Import/Export - Safest Method?

[Guest]

If I want to Export then Import Contacts from a previous employee to his/her
replacement's Outlook, what is the safest method?

Excel, DOS delineated, Win delineated, PST, etc.

We want just the Contacts so the new employee does not have to rebuild.

 

[Gordon]

If I want to Export then Import Contacts from a previous employee to
his/her
replacement's Outlook, what is the safest method?

Excel, DOS delineated, Win delineated, PST, etc.

We want just the Contacts so the new employee does not have to rebuild.

Are you using Exchange, or stand-alone pst files?

 

[Guest]

Are you using Exchange, or stand-alone pst files?

Outlook 2000, 2003

 

[Gordon]

Outlook 2000, 2003

That's not what I asked - do you connect to Exchange Server or are you using
POP3 for email?

 

[Guest]

POP3

Sorry for misreading.

That's not what I asked - do you connect to Exchange Server or are you using
POP3 for email?

 

[Gordon]

POP3

In that case it's not recommended to use the import/export function. Why?
(Courtesy of Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook])

Importing an entire PST may well corrupt your profile and may create a ghost
PST that you can't close. 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.

As to your problem do this:
On Old Computer:
Close Outlook.
Search for, and copy the pst file. Default name and location are:
C:\Documents and Settings\{Your User Name here}\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.pst. (You may have to enable Hidden and
System files in your search)

On the New computer:
Copy the pst file to your HDD. Do NOT overwrite any existing file. Remove
any read-only attribute. (Right-Click-Properties).
Open Outlook.
Do File-Open-Outlook Data File and navigate to where you copied the file.

Then copy the contact data from the old file to the new.
more info here:

http://www.slipstick.com/config/backup.htm
http://www.howto-outlook.com/Howto/backupandrestore.htm
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx



HTH

 

[Guest]

Thanks, but...

First, we are talking about one PC. The previous employee and new one use
the same PC.

Second, I did what you suggested logged on as Domain Admin so I can access
the files. What I did was copy the old employee's PST, prefixed (renamed)
with her initials, to the new employee's Outlook folder so she could open it,
as you state.

The problem is when the new employee tried to copy old-contacts to her
contacts, it would not work. She can see the old-contacts list.

She has already manually rebuilt her contacts. So my question is for future
employee changes.

I was thinking that exporting *just* the contacts to a XLS or other format,
then importing them to a new user contacts *may* be a safer way to go. If
not, we will have to hope this copy-problem does not show up next time.

Thanks again.

POP3

In that case it's not recommended to use the import/export function. Why?
(Courtesy of Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook])

Importing an entire PST may well corrupt your profile and may create a ghost
PST that you can't close. 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.

As to your problem do this:
On Old Computer:
Close Outlook.
Search for, and copy the pst file. Default name and location are:
C:\Documents and Settings\{Your User Name here}\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.pst. (You may have to enable Hidden and
System files in your search)

On the New computer:
Copy the pst file to your HDD. Do NOT overwrite any existing file. Remove
any read-only attribute. (Right-Click-Properties).
Open Outlook.
Do File-Open-Outlook Data File and navigate to where you copied the file.

Then copy the contact data from the old file to the new.
more info here:

http://www.slipstick.com/config/backup.htm
http://www.howto-outlook.com/Howto/backupandrestore.htm
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx



HTH

 

[Brian Tillman]

The problem is when the new employee tried to copy old-contacts to her
contacts, it would not work. She can see the old-contacts list.

You'll have to define exactly what "would not work" means here. It DOES
work, if you do it correctly.

 

[Guest]

Ah...

We have done the procedure you suggested before, and you are correct, it
normally works.

What's different in this single case:
1) Using the method on the same PC. Prior occasions had to do with
transferring to a new PC. Have never had problems.

2) It's just this one new employee's Outlook.pst, I suspect that there *may*
be a problem with the file. When we have time we will try recreating her PST.

Oh! Is there a tool or KB on fixing a PST?

If there is a tool, hopefully it would analyze the PST and fix.

 

[Brian Tillman]

2) It's just this one new employee's Outlook.pst, I suspect that
there *may* be a problem with the file. When we have time we will try
recreating her PST.

Oh! Is there a tool or KB on fixing a PST?

If there is a tool, hopefully it would analyze the PST and fix.

SCANPST.EXE, which is the Inbox Repair Tool. In Office 2003, you should
find it under Start>All Programs>Microsoft Office Tools or Microsoft
Office>Microsoft Office Tools. Otherwise, you should find it in
%CommonProgramFiles%\System\MSMAPI\1033

 

[Guest]

Thank you very much, you've been a great help.

SCANPST.EXE, which is the Inbox Repair Tool. In Office 2003, you should
find it under Start>All Programs>Microsoft Office Tools or Microsoft
Office>Microsoft Office Tools. Otherwise, you should find it in
%CommonProgramFiles%\System\MSMAPI\1033