Location of Outlook Files

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jim Wood
  • Start date Start date
J

Jim Wood

I need to eliminate "extra" sets of folders in Outlook. In the process of
reinstalling the program, I made several appearances of inboxes, calendars,
etc. I should be able to find these files with a .pst extension, but can't
locate any with Search on this computer. This is Office 2002 running under
XP SP3. Any help appreciated.
 
PST files are hidden files. Why you think finding them and doing something
to them in Windows Explorer is a good idea is a bit of a mystery, however.
What did you think that might achieve? Sounds to me like you will be
corrupting your Outlook profile even further. Manipulating a PST file in
Windows Explorer without first disconnecting it from your profile is what
causes this kind of problem. It never solves it.
If you need help, state more clearly what you did and what you want to do
now to undo it.
 
Thanks for the word of caution, Russ.

As usual, once a regrettable action is done, it becomes almost a mania
to undo it.
After a 'non-destructive' restoration following a crash, I had to
reinstall Office. Although most programs were lost in the restoration, the
My Documents files were all intact, and that's where I had directed Outlook
to save mail folders upon initial installation a few years ago.
Of course when Outlook was reinstalled, its folders were in the default
locations, and it took me a bit to find how to direct Outlook to the files
under My Documents. It's finding them just fine now, but in this process I
developed at least two 'extra' "Personal Folders" under the one mail account.
Now these come up in the 'tree' pane at the left of the screen, and I'd like
to get rid of them.
I enabled Display Hidden Folders, but can't locate the .pst files that
correspond to these extra folders. I sure don't want to mess anything up,
but it would be nice to delete these folders made in error. Is this
possible? Thanks!
 
The answer to your question lies in the details of what you mean by "it took
me a bit to find how to direct Outlook to the files
under My Documents." How you did that will determine the solution.
 
One additional question please, Russ:

I simply renamed the "extra" folders in the left pane as Spare 1, 2, and 3
and collapsed their trees. No big deal that they are there at the bottom of
the list. This leaves me two valid appearances now, Outlook's default
"Outlook Today," and the one that's rooted in My Documents, simply called
"Personal Folders." This is okay, having the two, but my problem now is that
all the existing incoming and sent e-mails, calendar, etc. are in the one
called Personal Folders, but all newly-incoming e-mails automatically go into
Outlook Today. Under E-mail Accounts I have told Outlook to direct mail to
Personal Folders, and even got the message that the location has been
changed, but they keep coming into the Outlook Today appearance. Can this be
changed?
 
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