Reinstalling backed-up personal folders

[Ralph White]

Rebuilt my XP system, reinstalled OL2003, re-established calendar, contacts
and bookmarks by syncing with my iPhone. How do I specifically get my
backed-up OL Personal Folders and emails back into my OL?

 

[Gordon]

Rebuilt my XP system, reinstalled OL2003, re-established calendar,
contacts
and bookmarks by syncing with my iPhone. How do I specifically get my
backed-up OL Personal Folders and emails back into my OL?

Try here:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/outlook/HA010771141033.aspx

 

[DL]

If by 'backed up' you mean a copy of the outlook data file, which is located
on the hd, then in OL File>Open>Data File......browse to the location.
You then have choices,
Leave the file open
Copy data from this to your default data file

 

[Ralph White]

Not sure if this is a stupid question or not? If I copy the backed-up .pst
file (currently on a USB hard drive) to my default .pst file (C: drive) does
the data being copied overlay, merge into or duplicate what's already in that
default file? Reason I care is that as stated earlier I used the iPhone sync
to re-populate the default contacts and calendar files. I've since done some
updating to that data and don't want to lose those updates by now doing a
copy. But, do need to get my backed up Personal Folders into OL 2003.
Thanks,

 

[Gordon]

Not sure if this is a stupid question or not? If I copy the backed-up
.pst
file (currently on a USB hard drive) to my default .pst file (C: drive)
does
the data being copied overlay, merge into or duplicate what's already in
that
default file?

Yes, and that's one of the quickest ways to a corrupted mail
profile.....don't do it. Copy it to a separate location and in Outlook do
File-Open-Outlook Data File and navigate to where you copied it to....

 

[DL]

If you do that it will overwrite and corrupt the pst
Copy the file to the My Documents, then open it as explained

 

[Ralph White]

Okay, got it. The new data in my default .pst is small and less important
than what's in the backup file. So, to re-establish the backup .pst data as
default including Personal Folders, calendar and contacts can I delete the
default .pst file and copy the backup to where the default was? Will the
backup remain uncorrupted and be used by OL2003? Or, would it be smarter to
uninstall OL2003, delete the current .pst default file and then copy over the
backup copy to the default address and then install OL2003 and assume it will
link to the copied over backup data? Which makes best sense? Thanks,

 

[DL]

The pst does not have to be installed in the default location.
Some people prefer to locate it in My Documents folder for ease of backup
Either locate it there, then use the Mail Applet in the control panel to add
this data file, set it as the default. Either remove or leave the old data
file.
Or
In explorer rename the pst, then copy it to the default location, Open the
mail applet, add this data file, set it as default, leave or remove old data
file.
Uninstalling OL has no impact on data files or the outlook profile, they
both remain, intact usually

 

[Ralph White]

Went to applet in control panel->mail. Can't find an option/setting to
choose which .pst file I want to be the default. Confused re: dialog on term
"Personal Folder" which I suspect has to do with setting default. Please
steer me. Thanks,

 

[Brian Tillman]

Went to applet in control panel->mail. Can't find an option/setting
to choose which .pst file I want to be the default.

Click the E-mail Accounts button, then click Next. It's the "Deliver new
e-mail to the following location" drop-down at the lower left.

 

[Ralph White]

Sorry to belabor this, but, when I do the drop-down on the "Deliver new mail
to" it comes up with two lines each saying "Personal Folders". I can switch
back and forth between the two, but how do I know which is which and then how
do I set one to be the default?

 

[Gordon]

Sorry to belabor this, but, when I do the drop-down on the "Deliver new
mail
to" it comes up with two lines each saying "Personal Folders". I can
switch
back and forth between the two, but how do I know which is which and then
how
do I set one to be the default?

AFAIK the top one in the list is usually the one created automatically - the
subsequent ones are those created manually... (I Think!)

 

[Brian Tillman]

Sorry to belabor this, but, when I do the drop-down on the "Deliver
new mail to" it comes up with two lines each saying "Personal
Folders". I can switch back and forth between the two, but how do I
know which is which and then how do I set one to be the default?

Well, then, you have the display name for each set to "Personal Folders" and
the first one listed in the drop-down is your existing default folder set.
If you've added the PST you want as your delivery location to your mail
profile, you can change its display name by right-clicking its root,
choosing Properties, clicking Advanced and modifying the contents of the
Name field. Click OK when done and Outlook's Folder List will show the new
name you chose. That new name will then also appear in the "Deliver new
e-mail to the following location" drop-down.

 

[Ralph White]

I deleted the OL.pst file on the C drive. Unhooked my backup drive and
deleted .pst out of Recycle Bin. However, there is still my calendar,
contacts and personal folder data in the OL application. Where is that data
residing? I want to get rid of it and use the .pst data from my backup
file. How di I clean it out. Must I reinstall OL2003?

 

[Ralph White]

Honestly, I want to end this thread as much as you want me to. Somehow I was
able to get rid of the existing Contacts, Calendar and Personal Files
information (filled from iPhone sync). I then copied the backup .pst to the
C drive and named it outlook.pst. Couldn't seem to get Outlook to use that
..pst file. Messed around enough that I got the backup Personal Folders and
Contacts to show in the OL application in their respective headings.
However, I now have the following problems: 1) now there are two Personal
Folder area headings (original and another from the backup .pst copy) with
respective sub files including 2 Inboxes, Deleted Items etc. The two Inboxes
etc work independently. New emails (from two email accts.) come into the
Personal Folders area left over from the iPhone sync before the backup .pst
copy. I'd like to have a single Personal Folders Area/Heading and respective
Inbox etc, 2) in Contacts two options are shown under the heading "MY
Contacts" (Contacts and Contacts in Personal Folders) and only one results
(when highlighted) in containing/displaying the backed up actual contacts
information. But, even though the Contacts sub application displays contacts
information the contacts are not available when clicking "TO" in a new email.
3) If I go to "Tools->Email accts->View/change existing accts->Deliver New
email to the following locations" and click two "Personal Folders" come up.
I suspect this is impacting addressing the desired .pst file? Think I'm
getting closure, but......... You've probably given me all the applicable
info, I'm just not putting it together.

Thanks,

Ralph

 

[Ralph White]

Got everything fixed - not sure exactly how, but did. No need to respond.
Thanks for all your help.

 

[Brian Tillman]

I deleted the OL.pst file on the C drive. Unhooked my backup drive
and deleted .pst out of Recycle Bin. However, there is still my
calendar, contacts and personal folder data in the OL application.
Where is that data residing? I want to get rid of it and use the
.pst data from my backup file. How di I clean it out. Must I
reinstall OL2003?

If you see folders, then you have a PST. iIght-click the root and choose
Properties, then Advanced. Read the "Filename" field and you'll see where
the PST resides.

 

[Brian Tillman]

If you see folders, then you have a PST. iIght-click the root and
choose Properties, then Advanced. Read the "Filename" field and
you'll see where the PST resides.

That's "right-click" the root.