I'm currently using Outlook 2003 and thinking of changing to 2007.
As a precaution, I copied my PST file to a different location and then set
about testing this by opening Outlook. I navigated to the location where the
back up was and clicked to open it. After a while I got a message saying
"Run-time error. Do you want to debug?" or similar. I clicked no and the
folders seemed okay. When I repeated the file open process it led me to the
back-up location. I then reversed back to the default location and got the
same message, again clicking no.
Question 1: Do I have a problem?
Question 2: Should I have clicked yes and if so, what then? That seemed to
require further choices involiving Micrsoft Script Editors.

ChrisSDB

ChrisSDB wrote:

> I copied my PST file to a different location and then set about testing
> this by opening Outlook. I navigated to the location where the back up
> was and clicked to open it.

There is no filetype associated with .pst files. You don't [double-]click
on .pst files in Windows Explorer to open them. They must be opened in
Outlook. In Outlook, use the File -> Open menu to see the separate copy of
the .pst file that you created.

Also, when copying the .pst file, no process must currently have a write
handle to it since that process may be updating the file. Make sure Outlook
is completely exited before copying the .pst file. After exiting Outlook,
go into Task Manager under its Processes tab and ensure there is no instance
remaining for the outlook.exe process.

I was using the File-Open menu as you describe, but I think you may be right
about when I originally copied it as I've just tried copying it again before
opening Outlook at all and I don't seem to get the same message when I try
to open the back-up. Seems like the problem has gone away so thanks.

"VanguardLH" wrote:

> ChrisSDB wrote:
>
> > I copied my PST file to a different location and then set about testing
> > this by opening Outlook. I navigated to the location where the back up
> > was and clicked to open it.
>
> There is no filetype associated with .pst files. You don't [double-]click
> on .pst files in Windows Explorer to open them. They must be opened in
> Outlook. In Outlook, use the File -> Open menu to see the separate copy of
> the .pst file that you created.
>
> Also, when copying the .pst file, no process must currently have a write
> handle to it since that process may be updating the file. Make sure Outlook
> is completely exited before copying the .pst file. After exiting Outlook,
> go into Task Manager under its Processes tab and ensure there is no instance
> remaining for the outlook.exe process.
> .
>