rules have disappeared - help in recovering them?

[stef]

OL 2002 SP3
Win XP HE SP1

Follow-up to: microsoft.public.outlook

Hi,

For some unknown reason, my rules seem to have disappeared.
When I click on the rules Wizard, it is BLANK where it should have LOTS
of rules.

In the folder C:\Documents and Settings\User\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook, I can see the following files:

FOLDER C:\Documents and Settings\User\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\ ------- 0 12 653,207 653,207
FILE ---A---- 1/20/2003 10:00 3/2/2004 21:11 8/28/2006 08:42 691 Adult
Content Senders.txt
FILE ---A---- 1/15/2003 00:53 8/24/2006 10:10 8/28/2006 08:42 1,421
Exception List.txt
FILE ---A---- 1/20/2003 13:03 8/17/2006 14:24 8/28/2006 08:52 23,983
Junk Senders.txt
FILE ---A---- 1/30/2005 01:42 8/28/2006 17:06 8/28/2006 17:06 7,598
outcmd.dat
FILE ---A---- 7/19/2004 11:39 7/19/2004 17:27 8/28/2006 16:50 1,536
outitems.log
FILE ---A---- 5/15/2002 01:27 1/3/2005 18:26 8/28/2006 16:50 32,815
Outlook.FAV
FILE ---A---- 10/27/2005 00:00 8/28/2006 16:57 8/28/2006 16:57 349,191
Outlook.NK2
FILE ---A---- 4/7/2005 00:40 10/26/2005 01:24 8/26/2006 19:58 148,836
Outlook.NK2.old
FILE ---A---- 5/15/2002 01:28 8/25/2006 11:42 8/26/2006 19:58 17,408
Outlook.srs
FILE ---A---- 7/22/2002 04:58 7/25/2006 10:11 8/27/2006 19:17 37,984
OutlPrnt
FILE ---A---- 6/23/2004 18:37 8/23/2006 00:51 8/26/2006 19:58 25,088
VbaProject.OTM
FILE ---A---- 9/7/2002 16:28 7/29/2004 17:23 8/28/2006 16:55 6,656 VIEWS.DAT
TOTAL C:\Documents and Settings\User\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\ ------- 0 12 653,207 653,207


I should have a backup of both my pst file AND the folder (C:\Documents
and Settings\User\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook).

How can I recover my rules? (perhaps importing them back in OL...?)

Tx!

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Rules are being kept in the pst-file. In order to restore you'll need to
create an additional mail profile and configure it to use the the backed up
pst-file as the default delivery location BEFORE starting Outlook with that
profile. Once configured you can can start Outlook with that profile and
export your rules to a file.

For more info on creating a separate mail profile see;
http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/newprofile.htm

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----
"stef" <stef.bm_at_hotmail.removethis.com> wrote in message
OL 2002 SP3
Win XP HE SP1

Follow-up to: microsoft.public.outlook

Hi,

For some unknown reason, my rules seem to have disappeared.
When I click on the rules Wizard, it is BLANK where it should have LOTS
of rules.

In the folder C:\Documents and Settings\User\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook, I can see the following files:

FOLDER C:\Documents and Settings\User\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\ ------- 0 12 653,207 653,207
FILE ---A---- 1/20/2003 10:00 3/2/2004 21:11 8/28/2006 08:42 691 Adult
Content Senders.txt
FILE ---A---- 1/15/2003 00:53 8/24/2006 10:10 8/28/2006 08:42 1,421
Exception List.txt
FILE ---A---- 1/20/2003 13:03 8/17/2006 14:24 8/28/2006 08:52 23,983
Junk Senders.txt
FILE ---A---- 1/30/2005 01:42 8/28/2006 17:06 8/28/2006 17:06 7,598
outcmd.dat
FILE ---A---- 7/19/2004 11:39 7/19/2004 17:27 8/28/2006 16:50 1,536
outitems.log
FILE ---A---- 5/15/2002 01:27 1/3/2005 18:26 8/28/2006 16:50 32,815
Outlook.FAV
FILE ---A---- 10/27/2005 00:00 8/28/2006 16:57 8/28/2006 16:57 349,191
Outlook.NK2
FILE ---A---- 4/7/2005 00:40 10/26/2005 01:24 8/26/2006 19:58 148,836
Outlook.NK2.old
FILE ---A---- 5/15/2002 01:28 8/25/2006 11:42 8/26/2006 19:58 17,408
Outlook.srs
FILE ---A---- 7/22/2002 04:58 7/25/2006 10:11 8/27/2006 19:17 37,984
OutlPrnt
FILE ---A---- 6/23/2004 18:37 8/23/2006 00:51 8/26/2006 19:58 25,088
VbaProject.OTM
FILE ---A---- 9/7/2002 16:28 7/29/2004 17:23 8/28/2006 16:55 6,656 VIEWS.DAT
TOTAL C:\Documents and Settings\User\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\ ------- 0 12 653,207 653,207


I should have a backup of both my pst file AND the folder (C:\Documents
and Settings\User\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook).

How can I recover my rules? (perhaps importing them back in OL...?)

Tx!

 

[stef]

OK. let me make sure I understand:

1. create new profile
2. configure profile to use pst backup BEFORE starting OL with that new
profile.
3. go into rules wizard--rules SHOULD be there--and export them to rwz file?
4. open OL with regular profile (default) and import them....

A. OR, are u saying just use the NEW profile from that point forward?

B. Does the fact I lost my rules mean that there is some corruption in
my default profile?

C. Is there not a more simple way being that my folder C:\Documents and
Settings\User\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook contains a lot of the
rules e.g. exception, etc.?

 

[stef]

by the way, the rules are NOT in the wizard when i open it--it's
blank--but they still to seem to be working (as far as I can tell),
routing emails to subfolders, etc.
Isn't that weird?

 

[stef]

by the way, the rules are NOT in the wizard when i open it--it's
blank--but they still to seem to be working (as far as I can tell),
routing emails to subfolders, etc.
Isn't that weird?

false alarm, the rules are not there and they DON'T work.....

 

[Roady [MVP]]

A. No, you understood correctly. You can of course use the new profile as
well but then you might want to transfer your newly received e-mails between
the time of the backup and now to the new account.

B. Could be. Run scanpst.exe to check for errors in the current pst-file. If
it still happens try creating a new mail profile.

C. Nope, rules aren't stored there. As I said before; they are stored in the
pst-file.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----
"stef" <stef.bm_at_hotmail.removethis.com> wrote in message
OK. let me make sure I understand:

1. create new profile
2. configure profile to use pst backup BEFORE starting OL with that new
profile.
3. go into rules wizard--rules SHOULD be there--and export them to rwz file?
4. open OL with regular profile (default) and import them....

A. OR, are u saying just use the NEW profile from that point forward?

B. Does the fact I lost my rules mean that there is some corruption in
my default profile?

C. Is there not a more simple way being that my folder C:\Documents and
Settings\User\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook contains a lot of the
rules e.g. exception, etc.?

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Sounds like the corruption occured earlier then. Is this the only pst-file
you use and has it always been set as the default pst-file?

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----
"stef" <stef.bm_at_hotmail.removethis.com> wrote in message

by the way, the rules are NOT in the wizard when i open it--it's
blank--but they still to seem to be working (as far as I can tell),
routing emails to subfolders, etc.
Isn't that weird?

false alarm, the rules are not there and they DON'T work.....

 

[stef]

Yes, only file (besides "archive") that I use. Never made any changes
to use other files, etc.

 

[stef]

Roady, very much apppreciate ur follow up here.
let me try the actions u recommend and i will post here again with the
results.

 

[stef]

Roady,
i've done the procedure u recommended and have the following comments:
i was able to recover my rules but I must have done s'thing wrong.
1) i *believe* (not sure) that after creating the "test" profile, i sd
NOT have set-it the backup pst as the email delivery folder. i dt think
this was necessary at all. it created a mess after i opened the new
profile and exported my rules to rwz file.
i then went onto the file management and chose to open OL w/ default
profile and it told me s'thing like: "mail delivery folder has been
changed" + s'thing about re-creating shortcuts, etc.
i then had to go and re-select the old (default) folder as the delivery
exchange and re-start OL at which time it warned me again that delivery
folder had been change and recreate shortcuts, etc.
in any event, i dt see why i wd have to change delivery folder if all i
wanted t do was open my backup pst and export the rules.
sd i not have just opened the backup pst file with the new profile,
exported the rules w/out worrying about delivery of email--as i dt want
to change delivery of email anyway--go back to my old profile and import
the rwz file?

btw, once i re-opened the default profile, the rules were back in there
WITHOUT me having to import the rwz file (?). Weird. BUT all of the
subfolders connected to those rules (e.g. moving emails to subfolders
if....) were all gone in the rule definition, i.e. i had to go thru all
the rules and redefined the subfolders for routing.

i am thinking this is because i changed email delivery folder in the
procedure--even if i reverted back to original.

any enlightenment there form u wd be appreciated; for the future.

tx!!

 

[stef]

Roady,

i ran the scanpst.exe and it only found minor repairs.

the only thing that is left is that now, whenever i go into a rule and
click on the email address in the "...from", e.g. move a message when it
sent *from* (e-mail address removed), i get the following error message:

"The address list could not be displayed. The Contacts folder associated
with this address list could not be opened; it may have been moved or
deleted, or you do not have permissions. For information on how to
remove this folder from the Outlook Address Book, see Microsoft Outlook
Help."

(i have permission since not running on server.)

1 thing is, i rarely have rules that include email addresses that are in
any of my contacts folder. e.g. a newsletter from a bank coming from an
email address such as (e-mail address removed).

banks use such addresses sometimes in the From field. of course, i have
not added this address to any of my Contacts folder or sub-folders, even
though i have created a rule for it by opening the email and using
Action|Create rule...

can i resolve this error message so that i can click on the "from" in
the rules wizard w/out constantly getting this error message?

Tx!!

PS the follow-up for this thread is set up to ONLY be in
microsoft.public.outlook as posted at the top of my op.

try to just click "reply" not "reply all" or manually add the
microsoft.public.outlook.general newsgroup as it messes the thread up (i
noticed this in 1 of ur replies--unless its a bug on my side....)

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Now you found out why you needed to change the default delivery location
before starting Outlook ;-)
Outlook rules don't work with foldernames but with unique identifiers.
Changing the default delivery location AFTER setting up your "restore"
profile with the backed up pst-file will break the rules and unique
identifier association of the folder. In other words; rules are tied to the
pst-file and its folderstructure. Since you are using a backup with the
configured rules the identifiers should remain the same as long as you
immidiately (!) configure the new profile with the backed up pst-file. This
allows you to export the rules and import them on the other profile. Still
with me? ;-)

Now things are beyond repair. You'll have to reassing the folders again to
the correct subfolder.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----
"stef" <stef.bm_at_hotmail.removethis.com> wrote in message
Roady,
i've done the procedure u recommended and have the following comments:
i was able to recover my rules but I must have done s'thing wrong.
1) i *believe* (not sure) that after creating the "test" profile, i sd
NOT have set-it the backup pst as the email delivery folder. i dt think
this was necessary at all. it created a mess after i opened the new
profile and exported my rules to rwz file.
i then went onto the file management and chose to open OL w/ default
profile and it told me s'thing like: "mail delivery folder has been
changed" + s'thing about re-creating shortcuts, etc.
i then had to go and re-select the old (default) folder as the delivery
exchange and re-start OL at which time it warned me again that delivery
folder had been change and recreate shortcuts, etc.
in any event, i dt see why i wd have to change delivery folder if all i
wanted t do was open my backup pst and export the rules.
sd i not have just opened the backup pst file with the new profile,
exported the rules w/out worrying about delivery of email--as i dt want
to change delivery of email anyway--go back to my old profile and import
the rwz file?

btw, once i re-opened the default profile, the rules were back in there
WITHOUT me having to import the rwz file (?). Weird. BUT all of the
subfolders connected to those rules (e.g. moving emails to subfolders
if....) were all gone in the rule definition, i.e. i had to go thru all
the rules and redefined the subfolders for routing.

i am thinking this is because i changed email delivery folder in the
procedure--even if i reverted back to original.

any enlightenment there form u wd be appreciated; for the future.

tx!!

 

[Roady [MVP]]

"i ran the scanpst.exe and it only found minor repairs"
That's good, always worth doing it ;-)

As for the address issue;
That is related to what I explained in my other post (which for some reason
is indeed missing the outlook.general as a copy). There is no way around
this one other than to recreate the rule based on a previous e-mail
(rightclick-> Create Rule...)

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----
"stef" <stef.bm_at_hotmail.removethis.com> wrote in message
Roady,

i ran the scanpst.exe and it only found minor repairs.

the only thing that is left is that now, whenever i go into a rule and
click on the email address in the "...from", e.g. move a message when it
sent *from* (e-mail address removed), i get the following error message:

"The address list could not be displayed. The Contacts folder associated
with this address list could not be opened; it may have been moved or
deleted, or you do not have permissions. For information on how to
remove this folder from the Outlook Address Book, see Microsoft Outlook
Help."

(i have permission since not running on server.)

1 thing is, i rarely have rules that include email addresses that are in
any of my contacts folder. e.g. a newsletter from a bank coming from an
email address such as (e-mail address removed).

banks use such addresses sometimes in the From field. of course, i have
not added this address to any of my Contacts folder or sub-folders, even
though i have created a rule for it by opening the email and using
Action|Create rule...

can i resolve this error message so that i can click on the "from" in
the rules wizard w/out constantly getting this error message?

Tx!!

PS the follow-up for this thread is set up to ONLY be in
microsoft.public.outlook as posted at the top of my op.

try to just click "reply" not "reply all" or manually add the
microsoft.public.outlook.general newsgroup as it messes the thread up (i
noticed this in 1 of ur replies--unless its a bug on my side....)

 

[stef]

Roady, i believe i did follow ur procedure.
u say: "You'll have to reassign the folders again to the correct subfolder."
Can u explain how to do that?

 

[stef]

There is no way around
this one other than to recreate the rule based on a previous e-mail
(rightclick-> Create Rule...)

I just created a BRAND new rule and still get the same error message....

As for the address issue;
That is related to what I explained in my other post (which for some reason
is indeed missing the outlook.general as a copy).

it is proper that ur other post NOT show up in any other newsgroup but
this one: microsoft.public.outlook
That's HOW i set up the original post/thread.
i cross posted to 3 newsgroup but setup the follow up to only
microsoft.public.outlook.

I explicitly stated: follow up to microsoft.public.outlook

please dt add the microsoft.public.outlook.general to ur replies.
that creates double postings, etc.

there is a reference on how to post to newsgroups like that but forget
where it it.
here's another one but not as good:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crossposting

but PLEASE forget all the posting issues. i want to focus on the OL
issue only. tx.

 

[stef]

well, here is what I did--of course, i had to redefine the subfolders
after importing the rules but at the end of the day, that's not so bad.

my problem was this constant error message every time i clicked on an
email address defined as a condition in my rules:

"The address list could not be displayed. The Contacts folder associated
with this address list could not be opened; it may have been moved or
deleted, or you do not have permissions. For information on how to
remove this folder from the Outlook Address Book, see Microsoft Outlook
Help."

so finally, what i did was to go into Tools|Email Accounts|View or
Change Existing Directories|Change Outlook Address Book (i only had 1 in
there) and then deleted all of the directories (Contacts subfolders) in
there; as there were subfolders listed associated with the *backup pst*
from the procedure suggested by Roady in his previous reply to my op.

I then went into all of the subfolders I wanted listed as directories
(only a couple of them really), (re) listing them as directories with
right click|Properties, etc.; and bing! no more errors.

I think it the whole thing was due to the fact that the subfolders id
that were assigned to the pst backup subfolders and still isted as
directories in this profile, could not be open by OL (obviously since
that pst file is closed and disconnected)....

anyway, it sounds complex but it's not.

i'm sure i cd have avoided this mess by knowing/understanding the whys
and wherefores, etc., before doing anything; and doing it right in the
1st place.

what can i say? live and learn, i guess......

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Once the rules are imported select the rule and choose Change Rule. At the
bottom you must set the folder again for the rule.

 

[Roady [MVP]]

That was indeed the fix for it; making sure you've only got valid Contacts
folders listed in the Outlook Address Book service.
See http://www.howto-outlook.com/faq/contactsinaddressbook.htm

Tip; now that your rules are correct you might want to export them as a
backup ;-)

Good to hear the entire mess is cleaned up now!

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----
"stef" <stef.bm_at_hotmail.removethis.com> wrote in message
well, here is what I did--of course, i had to redefine the subfolders
after importing the rules but at the end of the day, that's not so bad.

my problem was this constant error message every time i clicked on an
email address defined as a condition in my rules:

"The address list could not be displayed. The Contacts folder associated
with this address list could not be opened; it may have been moved or
deleted, or you do not have permissions. For information on how to
remove this folder from the Outlook Address Book, see Microsoft Outlook
Help."

so finally, what i did was to go into Tools|Email Accounts|View or
Change Existing Directories|Change Outlook Address Book (i only had 1 in
there) and then deleted all of the directories (Contacts subfolders) in
there; as there were subfolders listed associated with the *backup pst*
from the procedure suggested by Roady in his previous reply to my op.

I then went into all of the subfolders I wanted listed as directories
(only a couple of them really), (re) listing them as directories with
right click|Properties, etc.; and bing! no more errors.

I think it the whole thing was due to the fact that the subfolders id
that were assigned to the pst backup subfolders and still isted as
directories in this profile, could not be open by OL (obviously since
that pst file is closed and disconnected)....

anyway, it sounds complex but it's not.

i'm sure i cd have avoided this mess by knowing/understanding the whys
and wherefores, etc., before doing anything; and doing it right in the
1st place.

what can i say? live and learn, i guess......

 

[stef]

Yes, i will definitely export them!!
Tx a lot for being helpful.