Migrate PST file

[Bob Newman]

re: Outlook 2003

I realize the topic has probably been covered ad nausium but I still can't
find out how to solve this problem. Any help that can be given would be
greatly appreciated. I have just bought a new computer (Vista) I installed
Office 2003. I chose File/Open/Outlook Data File and pointed to the pst
file that was on the old computer. Outlook imported everything into a
separate "Personal Folders" list. I want the information all in the main
Personal Folders. How do I do this? Also because I've been transferring
the old pst folder to the new computer I now have 3 pst files on the new
computer. Will this confuse Outlook? I'm not even sure which is the folder
that Outlook is currently using (maybe all of them?).

Specific help needed please.

Thanks... Bob

 

[Guest]

Instead of importing, try File > Open and browse to the specific PST. That
should do exactly what you're trying to accomplish.

 

[DL]

When you chose File>Open, OL didnt 'import' anything it simply opened the
old data file, as a seperate Personal Folders group.
Simply copy data from this data file to your main 'default' data file -
either copy data or drag and drop

When finished, close this old data file.
Though if this data file is located on your new PC you can keep it open.
OL can have multiple pst's open. Just ensure when transfering pst's you dont
overwrite any existing ones, perhaps locate them in My Documents
By default OL stores its data files in the \Documents &
Settings\username\..............grouping. You can store them elsewhere if
you wish.

 

[Brian Tillman]

I realize the topic has probably been covered ad nausium but I still
can't find out how to solve this problem. Any help that can be given
would be greatly appreciated. I have just bought a new computer
(Vista) I installed Office 2003. I chose File/Open/Outlook Data File
and pointed to the pst file that was on the old computer. Outlook
imported everything into a separate "Personal Folders" list.

No, it didn't. It didn't import anything. It opened the PST in the mail
profile and gave you access to the exact data the old PC used.

I want
the information all in the main Personal Folders. How do I do this?

Two ways: the easiest is to click Tools>E-mail Accounts>Next and change the
"Deliver new e-mail to the following location" drop-down at the lower left
to point to the old PST that you just opened. Close and restart Outlook and
those folders will be your default folders just like they were before. You
can then right-click and choose Close on the PST Outlook created when you
installed it, since it probably contains nothing. The other thing you can
do is to open each older in the added PST, select everything in the folder
with CTRL-A, and drag the selection to the proper folder in your existing
PST (or click Edit>Copy (or Move) to Folder, specifying the appropriate
default folder as the destination. I'd choose the former of the two methods
(i.e., reuse the old PST).

 

[Bob Newman]

Can I get the old data to import into the new pst? It's all goofed up now.
I've got duplicate folders & mail going every which way. Can I just delete
the duplicate pst files, take my backup pst from the old computer and copy
it and overwrite the one that the new install of Outlook created? Wouldn't
that solve the whole problem?

Bob

 

[DL]

If you check these ng's you will see that niether Import or Export is the
way to deal with the OL data file (when its to be used as a pst)
Both methods lose data & settings

Are you *sure* you have duplicate folders and not simply several Personal
Folders open - if you do the default folder layout will be repeated in each?
ie if you have 2 personal folders you will have 2 inboxes etc
Mail will only be delivered to the default (active store) personal folders
inbox

If you check the properties of the Personal Folder it will give you the path
to the pst, you can also rename it appropriately, eg OldPc

 

[Brian Tillman]

Can
I just delete the duplicate pst files, take my backup pst from the
old computer and copy it and overwrite the one that the new install
of Outlook created? Wouldn't that solve the whole problem?

it would corrupt your mail profile and cause even more. Never overwrite a
PST if its part of a mail profile. One of Personal Folders file sets you
have will have the "Outlook Today" icon (clock, house, paper) to its left.
The other(s) will have a simple folder stack icon. Right click each that
have the folder stack icon and choose Close or, if one of those folder sets
actually contains the data you want to be in your default folders, make that
folder set your delivery location in the "Deliver new e-mail to the
following location" drop-down at the lower left of Tools>E-mail
Accounts>Next. You have to stop and restart Outlook after making this
designation. You can then close any of the folder sets you don't want as
I've already described.