Restoring Outlook datafiles

  • Thread starter Thread starter K O'Mara
  • Start date Start date
K

K O'Mara

Recently, I re-formatted my C: drive and re-installed XP
Pro and applications from scratch, and all my data files
from backup. All is well except that I cannot get
Outlook to recognize or import my old .pst file. I have
a copy of that (and all the old Outlook data files)
safely preserved - just can't get Outlook to "accept"
them in any way.

Things I've tried:
1. Putting the files under my "Documents and Profiles"
either in the "local settings" folder or the "application
data" folders.
2. Running scanpst.exe against the files.
3. Importing from the old files. Then I try this,
everything looks fine - I see the proper structure in the
import dialog box - but nothing seems to actually
import. There are no messages displayed by the import
function.

I've also gone to the Office Update site and downloaded
all the updates to Office 2002 Pro.

Other info:
1. The .pst file in question is 109MB.
2. I am able to use Outlook fine - and even "recovered"
my contacts and calendars by syncing all the data from my
Palm Pilot.
3. I had updated XP Pro and Office to the latest stuff
from the Microsoft Update sites prior to making the
backup - so it shouldn't be a version mis-match.

Please help - as you can imagine by a 109MB .pst file - I
have a lot of e-mails carefully saved away that I would
very much like to recover.

Thanks
 
1) Save the PST to your computer somewhere and then
Right click on the saved file to bring up the properties.
and remove the "Read Only" property attribute.

2) Use the FILE menu on Outlook to OPEN the Data File.
Don't try to import, just browse to it and open it.

--
Nikki Peterson [MVP - Outlook]

Recently, I re-formatted my C: drive and re-installed XP
Pro and applications from scratch, and all my data files
from backup. All is well except that I cannot get
Outlook to recognize or import my old .pst file. I have
a copy of that (and all the old Outlook data files)
safely preserved - just can't get Outlook to "accept"
them in any way.

Things I've tried:
1. Putting the files under my "Documents and Profiles"
either in the "local settings" folder or the "application
data" folders.
2. Running scanpst.exe against the files.
3. Importing from the old files. Then I try this,
everything looks fine - I see the proper structure in the
import dialog box - but nothing seems to actually
import. There are no messages displayed by the import
function.

I've also gone to the Office Update site and downloaded
all the updates to Office 2002 Pro.

Other info:
1. The .pst file in question is 109MB.
2. I am able to use Outlook fine - and even "recovered"
my contacts and calendars by syncing all the data from my
Palm Pilot.
3. I had updated XP Pro and Office to the latest stuff
from the Microsoft Update sites prior to making the
backup - so it shouldn't be a version mis-match.

Please help - as you can imagine by a 109MB .pst file - I
have a lot of e-mails carefully saved away that I would
very much like to recover.

Thanks
 
The "Read Only" property was not set, but the Archive
property was. I cleared the Archive property and opened
the .pst file from the File menu. Everything appears
normal, except that only the standard items are listed
(Calendar, Contacts, Drafts, Inbox, etc.) - and they are
all empty. The .pst file is still 109MB - so my
information must be in there somewhere.

Any further thoughts about persuading my info to show
itself?
 
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