Anybody tell me how to restore my Outlook backup file?

  • Thread starter Thread starter jtrossi
  • Start date Start date
J

jtrossi

I just set up a new system and reinstalled all my software. I have an Outlook
backup on old system's documents folder, but how do I get it back onto my new
system???
 
Do you still have access to the old system's documents folder? If so,
just copy/paste the PST file to appropriate folder in the new machine.
Overwrite the default .PST file (you don't have any data in it yet,
right?) with your original and start Outlook.

--
-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr, MVP
Roland Schorr & Tower
http://www.rolandschorr.com
http://www.officeforlawyers.com
Author - The Lawyer's Guide to Microsoft Outlook 2007:
http://tinyurl.com/5m3f5q
 
Ben M. Schorr - MVP (OneNote) said:
Do you still have access to the old system's documents folder? If so, just
copy/paste the PST file to appropriate folder in the new machine.
Overwrite the default .PST file
Click to expand...

That's one of the quickest ways to a corrupted Mail profile.....
 
Deet said:
I think that's an Outlook Urban Legend!

For years I've copied the .PST file back and forth between my desktop
and my notebook. I even recently setup Windows Live FolderShare to do
it for me.

Never a problem. Never.

Catch that?

N E V E R.
Click to expand...

I have to agree with you there. I've not had any problem copying PST
files between computers either. In fact, my desktop is Vista and my
notebook is XP. Both have OL2003.

Richie Hardwick
 
Richie Hardwick said:
I have to agree with you there. I've not had any problem copying PST
files between computers either. In fact, my desktop is Vista and my
notebook is XP. Both have OL2003.

Richie Hardwick
Click to expand...


You've been very lucky then. There are THOUSANDS of posts in the Outlook
groups where problems have been caused by copying and OVERWRITING the
existing pst file.
 
To clarify, Ben referred to a very specific situation which is one of the
few situations in which overwriting a PST file might work: the file that is
overwritten is blank and had not yet completed its connection to the Outlook
profile.
Unfortunately, that situation rarely exists, so most of the time overwriting
a PST file will corrupt the Outlook profile. Also, the latest version of
Outlook seems not to tolerate that procedure. Older versions did.
The only supported and recommended method to change to a backup PST file is
to open the file in the Outlook profile (either directly or via Control
Panel > Mail), set it as the default folder, restart Outlook, then close the
other PST file.
 
Do you still have access to the old system's documents folder? If so, just
copy/paste the PST file to appropriate folder in the new machine.
Overwrite the default .PST file (you don't have any data in it yet,
right?) with your original and start Outlook.
Click to expand...

Ben, overwriting a PST that's in an existing mail profile is a goofd way to
damage the profile.
 
If it's a new, empty, profile (as I asked the OP to confirm) there's
nothing to damage. If somehow replacing the empty default PST file with
the previous one damages the profile (which it never has for me) then he
doesn't lose anything by creating a fresh one.

--
-Ben-
Ben M. Schorr, MVP
Roland Schorr & Tower
http://www.rolandschorr.com
http://www.officeforlawyers.com
Author - The Lawyer's Guide to Microsoft Outlook 2007:
http://tinyurl.com/5m3f5q
 
Back
Top