Importing Outlook XP file to Outlook 2003

[Abigail363]

I keep getting the error "...pst file is not a personal folders file".
It took me a while but I finally figured out that the problem must be
that I'm trying to open the file in Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2003 has a
different pst file format.

Question -- How can I open or import the older (non-unicode) pst file
into Outlook 2003? I've tried creating an outlook 2002 data folder in
Outlook 2003 but still get the same error message when I try to import
the file to that new folder.

Any suggestions? I've looked all over the place for help! Microsoft
makes it seem like you should be able to import the file into 2003 but
it isn't working for me.

Thanks.
Abigail

 

[lynn.taylor]

I keep getting the error "...pst file is not a personal folders file".
It took me a while but I finally figured out that the problem must be
that I'm trying to open the file in Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2003 has a
different pst file format.

Question -- How can I open or import the older (non-unicode) pst file
into Outlook 2003? I've tried creating an outlook 2002 data folder in
Outlook 2003 but still get the same error message when I try to import
the file to that new folder.

Any suggestions? I've looked all over the place for help! Microsoft
makes it seem like you should be able to import the file into 2003 but
it isn't working for me.

Thanks.
Abigail

Hi Abigail
I found this reply to a similar question from Russ Valentine on
lockergnome.com

Importing is not recommended. It will lose or misplace data.
Your options are simply to open your old PST and copy the Contacts from
them
into your current PST or simply to reuse your former PST.
Take a look at these pages for info on Outlook data backup or transfer:

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

Regards
Lynn

 

[Abigail363]

In this case I can't open the file on the computer that it is on. I'd
be happy to just open the file and copy the messages to my new folder
but I get the same error!

Outlook 2003 doesn't recognize the PST format from earlier versions. I
need some way around that!

Abigail

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Not so. Outlook 2003 can open any previous PST file. It can even import them
(although you would not want to).
You have a different problem. State how you created and transported this
file so we can figure out what your problem is. If you created this file by
exporting, you may have corrupted it. If you placed it on a CD, you must
move it to back to a hard drive and remove its read only attribute.

 

[Abigail363]

When I try to open or import the pst file I get the error that the file
"is not a personal folders file".

I created it by exporting the e-mail from Outlook 2002. Exported to a
PST file.

The file was burned on a disk and then copied to a different computer
(read only is not set). The new computer has Outlook 2003 on it. It
will not open or import the file.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

If you are certain that the file has been moved to a hard drive and has no
read only attribute, then it is corrupt. You can try to repair it with the
Inbox Repair Tool.
Most likely that will not work because exporting PST files before copying
them usually corrupts them beyond repair. Go back and do things correctly.
Never touch the export command again. Close Outlook completely. Then just
copy your PST file using Windows Explorer. Very simple.

 

[Brian Tillman]

I keep getting the error "...pst file is not a personal folders file".
It took me a while but I finally figured out that the problem must be
that I'm trying to open the file in Outlook 2003 and Outlook 2003 has
a different pst file format.

That's not relevant. Outlook 2003 can open Outlook 2002's PSTs with no
trouble. You use File>Open>Outlook Data File just as you would for anu
other PSTs. If you see "not a personal folders file", then generall NO
version of Outlook will read it. It means that whatever method you used to
generate the PST has ruined it. This most often happens when you copy a PST
while Outlook is open, but some CD burning software can cause it as well.

Question -- How can I open or import the older (non-unicode) pst file
into Outlook 2003? I've tried creating an outlook 2002 data folder in
Outlook 2003 but still get the same error message when I try to import
the file to that new folder.

Never import from or export to a PST. There is never any reason to do so
and you lose data.. See if this helps:
http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm#Restore_pst-file