Importing a PST file into Exchange - does MS know what its talking about??

[brianv]

I'm told this is NOT the way to IMPORT a PST file into Exchange 2003
and Exmerge is the way to do it...

Is Microsoft really clueless when it comes to Exchange as I'm led to believe
my an Outlook EXPERT ??

From MS Site -
Migrating from a Peer-to-Peer Network to a Windows Small Business Server
2003 Network
http://technet2.microsoft.com/Windo...dffb-4898-adde-8b378db50fd81033.mspx?mfr=true

See step 3 below !!!!
-------------------
Step 3: Import Existing E-mail into an Exchange Server Mailbox
If you choose to host e-mail in Exchange Server, you should import each
user's
existing e-mail, contacts, and calendar information into their new Exchange
Server mailbox. To transfer e-mail hosting to Exchange Server, see Appendix
A of this document.

To import existing information into an Exchange Server mailbox, the existing
information must be stored in an Outlook personal folders file (.pst), an
account that uses Internet Message Access Protocol 4 (IMAP), an account that
uses the Microsoft Hotmail® Web-based e-mail service, or Microsoft Outlook
Express.

To import information from an Outlook personal folders file, or Outlook
Express, use the following procedure. To import information from an IMAP or
Hotmail account, open the account in Outlook 2003, and manually move the
items into the appropriate folder in the Exchange mailbox.

Note:
By default, Exchange mailboxes have a size limit of 200 MB. If a user
has more than 175 MB of e-mail, before you import that user's e-mail, either
increase the mailbox size limit in Exchange or import only a subset of the
e-mail into Exchange. The total size of all mailboxes in Exchange cannot
exceed 16 GB. To change mailbox limits, on the server click Start, click
Server Management, click Users, click Change Mailbox and Disk Quota Limits,
and follow the instructions there.

To import e-mail into Exchange Server

1. On the client computer, open Outlook 2003.

The first time Outlook opens, it configures itself to work with
Exchange Server and it deletes any existing e-mail rules, but it leaves any
existing personal folders files open.

2. On the File menu, click Import and Export. The Import and
Export Wizard appears.

1.
To import from an Outlook personal folders file, click
Import from another program or file, choose Personal Folder File (.pst), and
then follow the instructions in the wizard.

2.
To import from Outlook Express, click Import Internet Mail
and Addresses,and then follow the instructions in the wizard.

Note:
Outlook rules must be imported separately, and they
require editing before they will work with the new Exchange mailbox. For
more information, see Outlook Help.
-----------------------

 

[neo [mvp outlook]]

Have you heard the phrase, "there's more than one way to skin a cat?"?
IMHO, Microsoft made an assumption that in a peer-to-peer environment, that
the user base currently is using POP3/IMAP/SMTP and figured it would be
easier to suggest a import into Exchange using Outlook rather than a bunch
more mumbo jumbo about using Exmerge.

 

[brianv]

Although I have imported using Outlook (even 4 or 5 Gb) PST files
and everything seems ok... I am told importing PST via outlook will
lead to corruption....

I'm just trying to understand - and if this is a NO - NO

 

[DL]

Import / Export can lose data and other setings
With a pst located on the local pc (dont overwrite any existing pst) within
OL, File>Open........browse to the pst.
If neccessary copy data to the other pst

 

[neo [mvp outlook]]

Never seen it lead to this, only seen it lead to duplicates or missing
things like custom views, inbox rules, archive settings, .etc. Reason that
later go missing is because they are hidden items and they are never moved
over during an import. Duplicates happened because of the item existing in
multiple locations.

Other than that, importing is fine even though you see posts by MVPs saying
PSTs are evil, don't import always copy, .etc. Everyone just has there own
take based on experiences with the product.

 

[K. Orland]

DL and neo are both correct with their statements. I also want to add that
there is a Microsoft way to do things and often there is a real world way.
As a reminder, when you're working with the data from someone else's mailbox
and the potential is there to corrupt that data then my recommendation is to
take the safe route.

--
Kathleen Orland - MVP Outlook

http://www.howto-outlook.com/

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

I'm usually the one advising the most strongly against importing, but I
quite agree with Neo that in most instances when done correctly it works
fine. The information that we know importing loses is in reality not
relevant to most users. Most of the problems I see from importing are the
result of end user error because it is too easy to misdirect the data to the
wrong location or fail to import what you want.
The only time importing is a real problem is when users try to import an
entire PST file. That never goes well in current versions and is almost
never necessary. If users need all the data in a PST file, just reuse the
file.
The main reason opening and copying data from a PST file is a better way to
go is that it is harder to get into trouble that way.