Outlook 2003 Upgrade Kept Old PST File Version, How to Fix?

[Karl Burrows]

I just upgraded a client to 2003 because of some issues with the PST file
size in his Outlook XP (it crashed as he exceeded the 2GB limitation by
about 200MB!). Anyway, the upgrade kept the file as a 97-2002 PST file
which still has the 2GB limitation. I created a new data file that is the
new version and was able to recover the other PST file, but I can't get
Outlook to make that the default Outlook folder. I could move the email
delivery to it, but not have Outlook open this file. I tried renaming the
default PST to see if Outlook would then prompt me for a data file, but it
wouldn't let me rename the file.

How can I either convert the existing folder/data file to the new 2003 PST
or change the default folder on open?

Thanks!!

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

- Go to Tools > E-mail Accounts > View or change existing e-mail accounts
- Select the PST you just added in the "Deliver New e-mail to the following
location" dropdown (it will most likely appear just below the current
default Personal Folders file) > Finish
- Exit and Restart Outlook
- You can now close the previous default PST (R-click on that pst folder
while in Folder View and select "Close <foldername> Folders"). If you have
any information in your former PST that you'd like to transfer to your new
default PST, you can drag and drop from one to the other before you close
the old one.

 

[Karl Burrows]

I tried that and I couldn't close the previous default PST (the option is
grayed out).

- Go to Tools > E-mail Accounts > View or change existing e-mail accounts
- Select the PST you just added in the "Deliver New e-mail to the following
location" dropdown (it will most likely appear just below the current
default Personal Folders file) > Finish
- Exit and Restart Outlook
- You can now close the previous default PST (R-click on that pst folder
while in Folder View and select "Close <foldername> Folders"). If you have
any information in your former PST that you'd like to transfer to your new
default PST, you can drag and drop from one to the other before you close
the old one.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Then you'll need to delta it from the registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\Outlook

Within the Outlook folder, there are a bunch of folders with long
hexadecimal values for names -- those are the ones you need to look in to
see if you can find the ghost .PST names. If you delete one of the keys and
it points to your real .PST file instead of one of the ghosts, it's not the
end of the world -- your data won't be gone. The worst you would have to do
is recreate your Outlook profile.


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I tried that and I couldn't close the previous default PST (the option is
grayed out).

- Go to Tools > E-mail Accounts > View or change existing e-mail accounts
- Select the PST you just added in the "Deliver New e-mail to the following
location" dropdown (it will most likely appear just below the current
default Personal Folders file) > Finish
- Exit and Restart Outlook
- You can now close the previous default PST (R-click on that pst folder
while in Folder View and select "Close <foldername> Folders"). If you have
any information in your former PST that you'd like to transfer to your new
default PST, you can drag and drop from one to the other before you close
the old one.

 

[Karl Burrows]

How do I create a new profile in 2003?

Then you'll need to delta it from the registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\Outlook

Within the Outlook folder, there are a bunch of folders with long
hexadecimal values for names -- those are the ones you need to look in to
see if you can find the ghost .PST names. If you delete one of the keys and
it points to your real .PST file instead of one of the ghosts, it's not the
end of the world -- your data won't be gone. The worst you would have to do
is recreate your Outlook profile.


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I tried that and I couldn't close the previous default PST (the option is
grayed out).

- Go to Tools > E-mail Accounts > View or change existing e-mail accounts
- Select the PST you just added in the "Deliver New e-mail to the following
location" dropdown (it will most likely appear just below the current
default Personal Folders file) > Finish
- Exit and Restart Outlook
- You can now close the previous default PST (R-click on that pst folder
while in Folder View and select "Close <foldername> Folders"). If you have
any information in your former PST that you'd like to transfer to your new
default PST, you can drag and drop from one to the other before you close
the old one.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles...
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

How do I create a new profile in 2003?

Then you'll need to delta it from the registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\Outlook

Within the Outlook folder, there are a bunch of folders with long
hexadecimal values for names -- those are the ones you need to look in to
see if you can find the ghost .PST names. If you delete one of the keys and
it points to your real .PST file instead of one of the ghosts, it's not the
end of the world -- your data won't be gone. The worst you would have to do
is recreate your Outlook profile.


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I tried that and I couldn't close the previous default PST (the option is
grayed out).

- Go to Tools > E-mail Accounts > View or change existing e-mail accounts
- Select the PST you just added in the "Deliver New e-mail to the following
location" dropdown (it will most likely appear just below the current
default Personal Folders file) > Finish
- Exit and Restart Outlook
- You can now close the previous default PST (R-click on that pst folder
while in Folder View and select "Close <foldername> Folders"). If you have
any information in your former PST that you'd like to transfer to your new
default PST, you can drag and drop from one to the other before you close
the old one.


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I just upgraded a client to 2003 because of some issues with the PST file
size in his Outlook XP (it crashed as he exceeded the 2GB limitation by
about 200MB!). Anyway, the upgrade kept the file as a 97-2002 PST file
which still has the 2GB limitation. I created a new data file that is the
new version and was able to recover the other PST file, but I can't get
Outlook to make that the default Outlook folder. I could move the email
delivery to it, but not have Outlook open this file. I tried renaming the
default PST to see if Outlook would then prompt me for a data file,

but

 

[Karl Burrows]

I got that much!

If I create a new profile, will I still be able to get the old PST imported
and where would I find it?

Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles...
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

How do I create a new profile in 2003?

Then you'll need to delta it from the registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\Outlook

Within the Outlook folder, there are a bunch of folders with long
hexadecimal values for names -- those are the ones you need to look in to
see if you can find the ghost .PST names. If you delete one of the keys and
it points to your real .PST file instead of one of the ghosts, it's not the
end of the world -- your data won't be gone. The worst you would have to do
is recreate your Outlook profile.


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I tried that and I couldn't close the previous default PST (the option is
grayed out).

- Go to Tools > E-mail Accounts > View or change existing e-mail accounts
- Select the PST you just added in the "Deliver New e-mail to the following
location" dropdown (it will most likely appear just below the current
default Personal Folders file) > Finish
- Exit and Restart Outlook
- You can now close the previous default PST (R-click on that pst folder
while in Folder View and select "Close <foldername> Folders"). If you have
any information in your former PST that you'd like to transfer to your new
default PST, you can drag and drop from one to the other before you close
the old one.


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I just upgraded a client to 2003 because of some issues with the PST file
size in his Outlook XP (it crashed as he exceeded the 2GB limitation by
about 200MB!). Anyway, the upgrade kept the file as a 97-2002 PST file
which still has the 2GB limitation. I created a new data file that is the
new version and was able to recover the other PST file, but I can't get
Outlook to make that the default Outlook folder. I could move the email
delivery to it, but not have Outlook open this file. I tried renaming the
default PST to see if Outlook would then prompt me for a data file,

but

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

You can add any PST you want to the Profile. Just pay attention to the name
and location of the PST you are using now and add that PST to the new
Profile.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I got that much!

If I create a new profile, will I still be able to get the old PST imported
and where would I find it?

Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles...
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

How do I create a new profile in 2003?

Then you'll need to delta it from the registry:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows
Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\Outlook

Within the Outlook folder, there are a bunch of folders with long
hexadecimal values for names -- those are the ones you need to look in to
see if you can find the ghost .PST names. If you delete one of the keys and
it points to your real .PST file instead of one of the ghosts, it's not the
end of the world -- your data won't be gone. The worst you would have

to

do
is recreate your Outlook profile.


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

I tried that and I couldn't close the previous default PST (the option is
grayed out).

- Go to Tools > E-mail Accounts > View or change existing e-mail accounts
- Select the PST you just added in the "Deliver New e-mail to the following
location" dropdown (it will most likely appear just below the current
default Personal Folders file) > Finish
- Exit and Restart Outlook
- You can now close the previous default PST (R-click on that pst folder
while in Folder View and select "Close <foldername> Folders"). If you have
any information in your former PST that you'd like to transfer to your new
default PST, you can drag and drop from one to the other before you close
the old one.


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
I just upgraded a client to 2003 because of some issues with the PST file
size in his Outlook XP (it crashed as he exceeded the 2GB limitation by
about 200MB!). Anyway, the upgrade kept the file as a 97-2002 PST file
which still has the 2GB limitation. I created a new data file that

is
the

new version and was able to recover the other PST file, but I can't get
Outlook to make that the default Outlook folder. I could move the email
delivery to it, but not have Outlook open this file. I tried

renaming
the

default PST to see if Outlook would then prompt me for a data file,

but

it
wouldn't let me rename the file.

How can I either convert the existing folder/data file to the new

2003
PST

or change the default folder on open?

Thanks!!