Throughout my time reading this group I've seen just about everyone say
"Don't export to/import from PST files, open the PST file and move content
from one to another."

I'm curious as to why this is. I've never had a problem (I haven't had to
do it very often) but would just like to know why this is not considered a
good/safe/whatever practice (as I'm sure there's a reason or folks wouldn't
advise against it!). I can't say I've ever seen anyone say *why* you
shouldn't do it, just not to do it.

Thanks!

Joe

You can always make a pst file via export, but you often get errors when you
try to import from a pst file.

"Joe Grover" wrote:

> Throughout my time reading this group I've seen just about everyone say
> "Don't export to/import from PST files, open the PST file and move content
> from one to another."
>
> I'm curious as to why this is. I've never had a problem (I haven't had to
> do it very often) but would just like to know why this is not considered a
> good/safe/whatever practice (as I'm sure there's a reason or folks wouldn't
> advise against it!). I can't say I've ever seen anyone say *why* you
> shouldn't do it, just not to do it.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Joe
>
>

Look more closely. We've posted the reasons countless of times.
Importing an entire PST file will corrupt the Outlook profile by creating a
duplicate data file which cannot be closed. 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.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Joe Grover" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Throughout my time reading this group I've seen just about everyone say
> "Don't export to/import from PST files, open the PST file and move content
> from one to another."
>
> I'm curious as to why this is. I've never had a problem (I haven't had to
> do it very often) but would just like to know why this is not considered a
> good/safe/whatever practice (as I'm sure there's a reason or folks
> wouldn't advise against it!). I can't say I've ever seen anyone say *why*
> you shouldn't do it, just not to do it.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Joe

Excellent, thanks. I've only been reading on and off for a couple of
months, but have only seen people saying "don't do it". None of the issues
below are anything I'd have run across in the few times I've done it myself
(and I never had a PST I couldn't close afterward), but knowing that stuff
can happen is exactly what I was looking for. I just wanted to be able to
speak intelligently about it if/when I was asked rather than resorting to,
"Dude, just don't do it."

Joe

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Look more closely. We've posted the reasons countless of times.
> Importing an entire PST file will corrupt the Outlook profile by creating
> a duplicate data file which cannot be closed. 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.
> --
> Russ Valentine
> [MVP-Outlook]
> "Joe Grover" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Throughout my time reading this group I've seen just about everyone say
>> "Don't export to/import from PST files, open the PST file and move
>> content from one to another."
>>
>> I'm curious as to why this is. I've never had a problem (I haven't had
>> to do it very often) but would just like to know why this is not
>> considered a good/safe/whatever practice (as I'm sure there's a reason or
>> folks wouldn't advise against it!). I can't say I've ever seen anyone
>> say *why* you shouldn't do it, just not to do it.
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> Joe
>
>

Back in the day, importing and exporting of Outlook data was a viable
option. With each successive version of Outlook it has grown more
dysfunctional to the point we now consider it unusable. It has also become
clear that Microsoft has no intention of either addressing or documenting
this problem. At the very least, they should just remove the feature so
people won't think it works and become tempted to use it.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Joe Grover" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Excellent, thanks. I've only been reading on and off for a couple of
> months, but have only seen people saying "don't do it". None of the
> issues below are anything I'd have run across in the few times I've done
> it myself (and I never had a PST I couldn't close afterward), but knowing
> that stuff can happen is exactly what I was looking for. I just wanted to
> be able to speak intelligently about it if/when I was asked rather than
> resorting to, "Dude, just don't do it."
>
> Joe
>
> "Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Look more closely. We've posted the reasons countless of times.
>> Importing an entire PST file will corrupt the Outlook profile by creating
>> a duplicate data file which cannot be closed. 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.
>> --
>> Russ Valentine
>> [MVP-Outlook]
>> "Joe Grover" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Throughout my time reading this group I've seen just about everyone say
>>> "Don't export to/import from PST files, open the PST file and move
>>> content from one to another."
>>>
>>> I'm curious as to why this is. I've never had a problem (I haven't had
>>> to do it very often) but would just like to know why this is not
>>> considered a good/safe/whatever practice (as I'm sure there's a reason
>>> or folks wouldn't advise against it!). I can't say I've ever seen
>>> anyone say *why* you shouldn't do it, just not to do it.
>>>
>>> Thanks!
>>>
>>> Joe
>>
>>
>