Can't Import .pst file into Windows Mail

[Guest]

I can't import my contacts, which are in .pst, into Windows mail. I have
been able to import a .wab file but not the .pst.

Thank you in advance for your assistance.

 

[Jim Pickering]

If you do not also have Outlook ( preferably an up to date version)
installed, you will not be able to do anything with a PST file. Without
Outlook also being installed on the same computer, a PST file is just a
collection of unreadable junk.

The drill is to open Outlook, then open the PST file in question in Outlook,
and then you can import/export from that open instance of Outlook into
Windows Mail. Or on the old machine, export from Outlook to Outlook
Express, then on the Vista machine, import from the Outlook Express message
store folder (which will contain all the old DBX files used by Outlook
Express).

 

[Jim Pickering]

Dave: It's one helluva lot easier to export from the old version of Outlook
to Outlook Express on the older computer. Then later import from the saved
DBX files of the old computer's message store folder into Windows Mail.
Added bonus, you don't have to play with OL2007 and try to figure out how
its new Ribbons work vs. the old, tried and true menus. But, it's your
choice.

 

[Guest]

Hi Jim. I am in a similar situation and see that importing mails to EO is
easiest. I have an old work computer running XP that I need to give up this
week. First I need to "save" some Outlook e-mails, but I do not see OE on
the work PC. My new home PC includes Vista and the Windows Mail program
everyone is raving about.

Is there an easy/free & legal way to get OE on my XP computer? Or would you
recommend the painful route Dave took?

Thanks for your help,
Jay

 

[Charles W Davis]

Come on Guys! Outlook Express is on all Windows XP systems. That's about as
free as it gets! Windows Mail is on all Vista systems. It is the replacement
for Outlook Express.

MS Office Outlook 2007, which you will have to pay for, will run on either
Windows XP or Windows Vista.

 

[Steve Cochran]

Hi Jay,

The shortcut for OE is probably hidden if Outlook is the default. You can
go to "c:\program files\outlook express\msimn.exe" and click on that (or cut
and paste it into the Start | Run box with the quotes) and OE will open.
Then you can use File | Import from Outlook. Then transfer the dbx files to
the new PC and then import with WinMail. See www.oehelp.com/OETips.aspx#4
and www.oehelp.com/backup.aspx#oe2wm

steve

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Steve. I had looked in that folder, but the file was just hidden.
To import archived personal folders, it looks as though I'll need to first
move the messages of interest to my Inbox (since you cannot select personal
folders after choosing to import from outlook), right? Thanks for your
help...never had to do this before.

Jay

 

[...winston]

Outlook Express may be restricted by your 'work' system admin which would
indicate its lack of presence.
If 'work' meant your personal XP computer that you do 'work on', OE is
installed by default in XP as part of IE.

Alternative if you do not have the software..drag and drop messages to a
hard drive folder, burn to cd, copy to hard drive, remove read only if
applicable, then drag and drop to a user created folder in WM.

 

[Steve Cochran]

I've done this rarely so I don't know.

steve

Thanks, Steve. I had looked in that folder, but the file was just hidden.
To import archived personal folders, it looks as though I'll need to first
move the messages of interest to my Inbox (since you cannot select
personal
folders after choosing to import from outlook), right? Thanks for your
help...never had to do this before.

Jay