to library problems. For those who stayed with it, caution now. djf
>From: "Jeff Schult" <jeff@tftb.com>
>To: <farber@cis.upenn.edu>
>Subject: IE/OE 5 -- the case of the disappearing email
>Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 15:58:27 -0500
>X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2014.211
>
>Nice feature of Internet Explorer 5 and Outlook Express 5, fyi. ;-)
>
>It seems to work OK *if* you install it directly over the beta, or over IE4.
>HOWEVER, *if* you've been using beta 5, and you decide to delete the beta
>and do a clean install of the new browser, after backing up your MS
>Applications Data folder -- as many, um,  "trained professionals"
>might -- you're completely unable to import or read *any mail you did while
>using the beta!*
>
>The culprit is the mail file format in the beta, .ods -- it's been changed
>in the gold version. The ONLY way to get the mail back is to dump IE5, do a
>clean, fresh install of
>IE4 (and really the only way to do that is a format and a reinstall of the
>OS.) And THEN reinstall IE5 beta, which is extremely difficult to find,
>since
>MS has pulled it off all the servers.
>
>I lost all mail dated after Dec. 20, 1998, which is the day I installed the
>beta. I was able to recover it because I
>grabbed a guy who still had the beta files -- 17 megs -- before he upgraded.
>There are similar stories on Usenet -- do a search on dejanews for .ods, IE5
>beta, if you're curious.
>
>Thank you, Microsoft. ;-) I now IMAP my work mail on a Linux server at home,
>to be 3x-safe.
>Incidentally, I use IE and Outlook, Outlook Express at work, in part,
>because it's part of the package the ISP that I work for distributes, so I
>have to keep up on its quirks.
>
>Jeff Schult
>jschult@snet.net
>Web Editor
>SNET Internet
>
>
>