Outlook 98 .pst backup failure

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bob Tyrka
  • Start date Start date
B

Bob Tyrka

A month ago I formatted my computer, having carefully done incremental
backups of my outlook.pst file, only to find that the .pst file I
reinstalled was a few months behind what I knew I had put into it before the
formatting. I now seem to be having a similar problem.

I store my outlook.pst file in the Outlook folder in C: Documents and
Settings, and then in a folder with my name on it.

However, I've noticed that the size of the .pst file does not change no
matter what changes I make in the file, and until I was fiddling with it
this morning it kept the date that I may have done the formatting on,
instead of today's date.

I experimented by loading a couple of mB into attachments in the .pst file,
but they didn't register in Properties in outlook .pst as it showed up in my
C drive. The data in .pst when Outlook is open is correct (if I go to
Properties when clicking on a Contact in the Folder List and then click on
Folder Size the additional mB show up, but they do not show up in Outlook
when I go to File, Open, Personal Folders File, (.pst), Properties nor does
the additional data show up in Properties in the only place I've found it
on my HD (I did a search).

ALL of my business data is in that file and it would be disastrous for me to
lose--as I did the last time I formatted--any significant portion of it.

Please help--Anyone!
 
In
Bob Tyrka said:
A month ago I formatted my computer, having carefully done incremental
backups of my outlook.pst file,
How?

only to find that the .pst file I
reinstalled was a few months behind what I knew I had put into it
before the formatting. I now seem to be having a similar problem.
Click to expand...

More info on your backup procedure might help.
I store my outlook.pst file in the Outlook folder in C: Documents and
Settings, and then in a folder with my name on it.

However, I've noticed that the size of the .pst file does not change
no matter what changes I make in the file, and until I was fiddling
with it this morning it kept the date that I may have done the
formatting on, instead of today's date.
Click to expand...

Wrong file, then?
I experimented by loading a couple of mB into attachments in the .pst
file, but they didn't register in Properties in outlook .pst as it
showed up in my C drive. The data in .pst when Outlook is open is
correct (if I go to Properties when clicking on a Contact in the
Folder List and then click on Folder Size the additional mB show up,
but they do not show up in Outlook when I go to File, Open, Personal
Folders File, (.pst), Properties nor does the additional data show
up in Properties in the only place I've found it on my HD (I did a
search).
Click to expand...

If you go to the properties of the PST file, advanced, it should show you
the file path it's using...
ALL of my business data is in that file and it would be disastrous
for me to lose--as I did the last time I formatted--any significant
portion of it.
Please help--Anyone!
Click to expand...

Search for *.pst on your hard drive & make sure you're including
hidden/system folders in your search.

Note - I don't like using the default file path, nor default file name, for
precisely this reason - I redirect My Documents to c:\data, I put
outlook.pst into c:\data\outlook, and I rename it to username.pst to avoid
confusion. If you know all your data is in c:\data, it's a lot easier to do
backups.
 
Are you sure you are looking at the right .pst file? Search for *.pst on
your entire drive.
 
Lanwench said:
In

How? I used SyncBack SE to send data to a small external hard drive.


More info on your backup procedure might help.

Wrong file, then?

If you go to the properties of the PST file, advanced, it should show you the file path it's using...

Search for *.pst on your hard drive & make sure you're including hidden/system folders in your search.

Note - I don't like using the default file path, nor default file name, for precisely this reason - I redirect My Documents to c:\data, I put outlook.pst into c:\data\outlook, and I rename it to username.pst to avoid confusion. If you know all your data is in c:\data, it's a lot easier to do backups.
Click to expand...
I found the Outlook.pst file in Search by accessing Hidden Files but when I try to access it in Outlook, File, etc. I can't get the .pst file to come up despite the fact that its properties were not checked for Hidden, and in Folder Option I had already checked Show Hidden Files.. Despite that, all of its data does show up in Outlook itself.

In addition, I can't move the Outlook folder to another location because I keep getting a notice that the application is running, even when it isn't.
 
I may have solved the problem. I was unable to move the Outlook folder because Outlook Express was open. I hadn't realized that the two were so interconnected. Now that it has been moved to C: perhaps my backup problem is solved.

Thanks for your help.

Lanwench said:
In

How? I used SyncBack SE to send data to a small external hard drive.


More info on your backup procedure might help.

Wrong file, then?

If you go to the properties of the PST file, advanced, it should show you the file path it's using...

Search for *.pst on your hard drive & make sure you're including hidden/system folders in your search.

Note - I don't like using the default file path, nor default file name, for precisely this reason - I redirect My Documents to c:\data, I put outlook.pst into c:\data\outlook, and I rename it to username.pst to avoid confusion. If you know all your data is in c:\data, it's a lot easier to do backups.
Click to expand...
I found the Outlook.pst file in Search by accessing Hidden Files but when I try to access it in Outlook, File, etc. I can't get the .pst file to come up despite the fact that its properties were not checked for Hidden, and in Folder Option I had already checked Show Hidden Files.. Despite that, all of its data does show up in Outlook itself.

In addition, I can't move the Outlook folder to another location because I keep getting a notice that the application is running, even when it isn't.
 
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