Lost Contacts

[Guest]

For some time I have been able to transfer the outlook.pst file from my
desktop to Laptop, and vice-versa, so I can work on emails when away from
home. The last time I transferred the pst file from the desktop to the laptop
I found that the Contacts list had disappeared . I also found that I could
not add new contacts.
But, when I transferred that same outlook.pst file back to the desktop
everything worked as it should. What is causing this problem?
I am using Outlook 2003 SP2 with Windows XP Pro on both machines.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

How could we know what caused the problem?
We have no idea how you "transferred" the PST file. I'd wager you did so
incorrectly.
The only correct way to migrate a PST file is to open it in another Outlook
Profile then set it to be the default for that profile and close the PST you
are trying to replace.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Addendum: after you remove the Address Book Service and restart Outlook, you
must re-add the service, then enable the folders as email address books).
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

How could we know what caused the problem?
We have no idea how you "transferred" the PST file. I'd wager you did so
incorrectly.
The only correct way to migrate a PST file is to open it in another
Outlook Profile then set it to be the default for that profile and close
the PST you are trying to replace.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

For some time I have been able to transfer the outlook.pst file from my
desktop to Laptop, and vice-versa, so I can work on emails when away from
home. The last time I transferred the pst file from the desktop to the
laptop
I found that the Contacts list had disappeared . I also found that I
could
not add new contacts.
But, when I transferred that same outlook.pst file back to the desktop
everything worked as it should. What is causing this problem?
I am using Outlook 2003 SP2 with Windows XP Pro on both machines.

 

[Guest]

Russ, are you for real??? I've been reading posts based on my search "lost
contacts" and I've read numerous replies from you. You are rude and
unhelpful. Like this one below: "How could we know what caused the problem?"
THAT'S WHAT YOUR JOB IS as an mvp - to know what causes problems in MS
products, and to offer suggestions for helping your users.

I can hear your reply: How can I know what someone else did to lose their
contacts? Well, no one thinks that. Most everyone understands that MVPs are
offering suggestions, not divinations or revelations. That's just assumed.
That's why a support person often answers, "What could have happened is..."

In any case, I'm not really learning much about how to troubleshoot my own
problem by reading your posts - if I can make it through your inane comments
to get to your instructions.

Danny Smitherman
IT Manager
Adventure Cycling Association
800-755-2453

How could we know what caused the problem?
We have no idea how you "transferred" the PST file. I'd wager you did so
incorrectly.
The only correct way to migrate a PST file is to open it in another Outlook
Profile then set it to be the default for that profile and close the PST you
are trying to replace.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

For some time I have been able to transfer the outlook.pst file from my
desktop to Laptop, and vice-versa, so I can work on emails when away from
home. The last time I transferred the pst file from the desktop to the
laptop
I found that the Contacts list had disappeared . I also found that I could
not add new contacts.
But, when I transferred that same outlook.pst file back to the desktop
everything worked as it should. What is causing this problem?
I am using Outlook 2003 SP2 with Windows XP Pro on both machines.

 

[Guest]

Russ, Thank you for your advice
I can try all that but it appears rather unecessarily convoluted.
In the past all I had to do was to copy the pst file from one machine and
paste it into the other machine. It worked and has worked for about the last
five years.
It should be simple as that because there is only one user for both machines
and therefore only need for one profile
The impression I get from the help files is that is all I need to do so I
was wondering if any changes been casued by any of teh Outlook fixes.

Addendum: after you remove the Address Book Service and restart Outlook, you
must re-add the service, then enable the folders as email address books).
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

How could we know what caused the problem?
We have no idea how you "transferred" the PST file. I'd wager you did so
incorrectly.
The only correct way to migrate a PST file is to open it in another
Outlook Profile then set it to be the default for that profile and close
the PST you are trying to replace.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

For some time I have been able to transfer the outlook.pst file from my
desktop to Laptop, and vice-versa, so I can work on emails when away from
home. The last time I transferred the pst file from the desktop to the
laptop
I found that the Contacts list had disappeared . I also found that I
could
not add new contacts.
But, when I transferred that same outlook.pst file back to the desktop
everything worked as it should. What is causing this problem?
I am using Outlook 2003 SP2 with Windows XP Pro on both machines.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

I know it appears convoluted, but trust me, it's the only supported way to
transfer Outlook data. You are correct that Outlook has gotten increasingly
intolerant of other ways to transfer Outlook data with each successive
version, but overwriting a PST file has always caused trouble in every
version of Outlook and was never recommended.

I know of at least 4 ways that users often migrate PST files improperly that
will result in problems:
a. Importing an entire PST file.
b. Opening a previous PST file in an unsupported scenario (such as on a
network drive or in a shared folder located on another drive).
c. Overwriting a profile's default PST file.
d. Renaming a profile's default PST then redirecting Outlook to a new PST on
re-launch.

The only supported method for migrating Outlook Data is the one documented
in Outlook 2003's Help Files (which is the one I described):
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Russ, Thank you for your advice
I can try all that but it appears rather unecessarily convoluted.
In the past all I had to do was to copy the pst file from one machine and
paste it into the other machine. It worked and has worked for about the
last
five years.
It should be simple as that because there is only one user for both
machines
and therefore only need for one profile
The impression I get from the help files is that is all I need to do so I
was wondering if any changes been casued by any of teh Outlook fixes.

Addendum: after you remove the Address Book Service and restart Outlook,
you
must re-add the service, then enable the folders as email address books).
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

How could we know what caused the problem?
We have no idea how you "transferred" the PST file. I'd wager you did
so
incorrectly.
The only correct way to migrate a PST file is to open it in another
Outlook Profile then set it to be the default for that profile and
close
the PST you are trying to replace.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
For some time I have been able to transfer the outlook.pst file from
my
desktop to Laptop, and vice-versa, so I can work on emails when away
from
home. The last time I transferred the pst file from the desktop to the
laptop
I found that the Contacts list had disappeared . I also found that I
could
not add new contacts.
But, when I transferred that same outlook.pst file back to the desktop
everything worked as it should. What is causing this problem?
I am using Outlook 2003 SP2 with Windows XP Pro on both machines.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Just answer a few thousand posts. You'll soon discover it's much more
efficient to get the question clarified up front than to try to read between
the lines and guess what happened. Volunteers who do this on their free time
don't really have that much time to waste.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Russ, are you for real??? I've been reading posts based on my search "lost
contacts" and I've read numerous replies from you. You are rude and
unhelpful. Like this one below: "How could we know what caused the
problem?"
THAT'S WHAT YOUR JOB IS as an mvp - to know what causes problems in MS
products, and to offer suggestions for helping your users.

I can hear your reply: How can I know what someone else did to lose their
contacts? Well, no one thinks that. Most everyone understands that MVPs
are
offering suggestions, not divinations or revelations. That's just assumed.
That's why a support person often answers, "What could have happened
is..."

In any case, I'm not really learning much about how to troubleshoot my own
problem by reading your posts - if I can make it through your inane
comments
to get to your instructions.

Danny Smitherman
IT Manager
Adventure Cycling Association
800-755-2453

How could we know what caused the problem?
We have no idea how you "transferred" the PST file. I'd wager you did so
incorrectly.
The only correct way to migrate a PST file is to open it in another
Outlook
Profile then set it to be the default for that profile and close the PST
you
are trying to replace.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

For some time I have been able to transfer the outlook.pst file from my
desktop to Laptop, and vice-versa, so I can work on emails when away
from
home. The last time I transferred the pst file from the desktop to the
laptop
I found that the Contacts list had disappeared . I also found that I
could
not add new contacts.
But, when I transferred that same outlook.pst file back to the desktop
everything worked as it should. What is causing this problem?
I am using Outlook 2003 SP2 with Windows XP Pro on both machines.

 

[Guest]

Many thanks, Russ.
I have to say I am dissappointed with what I consider to be a retrograde
step regarding the portability of the Outlook.pst files. All I can say is
that thank goodness I wil not have to do this too often.

:

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

We've voiced our concerns over this issue and Microsoft is looking at ways
to make it more user friendly and tolerant. Apparently, the way Outlook must
connect to its data sources is far more complicated than simply opening
files or documents.