I've seen references to my problem, but no workable answer yet. So here goes:

Want to move mail from Windows Mail on a Windows Vista Business platform, to Windows Live Mail on a Windows 7 machine. I only need to move a few folders, but there is probably 700mb of mail.

When I try and export to a flash drive, I get the typical message about corrupted files or not enough room ( although there's 2 GBs available). So I export to a desktop folder, and it all goes there. Each email line item is identified by NAME  as a long string of letters and numbers. If I double click on a given email record (file?) it will bring up the email fine. When I try and copy it to the flash drive, it will do it with the caution that not all information will be transferred. So I say yes, it spends some time, and I believe I get the file transferred fine. btw, the files are identified as Windows Live Mail files, even though I exported from a Windows Mail program, selecting the Windows Mail format option. (Not "exchange") But so far so good, I think.

Now I go to the  Windows 7 computer. If I simply open one of the transferred folders, I get the emails, and a double click brings one up. So they are there, but only identifiable as a long string of letters and numbers.  Now I go to my newly downloaded Windows Live Mail 2013, click on import messages.

When I pick Windows Mail format it brings up a default folder deep under app/local. I cannot for the life of me find that location to try inserting my flash drive folders. So I browse back to the flash drive and try to import the folder and get the message no files in folder or another application is using the files.... Neither of which is true as far as I can figure.

So then I try the import using the Windows Live Mail format, since that's the way the files are listed in the folder I've brought over. Here I get no default folder listed, browse again to my flash drive and get the same error message.

What am I not "getting?"  Thanks for any help.  Eric