In OE, I used an Excel spreadsheet macro to import/export/edit the phrases
used in my mail rules criteria. It not only backed up and restored the
message rules but would write out, in plain English, the email addresses I
used as
criteria and allowed me to edit and add to them and rewrite them back to the
registry. This is described under the title "OE Message Rule Editor" at
http://www.insideoe.com/resources/tools.htm#rule_edit and downloaded at
http://www.insideoe.com/download/mes...ule_editor.zip

It's been wonderful for me. BUT now I'm stuck with Vista on my new laptop. I
can export and import the .reg file for Windows mail and assume it will
restore later. BUT I cannot see the individual criteria (email addresses)
and edit them.

Perhaps someone here could look at the macro in the links above and figure
out how to change it to Vista's Windows Mail? (The author doesn't use Vista
and wouldn't rewrite it and I'm not savvy enough to figure out how to change
his macro though he suggested I try)