data file works only when external hard drive on.

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Guest

I followed all the instructions on how to bring my data files from the back
up drive to the new computer. Everything is there, super BUT it is on the
external hard drive.

When I turn it off nothing is in outlook. Get all kinds of cannot find,
wrong drive etc.

So how am I to get it to work in my C drive in Outlook without being forced
to keep my external drive on. I use it for backup only.

Feel free to Email me if you wish but I need to get this fixed ASAP or my
business will sink. It is an Internet business done by Email.

Thanks in advance for all the advice and help offered.

Jon
 
Dear Jon,

I think the fastest way is to close Outlook on your PC, change the name of
the PST file on your external harddrive (e.g. outlook_backup.pst) and now
open Outlook again and Outlook will ask you for the path of the PST file.

Now you can select the path to the local PST file. After you select the path
and if you can work now with the right PST file, you can change the name of
the backup PST to the default name like "outlook.pst".
 
Hi Oliver,

Ok tried it and same problem so I copied and pasted to desktop.

Same problem again, if I take the file and put it in the trashcan it cannot
open.

When I try to rename it it says file in use.

Seems very strange that once it is in Outlook it cannot be saved in Outlook.

Something is not right here but what?

Where can I put this file in the "C" drive so it can be found, that is if
Outlook can find it anyplace but where it gets the files from.

Maybe it is Outlook, meaning time to try another program but I like Outlook.

Would uninstalling and reinstalling Outlook work? It is part of Office.

Thanks again for your help.

Jon
 
You copied the pst(s) to your internal hd?
If so mail applet in the control panel, remove the pst (with OL closed)
Open OL it will complain, browse to your copied pst on the internal. Set as
default mail delivery
 
DL unless you consider the DESKTOP part of my internal HD then NO, but if you
consider it that they YES.

I use an external HD for all my backups and that is where the PST resides.
When I installed Outlook and went there for the PST file everything worked
just fine, from the external HD but I did not know that till I turned it off.
(do not keep it on, only when backing up).

Tried to do what Oliver suggested but same problem, would not open if
external HD was off so I figured if I copied the PST to the desktop then
opened it things would work once I deleted the copied files. I was wrong.

So it sits on my desktop so I can use Outlook. All I can say is I am no
expert with computers but do understand them.

As of now it is still on my desktop and that is not where it belongs yet I
have no idea where my PST should be.

In the C drive someplace but where is the question.

Jon
 
Jon said:
DL unless you consider the DESKTOP part of my internal HD then NO,
but if you consider it that they YES.
Click to expand...

Well of course the desktop is on your hard drive. Your desktop is a
reflection of the contents of C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Desktop.
If you save a file to your desktop, you're actually saving in in the folder
I named.
I use an external HD for all my backups and that is where the PST
resides. When I installed Outlook and went there for the PST file
everything worked just fine, from the external HD but I did not know
that till I turned it off. (do not keep it on, only when backing up).

Tried to do what Oliver suggested but same problem, would not open if
external HD was off so I figured if I copied the PST to the desktop
then opened it things would work once I deleted the copied files. I
was wrong.
Click to expand...

As long as you have a reference to that external drive in your mail profile,
Outlook will try to use that reference. DL was suggesting one way to modify
the mail profile so it doesn't contain the reference. If it still complains
after following his advice, then there's another reference in the mail
profile that wasn't changed.
So it sits on my desktop so I can use Outlook. All I can say is I
am no expert with computers but do understand them.

As of now it is still on my desktop and that is not where it belongs
yet I have no idea where my PST should be.

In the C drive someplace but where is the question.
Click to expand...

Outlook doesn't give two hoots where on your hard drive you keep the PST as
long as it has read/write permission to it. By default, if you create a new
PST, the default folder where it will create it is %UserProfile%\Local
Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook, but you can't move a PST into
that folder and expect Outlook to start using it automatically. You have to
tell Outlook to use a PST through the mail profile, either using the Mail
applet in Control Panel or by opening the PST in Outlook.

If I were in your shoes, I'd stop Outlook, out the PST where you want it,
use the Mail applet to create a new profile (you'll have to add your mail
accounts over again), and add that PST to the mail profile. You can do this
all from the Mail applet without starting Outlook. Directions can be found
in Microsoft's Knowledgebase (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/829918/en-us)
or in various places on the Internet, like
http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/newprofile.htm
 
To add, a personal observation, I've seen to many people have problems when
saving files to the desktop.
Dont know specifically why, as Brian states, the Desktop is part of the HD,
just seems to give probs.later.
 
DL and Brian,

I was not smarting off, just frustrated things don't work as they should
when I try them at times.

I did what all of you said, still had some problems so sort of did it a
different "my way" thing. C drive, made folder & named it then moved file
there.

Then followed instructions and still would not work right, kept making new
Personal Folders but were emptied. Finally got one good on in. Could not
delete default folder.

copied and moved everything to default, calendar one by one items.

Deleted now the good dup. and things work.

Now I have no idea how many and where they all are but would like to find
and delete all OL files other then the good one.

Plan to delete all on back up drive then make new "export file" to it.

Unless you people have a better idea as I am open to learning better ways to
do things.

Nasty quetion here, what other mail/address book programs are out there that
work or can be configured like Outlook and are any of them any good, easy to
use etc.? Would like to see them but doubt I would change, been using OL
for so long doubt I would like anything else.

Just want to look at them.

Thanks again for your help.

Jon

DL said:
To add, a personal observation, I've seen to many people have problems when
saving files to the desktop.
Dont know specifically why, as Brian states, the Desktop is part of the HD,
just seems to give probs.later.
Click to expand...
 
I'm not entirely sure what you did, but anyhow its now working.
Just remember do not use Import/Export on a pst, with OL closed copy, then
open within OL
The link Brian gave has good info on OL

Jon said:
DL and Brian,

I was not smarting off, just frustrated things don't work as they should
when I try them at times.

I did what all of you said, still had some problems so sort of did it a
different "my way" thing. C drive, made folder & named it then moved file
there.

Then followed instructions and still would not work right, kept making new
Personal Folders but were emptied. Finally got one good on in. Could not
delete default folder.

copied and moved everything to default, calendar one by one items.

Deleted now the good dup. and things work.

Now I have no idea how many and where they all are but would like to find
and delete all OL files other then the good one.

Plan to delete all on back up drive then make new "export file" to it.

Unless you people have a better idea as I am open to learning better ways to
do things.

Nasty quetion here, what other mail/address book programs are out there that
work or can be configured like Outlook and are any of them any good, easy to
use etc.? Would like to see them but doubt I would change, been using OL
for so long doubt I would like anything else.

Just want to look at them.

Thanks again for your help.

Jon
Click to expand...
 
I'm not sure what I did either LOL but I do want to delete all but the
correct one. I will have to do it one by one removing it out of the folder,
if OL still works then all is ok. When I am down to the only pst file that
works I have cleaned out the bad ones.

Thanks for the help everyone.

Jon
 
Jon said:
I'm not sure what I did either LOL but I do want to delete all but the
correct one. I will have to do it one by one removing it out of the
folder, if OL still works then all is ok. When I am down to the only
pst file that works I have cleaned out the bad ones.
Click to expand...

Starting with a clean mail profile and telling it include only the PST you
want is guaranteed to elminate any requirement for copying anything.
 
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