Transferring Outlook to another computer?

[Bob Newman]

I installed Office on the new computer. Can I just copy the pst file from
the old to new computer? Can I put it in a different location if I wish and
just choose the Flie/Open command to the new location?

Thanks in advance... Bob

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Yes to all. Those are you best options for transferring Outlook data.

 

[Bob Newman]

It seems to have worked fine with a minor (I assume) problem. The import
created a separate folder tree entitled Bob's Folders as it was on the other
computer. It contains all my created subfolders and data. Above that is
still the default Personal Folders tree (which I no longer need). How do I
get rid of that section?

Thanks again... Bob

Yes to all. Those are you best options for transferring Outlook data.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I installed Office on the new computer. Can I just copy the pst file from
the old to new computer? Can I put it in a different location if I wish
and just choose the Flie/Open command to the new location?

Thanks in advance... Bob

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Why didn't you do what you said? You use File > Open. You never use Import
unless you want to lose data or corrupt your profile, which you have now
done.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

It seems to have worked fine with a minor (I assume) problem. The import
created a separate folder tree entitled Bob's Folders as it was on the
other computer. It contains all my created subfolders and data. Above
that is still the default Personal Folders tree (which I no longer need).
How do I get rid of that section?

Thanks again... Bob

Yes to all. Those are you best options for transferring Outlook data.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I installed Office on the new computer. Can I just copy the pst file
from the old to new computer? Can I put it in a different location if I
wish and just choose the Flie/Open command to the new location?

Thanks in advance... Bob

 

[Bob Newman]

I used the wrong termanology in the note. I did do use the File/Open
command.

Bob

Why didn't you do what you said? You use File > Open. You never use Import
unless you want to lose data or corrupt your profile, which you have now
done.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

It seems to have worked fine with a minor (I assume) problem. The import
created a separate folder tree entitled Bob's Folders as it was on the
other computer. It contains all my created subfolders and data. Above
that is still the default Personal Folders tree (which I no longer need).
How do I get rid of that section?

Thanks again... Bob

Yes to all. Those are you best options for transferring Outlook data.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
I installed Office on the new computer. Can I just copy the pst file
from the old to new computer? Can I put it in a different location if I
wish and just choose the Flie/Open command to the new location?

Thanks in advance... Bob

 

[Bob Newman]

Now that I think of it I think the same thing happened last time I tried
this. I can copy my folders to the Personal Folders section I think.

Bob

Why didn't you do what you said? You use File > Open. You never use Import
unless you want to lose data or corrupt your profile, which you have now
done.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

It seems to have worked fine with a minor (I assume) problem. The import
created a separate folder tree entitled Bob's Folders as it was on the
other computer. It contains all my created subfolders and data. Above
that is still the default Personal Folders tree (which I no longer need).
How do I get rid of that section?

Thanks again... Bob

Yes to all. Those are you best options for transferring Outlook data.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
I installed Office on the new computer. Can I just copy the pst file
from the old to new computer? Can I put it in a different location if I
wish and just choose the Flie/Open command to the new location?

Thanks in advance... Bob

 

[Brian Tillman]

It seems to have worked fine with a minor (I assume) problem. The
import created a separate folder tree entitled Bob's Folders as it
was on the other computer. It contains all my created subfolders and
data. Above that is still the default Personal Folders tree (which I
no longer need). How do I get rid of that section?

Now click Tools>E-mail Accounts>Next and change the "Deliver new messaeg to
the following location" drop-down to point to "Bob's Folders". Stop and
restart Outlook. If the "Personal Folder" set is empty, right-click
"Personal Folders" and choose Close.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

If you used File > Open then you can do one of two things with the file you
opened:
1. Copy the data you want from it into your current file
2. Set the old file to be your default then close the new file after you
restart Outlook.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Now that I think of it I think the same thing happened last time I tried
this. I can copy my folders to the Personal Folders section I think.

Bob

Why didn't you do what you said? You use File > Open. You never use
Import unless you want to lose data or corrupt your profile, which you
have now done.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

It seems to have worked fine with a minor (I assume) problem. The import
created a separate folder tree entitled Bob's Folders as it was on the
other computer. It contains all my created subfolders and data. Above
that is still the default Personal Folders tree (which I no longer
need). How do I get rid of that section?

Thanks again... Bob

Yes to all. Those are you best options for transferring Outlook data.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
I installed Office on the new computer. Can I just copy the pst file
from the old to new computer? Can I put it in a different location if
I wish and just choose the Flie/Open command to the new location?

Thanks in advance... Bob

 

[Remove ABCD from Email address to reply]

I know that Bob Newman said he used the wrong term and he did not import.
Earlier today I had a problem with Outlook and Microsoft Tech support (from
India) tried to help me. They of course did not fix my problem and in fact
made it worse. They also insisted that I import my pst file into a new pst
file that was created upon the new installation. The only thing that went
right with all of their "help" was that the import did work and did not
cause any loss of data. So all that being said, do you really lose data
when you import from a PST? I never did a pst import before and also did a
simple copy.

--

Neil

Why didn't you do what you said? You use File > Open. You never use Import
unless you want to lose data or corrupt your profile, which you have now
done.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

It seems to have worked fine with a minor (I assume) problem. The import
created a separate folder tree entitled Bob's Folders as it was on the
other computer. It contains all my created subfolders and data. Above
that is still the default Personal Folders tree (which I no longer need).
How do I get rid of that section?

Thanks again... Bob

Yes to all. Those are you best options for transferring Outlook data.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
I installed Office on the new computer. Can I just copy the pst file
from the old to new computer? Can I put it in a different location if I
wish and just choose the Flie/Open command to the new location?

Thanks in advance... Bob

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Importing an entire PST will corrupt your profile and by creating a ghost
PST that you can't close. Importing PST's will lose:
1. Custom Forms
2. Custom Views
3. Connections between contacts and activities
4. Received dates on mail
5. Birthdays and anniversaries in calendar
6. Journal connections
7. Distribution Lists

Opening a PST file will preserve all of these. That is why we do not advise
people to import a native file into Outlook. Microsoft has not yet caught
on.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I know that Bob Newman said he used the wrong term and he did not import.
Earlier today I had a problem with Outlook and Microsoft Tech support (from
India) tried to help me. They of course did not fix my problem and in fact
made it worse. They also insisted that I import my pst file into a new pst
file that was created upon the new installation. The only thing that went
right with all of their "help" was that the import did work and did not
cause any loss of data. So all that being said, do you really lose data
when you import from a PST? I never did a pst import before and also did a
simple copy.

--

Neil

Why didn't you do what you said? You use File > Open. You never use
Import unless you want to lose data or corrupt your profile, which you
have now done.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

It seems to have worked fine with a minor (I assume) problem. The import
created a separate folder tree entitled Bob's Folders as it was on the
other computer. It contains all my created subfolders and data. Above
that is still the default Personal Folders tree (which I no longer
need). How do I get rid of that section?

Thanks again... Bob

Yes to all. Those are you best options for transferring Outlook data.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
I installed Office on the new computer. Can I just copy the pst file
from the old to new computer? Can I put it in a different location if
I wish and just choose the Flie/Open command to the new location?

Thanks in advance... Bob

 

[Remove ABCD from Email address to reply]

Thanks for the complete story. I did go back to my original PST anyway but
it is better now that I understand the reasoning.

--

Neil

Importing an entire PST will corrupt your profile and by creating a ghost
PST that you can't close. Importing PST's will lose:
1. Custom Forms
2. Custom Views
3. Connections between contacts and activities
4. Received dates on mail
5. Birthdays and anniversaries in calendar
6. Journal connections
7. Distribution Lists

Opening a PST file will preserve all of these. That is why we do not
advise people to import a native file into Outlook. Microsoft has not yet
caught on.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I know that Bob Newman said he used the wrong term and he did not import.
Earlier today I had a problem with Outlook and Microsoft Tech support
(from India) tried to help me. They of course did not fix my problem and
in fact made it worse. They also insisted that I import my pst file into
a new pst file that was created upon the new installation. The only thing
that went right with all of their "help" was that the import did work and
did not cause any loss of data. So all that being said, do you really
lose data when you import from a PST? I never did a pst import before and
also did a simple copy.

--

Neil

Why didn't you do what you said? You use File > Open. You never use
Import unless you want to lose data or corrupt your profile, which you
have now done.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
It seems to have worked fine with a minor (I assume) problem. The
import created a separate folder tree entitled Bob's Folders as it was
on the other computer. It contains all my created subfolders and data.
Above that is still the default Personal Folders tree (which I no
longer need). How do I get rid of that section?

Thanks again... Bob

Yes to all. Those are you best options for transferring Outlook data.

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
I installed Office on the new computer. Can I just copy the pst file
from the old to new computer? Can I put it in a different location if
I wish and just choose the Flie/Open command to the new location?

Thanks in advance... Bob

 

[Guest]

I want to reiterate a few of the key points from above, based upon years of
frustration and difficulty in dealing with this issue, with the hope that it
might be of some help to others:

As a background, the challenge of transferring data from one computer to
another has been plaguing me since the very first time I had a secretary
create some new Contacts for me (from business cards I collected), then tried
to export them from hers, and import them into my existing contact list.
This was probably 6 or so years ago, back in 2001. I recall spending hours
with the secretary trying to figure out how to do it, and ultimately failing.

NOTHING should EVER be so absurdly difficult and confusing. I feel nothing
but rage toward Microsoft for the cumulative days of my life that I have
wasted trying to figure out how to do this, continuing up until the present.
Understanding Microsoft's ambiguously worded instructions and "prompts" is
difficult enough, not to mention software malfunctions that you will almost
inevitably encounter.

In any case, it's taken me a while to learn the following:
1) The one GOOD, clear piece of advice Microsoft provides is that you should
make a backup copy of your .pst file before you do anything else. What they
fail to explain is WHY this is advisable, which would be something like:
"As it is very likely that you will corrupt or otherwise screw up your .pst
file in your futile attempt to follow our confusing, ambiguously worded
instructions, you should definitely make a backup copy first, that you will
be able to revert back to after you've messed up your original file. If you
fail to do this, don't say we didn't warn you!"

2) Per advice above in this thread, avoid exporting and importing at all
cost. It will almost certain give you the wrong results... which could be
anything from the data ending up in the wrong place, to corrupting your .pst
file so that you are no longer able to do simple things like move email from
one folder to another. Follow the advice above of working with multiple .pst
files that you can have open simultaneously in Outlook. However... do
NOT use this technique to move ALL your stuff from one .pst file to another.
Per advice above, and for reasons known only to some insidious computer
programmer somewhere, this will lead to failure.

3) Do not try to transfer your folders from your original .pst file to the
new one, or you are bound for disaster. Rather, designate your original .pst
(i.e. the one that was copied from your old computer and (re-)opened in your
new one) to receive incoming mail, per instructions above. After closing
Outllook, and reopening, you can then "Remove" your new .pst file, using
"File Management". At some point along the way, your original .pst will
automatically become your "Outlook Today" folder. (If there's another way to
do this, Microsoft is keeping it a secret.)

4) An additional detail not referred to above is that if you try to open OR
import a .pst file that was CREATED IN Outlook 2003 into Outlook 2002, you
may encounter compatibility problems. The reason I know this is that I was
not able to move directly into my new computer (where I eventually
reinstalled Outlook 2002), but had to set up temporarily in a borrowed
computer which had Outlook 2003 installed. I was able to open my original
Outlook 2002 .pst file into Outlook 2003; Then, incredibly, I was able to
open this same file in my new installation of Outlook 2002, even though it
had been modified in Outlook 2003. However, I was NOT able to import a new
..pst file that I had created in Outlook 2003. Not sure why.

I've progressed from being 75% confident I know how to do all this stuff to
~90% confident. For the time being at least, it appears that I have
successfully reinstalled Outlook 2002 on m new computer, and can access all
my original Contacts, Emails, and Calendar items. I'm probably tempting fate
by saying this, but so far, so good... and with only 6-8 hours of effort,
including many failures along the way.

Finally.... to the team at Microsoft who designed the user interface and
"Settings" for Outlook... I'd like to tell you what I think of you and your
program (which I am FORCED to use, for reasons of compatibility with
co-workers)... but it would NEVER pass the scrutiny of whoever monitors this
message board, so you'll just have to use your imagination.

Good night, and good luck.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

All accurate and well stated. Only point 4 requires some clarification.
Opening an older (ANSI) PST file in Outlook 2003 will not modify it or
change it in any way. It will remain in the older ANSI format and so will
remain fully compatible with all Outlook versions. Only PST files newly
created in Outlook 2003 and higher will have the newer UNICODE format and
will thereby lose backwards compatibility with older versions. If you want
to use files that will retain backwards compatibity while in Outlook 2003
and higher, you always have the option to do so in the File > New > Outlook
Data File dialog. The export dialog does not give you that option, which is
one of the many reasons it should not be used.

Outlook's handling of PST files has grown worse with each version. It is now
a disgrace. No one has complained more loudly about it than the MVP's.

 

[Brian Tillman]

3) Do not try to transfer your folders from your original .pst file
to the new one, or you are bound for disaster.

I'd disagree with this. I've done it many times and it always works. I've
outlined my procedure multiple times in this newsgroup.

Rather, designate
your original .pst (i.e. the one that was copied from your old
computer and (re-)opened in your new one) to receive incoming mail,
per instructions above. After closing Outllook, and reopening, you
can then "Remove" your new .pst file, using "File Management". At
some point along the way, your original .pst will automatically
become your "Outlook Today" folder. (If there's another way to do
this, Microsoft is keeping it a secret.)

Designating the old PST as the delivery location and then stopping and
restarting Outlook is how the old PST becomes the "Outlook Today" PST.

4) An additional detail not referred to above is that if you try to
open OR import a .pst file that was CREATED IN Outlook 2003 into
Outlook 2002, you may encounter compatibility problems.

Not "may". "Will:. You cannot employ a Unicode PST in Outlook 2002 or
earlier. Period.

The reason I
know this is that I was not able to move directly into my new
computer (where I eventually reinstalled Outlook 2002), but had to
set up temporarily in a borrowed computer which had Outlook 2003
installed. I was able to open my original Outlook 2002 .pst file
into Outlook 2003; Then, incredibly, I was able to open this same
file in my new installation of Outlook 2002, even though it had been
modified in Outlook 2003. However, I was NOT able to import a new
.pst file that I had created in Outlook 2003. Not sure why.

Because Outlook 2002 and earlier cannot handle Unicode PSTs, only ANSI PSTs.

Finally.... to the team at Microsoft who designed the user
interface and "Settings" for Outlook... I'd like to tell you what I
think of you and your program (which I am FORCED to use, for reasons
of compatibility with co-workers)... but it would NEVER pass the
scrutiny of whoever monitors this message board, so you'll just have
to use your imagination.

The newsgroup isn't moderated. Speak your mind.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

He may have a point on item 3 however when it comes to default folders,
which is where most users keep their data. Default folders cannot be
renamed, so transferring an entire folder which is or was a default folder
will create a second folder with "(1)" appended, and may leave Outlook
confused as to which folder is the default. I've always had better luck
copying folder contents rather than the entire folder itself for the default
folders.

 

[Brian Tillman]

He may have a point on item 3 however when it comes to default
folders, which is where most users keep their data.

I'll concede this. I usually let Outlook create the default folders and
then copy the contents of the old ones to the new ones. I haven't
specifically played with copying all the folders to a new PST and then
making the new PST the delivery location, so I don't know if that's
something to be avoided.