I have a .pst from my old machine which was Outlook 2003. I found directions
to Import that so I have those emails/contacts on my new machine here:
http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm using the Import pst
file... but I want to make sure it'll work between versions. If I follow
these instructions, will it work from 2003 to 2007? I've been using the new
Outlook for several months, but now I want to pull my old outlook files in as
well.

Also, I have an archive.pst and another .pst in addition the the regular
outlook.pst - do I just repeat this 3 times?

Thanks,
Dawn

You never import a .pst file - you open them in Outlook using
File->Open->Outlook Data File.

Outlook 2003 and 2007 use the same format for the .pst file. Additionally,
they both support using the older format (ansi) but that format has a hard 2
gig limit.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.
How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375


After furious head scratching, dawnvk asked:

| I have a .pst from my old machine which was Outlook 2003. I found
| directions to Import that so I have those emails/contacts on my new
| machine here: http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm
| using the Import pst file... but I want to make sure it'll work
| between versions. If I follow these instructions, will it work from
| 2003 to 2007? I've been using the new Outlook for several months, but
| now I want to pull my old outlook files in as well.
|
| Also, I have an archive.pst and another .pst in addition the the
| regular outlook.pst - do I just repeat this 3 times?
|
| Thanks,
| Dawn

"dawnvk" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:B765AB50-D94C-4EA9-8173-(E-Mail Removed)...
>I have a .pst from my old machine which was Outlook 2003. I found
>directions
> to Import that so I have those emails/contacts on my new machine here:
> http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm using the Import
> pst
> file... but I want to make sure it'll work between versions. If I follow
> these instructions, will it work from 2003 to 2007? I've been using the
> new
> Outlook for several months, but now I want to pull my old outlook files in
> as
> well.
>
> Also, I have an archive.pst and another .pst in addition the the regular
> outlook.pst - do I just repeat this 3 times?
>
> Thanks,
> Dawn


You totally miss-read that page - it does NOT tell you to use the export and
import functions to backup and restore your Outlook Data....

Whew, glad I asked. So once I do the File-Open for each file, they will just
be attached so to speak and included every time I open Outlook?

Thanks

"Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]" wrote:

> You never import a .pst file - you open them in Outlook using
> File->Open->Outlook Data File.
>
> Outlook 2003 and 2007 use the same format for the .pst file. Additionally,
> they both support using the older format (ansi) but that format has a hard 2
> gig limit.
>
> --
> Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]
>
> Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.
> How to ask a question: http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375
>
>
> After furious head scratching, dawnvk asked:
>
> | I have a .pst from my old machine which was Outlook 2003. I found
> | directions to Import that so I have those emails/contacts on my new
> | machine here: http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm
> | using the Import pst file... but I want to make sure it'll work
> | between versions. If I follow these instructions, will it work from
> | 2003 to 2007? I've been using the new Outlook for several months, but
> | now I want to pull my old outlook files in as well.
> |
> | Also, I have an archive.pst and another .pst in addition the the
> | regular outlook.pst - do I just repeat this 3 times?
> |
> | Thanks,
> | Dawn
>
>
>

Actually, now I have another problem. It would appear that my .pst is
corrupt. It is extremely slow when I open outlook 2003 and try to do anything
in it.
When I tried to copy it to a flash drive to move it to my new computer, I
got an error: "Cannot copy: Outlook.pst: the request could not be performed
because of an I/O device error.

The file is right up to the max. It's size is 1,688401. So I tried to do a
compact now - but barely reduced it.

When I clicked on Sent Items to delete those to try to compact again because
there's only 13 items in deleted so figured maybe that would help, I get
Unable to display the folder along with the full path name.

Any suggestions for how to recover this data?

Thanks again and as always...
Dawn

"dawnvk" wrote:

> I have a .pst from my old machine which was Outlook 2003. I found directions
> to Import that so I have those emails/contacts on my new machine here:
> http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm using the Import pst
> file... but I want to make sure it'll work between versions. If I follow
> these instructions, will it work from 2003 to 2007? I've been using the new
> Outlook for several months, but now I want to pull my old outlook files in as
> well.
>
> Also, I have an archive.pst and another .pst in addition the the regular
> outlook.pst - do I just repeat this 3 times?
>
> Thanks,
> Dawn

I have an additional piece of the puzzle. I thought I'd try to archive to get
the .pst down in size. Keeping in mind that just clicking File, can take 5
minutes to pull down the menu... I got the error "Error while archiving
folder "personal folders" path: outlook.pst could not be accessed.

I also got his message when I tried to dismiss a reminder and click on the
deleted items folder.

Hope this additional info helps you help me figure out how to save this
data...

Dawn

"dawnvk" wrote:

> I have a .pst from my old machine which was Outlook 2003. I found directions
> to Import that so I have those emails/contacts on my new machine here:
> http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm using the Import pst
> file... but I want to make sure it'll work between versions. If I follow
> these instructions, will it work from 2003 to 2007? I've been using the new
> Outlook for several months, but now I want to pull my old outlook files in as
> well.
>
> Also, I have an archive.pst and another .pst in addition the the regular
> outlook.pst - do I just repeat this 3 times?
>
> Thanks,
> Dawn

"dawnvk" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:C6529428-27A1-48D8-97BA-(E-Mail Removed)...

> Actually, now I have another problem. It would appear that my .pst is
> corrupt.
....snip...
> Any suggestions for how to recover this data?

Did you try the Inbox Repair Tool (scanpst)?
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

I just tried this - thanks for the idea, but it didn't work. I got: "An
undexpeted error prevented access to this file. Use ScanDisk to check the
disk for errors, and then try using the Inbox Repair Tool again." I'll try
that.

"Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]" wrote:

> "dawnvk" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:C6529428-27A1-48D8-97BA-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> > Actually, now I have another problem. It would appear that my .pst is
> > corrupt.
> ....snip...
> > Any suggestions for how to recover this data?
>
> Did you try the Inbox Repair Tool (scanpst)?
> --
> Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]
>
>

"dawnvk" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:4EAE1C56-E9EF-49A2-9198-(E-Mail Removed)...

>I just tried this - thanks for the idea, but it didn't work. I got: "An
> undexpeted error prevented access to this file. Use ScanDisk to check the
> disk for errors, and then try using the Inbox Repair Tool again." I'll
> try
> that.

It does sound like you have a hard drive problem.

By the way, scandisk was from old versions of WIndows. WIndows 2000 and
later use chkdsk.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

Yes, I'm running a chkdsk c: /r right now - but it seems to be frozen - it
got to stage 4 of 5 (verifying file data) and has been at 23% for over 30
minutes - not sure what to try now ...

Thanks.

"Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]" wrote:

> "dawnvk" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:4EAE1C56-E9EF-49A2-9198-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> >I just tried this - thanks for the idea, but it didn't work. I got: "An
> > undexpeted error prevented access to this file. Use ScanDisk to check the
> > disk for errors, and then try using the Inbox Repair Tool again." I'll
> > try
> > that.
>
> It does sound like you have a hard drive problem.
>
> By the way, scandisk was from old versions of WIndows. WIndows 2000 and
> later use chkdsk.
> --
> Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]
>
>