Unable to fully restore Outlook 2003 mail and folders

[Tom]

I'm trying to restore my Outlook 2003 mail following a hard drive
crash and reinstallation of Windows XP Professional.

I had used Outlook Personal Folders Backup shortly before the failure,
so I had a recent set up backup files, presumably for all of my
folders.

Once I reinstalled Windows and Office 2003, I created new user
accounts for myself and family.

When I create a new account for myself, a data file is created
(outlook4.pst for example).
I copied all of my saved PST files into the ...local
settings\application data\microsoft\outlook where the new data file
was created, deleted the newly created outlook4.pst file and renamed
what I believed to be the most recent PST file for my account to
outlook4.pst. When I logged into Outlook, it found my most recent
mail, but all of my local folders were gone. No instructions that
I've found give simple sequential solution to this problem. Also, I
can't find any way to change name of default data file. In the backup
directory that I saved were the following files: Outlook.pst,
outlook1.pst, etc + Outlook backup.pst archive.pst, archive
backup.pst, extend.dat.

Any help is appreciated.

By the way, I was able to restore my son and wife's mail, but they had
no personal folders or archive folders.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Everything you did is a perfect recipe for corrupting your Outlook profile.
Never just copy PST files into the default directory: you may end up
overwriting another PST file. Never rename a PST file. You will corrupt your
profile.
Read the Help Files. They tell you how to reconnect a previous PST file:
Just open it in Outlook and designate it as your delivery location:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx

Your statement about restoring your wife and son's files is not consistent
with reality. They must have had Personal Folders files. Where else would
the data exist?

 

[dagdabrona]

Greetings,

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I suppose you will find it rather useful. Give it a try, you won't
regret it.
http://www.active-undelete.com/
For DOS Uneraser can be also used ans it works awesome.
http://www.uneraser.com/