Copying distribution groups and signature picker items from old computer (Outlook 98) to new comput

[Musawwir Spiegel]

I have been transferring data from my Outlook 98 program on my old
(Win 98SE) machine to Outlook 2002 on my new (WinXP) machine.

In my Outlook 98 setup, I had a number of mailing distribution groups
set up in my Personal Address Book. I had also saved a number of
signatures in the Signature Picker. How can I export the old
distribution lists and signature picker items and import them into my
Outlook 2002 program on the new computer?

Musawwir Spiegel
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Brian Tillman]

In my Outlook 98 setup, I had a number of mailing distribution groups
set up in my Personal Address Book. I had also saved a number of
signatures in the Signature Picker. How can I export the old
distribution lists and signature picker items and import them into my
Outlook 2002 program on the new computer?

First, as soon as you get the Personal Address Book incorporated into
Outlook, stop using it. It is long obsolete. In fact, you shouldn't have
been using it in OL 98 either. Keep your contacts in the Contacts folder.

To transfer your PAB, copy over the PAB file from the old PC to the new one.
Put it in any folder you want. Then in Outlook, click Tools>E-mail
Accounts>Add a new directory or address book>Next. Select Additional
Address Books and click Next. Select the Personal Address Book service and
click Next. Browse to the PAB file, select it and click OK. Move the items
to the Contacts folder. Alternatively, click FIle>Import and Export>Import
from another program or file, choose Personal Address Book and click Next.
Browse to the PAB and click Next. Follow the prompts.

I don't know how to transfer the signatures.

 

[Musawwir Spiegel]

Brian -

The reason I was using OL98 was because that is what I had installed
many years ago on my computer and it worked absolutely fine. I
believe in the adage "If it ain't broke, don't upgrade it."

I followed your suggestions set forth in your second paragraph.
However, once I "rowse[d] to the PAB file, select[ed] it and
click[ed] OK," I don't know how I was supposed to "Browse to the PAB
file, select it and click OK . . . . Move the items to the Contacts
folder."

Similarly, when I "click[ed] FIle>Import and Export>Import
from another program or file, choose Personal Address Book and click
Next. . . . [and b]rowse[d] to the PAB and click Next," I got an error
message saying, "An error occurred while importing or exporting and
the import/export was terminated. MAPI error 0X80040102 was reported.
Please try to import/expert again later."

Bottom line, I still don't know how to import my old distribution
lists. Have I misunderstood something here?.

As to the signatures, I did a Windows Find search for a filename
corresponding with the name of one of the distribution lists. That
resulted in discovery of a series of files with .txt, .rtf., and htm
extensions representing each of the signatures in their various
possible formats. I then found that in my new computer (WinXP), there
was a folder called C:\Documents and Settings\Musawwir
Spiegel\Application Data\Microsoft\Signatures which contained
signature files. I copied the signature files from the old machine
into this directory, and they then became accessible from the
signature picker.

Musawwir Spiegel
(e-mail address removed)