Why can't I restore a PST file?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bob Newman
  • Start date Start date
B

Bob Newman

This is a new post because I'm using a different computer but I have been
asking why I can't seem to restore my backed-up Outlook (2003) PST file
after a fresh install of XP Pro SP2. I am showing some calendar appts.
prior to the back-up date but nothing at all in the contacts or saved emails
(which of course is the most important thing). Speculation was that the
file may have been corrupted but I just tried to restore from a backup
previous to the latest and got the same results. Help Please. The answer
MUST be here SOMEWHERE.

Thanks in advance... Bob
 
The question must also be somewhere.
How can anyone attempt to answer you when we have no idea what you have
done?
Spell it out in complete detail. There is no information here.
 
Sorry. Here are pertinent parts of the original post and applicable
replies:



I thought I knew how to do this, I guess I was wrong. I formatted my
drive, installed Windows XP Pro SP2, reinstalled Office Pro 2003. I had
backed-up my pst file, I restored it to my data directory, then chose
File/Open/Outlook Data file to load it into Outlook. I tried it twice
(once after deleting the generic pst) both times it yielded a set of folders
entitled Bob's Folders (me) -The calendar contains

appointments only up until last March and nothing since then. There is
nothing at all in the Contacts folder (it has several subfolders under it
but none now), there is also nothing in the inbox and again

the subfolders are missing (there was a ton of email). I suspect the info
is in there somewhere because the file is listed as 1,795,072 in size.
There is also a folder that was not there before entitled"Handheld
Synchronization" (I had been syncing my Palm with the appt calendar) but
other than a couple of reminder notes there is nothing there either. I also
ran scanpst.exe, that didn't help either.What might I be doing wrong? I
also tried restoring from an ealier backup but got the same result.



Bob



Russ Valentine said:
The question must also be somewhere.
How can anyone attempt to answer you when we have no idea what you have
done?
Spell it out in complete detail. There is no information here.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Bob Newman said:
This is a new post because I'm using a different computer but I have been
asking why I can't seem to restore my backed-up Outlook (2003) PST file
after a fresh install of XP Pro SP2. I am showing some calendar appts.
prior to the back-up date but nothing at all in the contacts or saved
emails (which of course is the most important thing). Speculation was
that the file may have been corrupted but I just tried to restore from a
backup previous to the latest and got the same results. Help Please.
The answer MUST be here SOMEWHERE.

Thanks in advance... Bob
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
You backed it up how?
You "restored" it how?
You should never copy a PST file into the "default directory" because you
will corrupt your profile.
Ample instructions exist in the help files for how to migrate Outlook data
correctly:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Bob Newman said:
Sorry. Here are pertinent parts of the original post and applicable
replies:



I thought I knew how to do this, I guess I was wrong. I formatted my
drive, installed Windows XP Pro SP2, reinstalled Office Pro 2003. I had
backed-up my pst file, I restored it to my data directory, then chose
File/Open/Outlook Data file to load it into Outlook. I tried it twice
(once after deleting the generic pst) both times it yielded a set of
folders entitled Bob's Folders (me) -The calendar contains

appointments only up until last March and nothing since then. There is
nothing at all in the Contacts folder (it has several subfolders under it
but none now), there is also nothing in the inbox and again

the subfolders are missing (there was a ton of email). I suspect the info
is in there somewhere because the file is listed as 1,795,072 in size.
There is also a folder that was not there before entitled"Handheld
Synchronization" (I had been syncing my Palm with the appt calendar) but
other than a couple of reminder notes there is nothing there either. I
also ran scanpst.exe, that didn't help either.What might I be doing wrong?
I also tried restoring from an ealier backup but got the same result.



Bob



Russ Valentine said:
The question must also be somewhere.
How can anyone attempt to answer you when we have no idea what you have
done?
Spell it out in complete detail. There is no information here.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Bob Newman said:
This is a new post because I'm using a different computer but I have
been asking why I can't seem to restore my backed-up Outlook (2003) PST
file after a fresh install of XP Pro SP2. I am showing some calendar
appts. prior to the back-up date but nothing at all in the contacts or
saved emails (which of course is the most important thing). Speculation
was that the file may have been corrupted but I just tried to restore
from a backup previous to the latest and got the same results. Help
Please. The answer MUST be here SOMEWHERE.

Thanks in advance... Bob
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
I backed it up using my standard backup program (Backup +) as part of an
overall backup of all my personal & data files. I restored to it's
original location of MyDocs\Data\Outlook (I store all my programs data files
with My Docs for easier backup). I have done this before with success
although I don't remember if it was with 2003 with no problems. When I had
trouble this time I tried restoring the data from it's tradition Outlook
location as well as a temp folder. I hope this helps.

Bob
Russ Valentine said:
You backed it up how?
You "restored" it how?
You should never copy a PST file into the "default directory" because you
will corrupt your profile.
Ample instructions exist in the help files for how to migrate Outlook data
correctly:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Bob Newman said:
Sorry. Here are pertinent parts of the original post and applicable
replies:



I thought I knew how to do this, I guess I was wrong. I formatted my
drive, installed Windows XP Pro SP2, reinstalled Office Pro 2003. I had
backed-up my pst file, I restored it to my data directory, then chose
File/Open/Outlook Data file to load it into Outlook. I tried it twice
(once after deleting the generic pst) both times it yielded a set of
folders entitled Bob's Folders (me) -The calendar contains

appointments only up until last March and nothing since then. There is
nothing at all in the Contacts folder (it has several subfolders under it
but none now), there is also nothing in the inbox and again

the subfolders are missing (there was a ton of email). I suspect the
info is in there somewhere because the file is listed as 1,795,072 in
size. There is also a folder that was not there before entitled"Handheld
Synchronization" (I had been syncing my Palm with the appt calendar) but
other than a couple of reminder notes there is nothing there either. I
also ran scanpst.exe, that didn't help either.What might I be doing
wrong? I also tried restoring from an ealier backup but got the same
result.



Bob



Russ Valentine said:
The question must also be somewhere.
How can anyone attempt to answer you when we have no idea what you have
done?
Spell it out in complete detail. There is no information here.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
This is a new post because I'm using a different computer but I have
been asking why I can't seem to restore my backed-up Outlook (2003) PST
file after a fresh install of XP Pro SP2. I am showing some calendar
appts. prior to the back-up date but nothing at all in the contacts or
saved emails (which of course is the most important thing).
Speculation was that the file may have been corrupted but I just tried
to restore from a backup previous to the latest and got the same
results. Help Please. The answer MUST be here SOMEWHERE.

Thanks in advance... Bob
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Did you still have a question?
I've posted the answer.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Bob Newman said:
I backed it up using my standard backup program (Backup +) as part of an
overall backup of all my personal & data files. I restored to it's
original location of MyDocs\Data\Outlook (I store all my programs data
files with My Docs for easier backup). I have done this before with
success although I don't remember if it was with 2003 with no problems.
When I had trouble this time I tried restoring the data from it's tradition
Outlook location as well as a temp folder. I hope this helps.

Bob
Russ Valentine said:
You backed it up how?
You "restored" it how?
You should never copy a PST file into the "default directory" because you
will corrupt your profile.
Ample instructions exist in the help files for how to migrate Outlook
data correctly:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Bob Newman said:
Sorry. Here are pertinent parts of the original post and applicable
replies:



I thought I knew how to do this, I guess I was wrong. I formatted my
drive, installed Windows XP Pro SP2, reinstalled Office Pro 2003. I had
backed-up my pst file, I restored it to my data directory, then chose
File/Open/Outlook Data file to load it into Outlook. I tried it twice
(once after deleting the generic pst) both times it yielded a set of
folders entitled Bob's Folders (me) -The calendar contains

appointments only up until last March and nothing since then. There is
nothing at all in the Contacts folder (it has several subfolders under
it but none now), there is also nothing in the inbox and again

the subfolders are missing (there was a ton of email). I suspect the
info is in there somewhere because the file is listed as 1,795,072 in
size. There is also a folder that was not there before entitled"Handheld
Synchronization" (I had been syncing my Palm with the appt calendar) but
other than a couple of reminder notes there is nothing there either. I
also ran scanpst.exe, that didn't help either.What might I be doing
wrong? I also tried restoring from an ealier backup but got the same
result.



Bob



The question must also be somewhere.
How can anyone attempt to answer you when we have no idea what you have
done?
Spell it out in complete detail. There is no information here.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
This is a new post because I'm using a different computer but I have
been asking why I can't seem to restore my backed-up Outlook (2003)
PST file after a fresh install of XP Pro SP2. I am showing some
calendar appts. prior to the back-up date but nothing at all in the
contacts or saved emails (which of course is the most important
thing). Speculation was that the file may have been corrupted but I
just tried to restore from a backup previous to the latest and got the
same results. Help Please. The answer MUST be here SOMEWHERE.

Thanks in advance... Bob
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Bob Newman said:
I backed it up using my standard backup program (Backup +) as part of
an overall backup of all my personal & data files.
Click to expand...

Was Outlook open at the time you performed this backup?
 
Russ, sorry if I've missed your answer somewhere along the line but I have
not seen it and do not have my old information.

Bob

Russ Valentine said:
Did you still have a question?
I've posted the answer.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Bob Newman said:
I backed it up using my standard backup program (Backup +) as part of an
overall backup of all my personal & data files. I restored to it's
original location of MyDocs\Data\Outlook (I store all my programs data
files with My Docs for easier backup). I have done this before with
success although I don't remember if it was with 2003 with no problems.
When I had trouble this time I tried restoring the data from it's
tradition Outlook location as well as a temp folder. I hope this helps.

Bob
Russ Valentine said:
You backed it up how?
You "restored" it how?
You should never copy a PST file into the "default directory" because
you will corrupt your profile.
Ample instructions exist in the help files for how to migrate Outlook
data correctly:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Sorry. Here are pertinent parts of the original post and applicable
replies:



I thought I knew how to do this, I guess I was wrong. I formatted my
drive, installed Windows XP Pro SP2, reinstalled Office Pro 2003. I
had backed-up my pst file, I restored it to my data directory, then
chose File/Open/Outlook Data file to load it into Outlook. I tried it
twice (once after deleting the generic pst) both times it yielded a set
of folders entitled Bob's Folders (me) -The calendar contains

appointments only up until last March and nothing since then. There is
nothing at all in the Contacts folder (it has several subfolders under
it but none now), there is also nothing in the inbox and again

the subfolders are missing (there was a ton of email). I suspect the
info is in there somewhere because the file is listed as 1,795,072 in
size. There is also a folder that was not there before
entitled"Handheld Synchronization" (I had been syncing my Palm with the
appt calendar) but other than a couple of reminder notes there is
nothing there either. I also ran scanpst.exe, that didn't help
either.What might I be doing wrong? I also tried restoring from an
ealier backup but got the same result.



Bob



The question must also be somewhere.
How can anyone attempt to answer you when we have no idea what you
have done?
Spell it out in complete detail. There is no information here.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
This is a new post because I'm using a different computer but I have
been asking why I can't seem to restore my backed-up Outlook (2003)
PST file after a fresh install of XP Pro SP2. I am showing some
calendar appts. prior to the back-up date but nothing at all in the
contacts or saved emails (which of course is the most important
thing). Speculation was that the file may have been corrupted but I
just tried to restore from a backup previous to the latest and got
the same results. Help Please. The answer MUST be here SOMEWHERE.

Thanks in advance... Bob
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
I posted the correct steps for migrating your Outlook data.
Use a backup of your Outlook data file and follow the steps in the article I
posted. That is the only way you can transfer a PST file in Outlook 2003.
Never, ever copy an Outlook data file into the default directory because you
may corrupt it by overwriting another PST file.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Bob Newman said:
Russ, sorry if I've missed your answer somewhere along the line but I have
not seen it and do not have my old information.

Bob

Russ Valentine said:
Did you still have a question?
I've posted the answer.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Bob Newman said:
I backed it up using my standard backup program (Backup +) as part of an
overall backup of all my personal & data files. I restored to it's
original location of MyDocs\Data\Outlook (I store all my programs data
files with My Docs for easier backup). I have done this before with
success although I don't remember if it was with 2003 with no problems.
When I had trouble this time I tried restoring the data from it's
tradition Outlook location as well as a temp folder. I hope this helps.

Bob
You backed it up how?
You "restored" it how?
You should never copy a PST file into the "default directory" because
you will corrupt your profile.
Ample instructions exist in the help files for how to migrate Outlook
data correctly:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Sorry. Here are pertinent parts of the original post and applicable
replies:



I thought I knew how to do this, I guess I was wrong. I formatted my
drive, installed Windows XP Pro SP2, reinstalled Office Pro 2003. I
had backed-up my pst file, I restored it to my data directory, then
chose File/Open/Outlook Data file to load it into Outlook. I tried
it twice (once after deleting the generic pst) both times it yielded a
set of folders entitled Bob's Folders (me) -The calendar contains

appointments only up until last March and nothing since then. There
is nothing at all in the Contacts folder (it has several subfolders
under it but none now), there is also nothing in the inbox and again

the subfolders are missing (there was a ton of email). I suspect the
info is in there somewhere because the file is listed as 1,795,072 in
size. There is also a folder that was not there before
entitled"Handheld Synchronization" (I had been syncing my Palm with
the appt calendar) but other than a couple of reminder notes there is
nothing there either. I also ran scanpst.exe, that didn't help
either.What might I be doing wrong? I also tried restoring from an
ealier backup but got the same result.



Bob



The question must also be somewhere.
How can anyone attempt to answer you when we have no idea what you
have done?
Spell it out in complete detail. There is no information here.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
This is a new post because I'm using a different computer but I have
been asking why I can't seem to restore my backed-up Outlook (2003)
PST file after a fresh install of XP Pro SP2. I am showing some
calendar appts. prior to the back-up date but nothing at all in the
contacts or saved emails (which of course is the most important
thing). Speculation was that the file may have been corrupted but I
just tried to restore from a backup previous to the latest and got
the same results. Help Please. The answer MUST be here SOMEWHERE.

Thanks in advance... Bob
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Russ... I'm sorry but I must be missing something. I read both your post
and the article you referenced. I did everything they say and there is no
data, other than old appointments in the file that I have restored (using
any one of several directories). I am missing the old email and contact
lists which are the most important things. Nor can I get data from previous
backups (again from any directory). Is there perhaps more than one pst file
I should have backed up? I never knowingly created one. I would think that
it would be a pretty long shot that both backups would be corrupted. If I
could have some way corrupted them attempting to reinstall, I still have the
original backups. Thanks for you understanding.

Bob

Russ Valentine said:
I posted the correct steps for migrating your Outlook data.
Use a backup of your Outlook data file and follow the steps in the article
I posted. That is the only way you can transfer a PST file in Outlook
2003.
Never, ever copy an Outlook data file into the default directory because
you may corrupt it by overwriting another PST file.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Bob Newman said:
Russ, sorry if I've missed your answer somewhere along the line but I
have not seen it and do not have my old information.

Bob

Russ Valentine said:
Did you still have a question?
I've posted the answer.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
I backed it up using my standard backup program (Backup +) as part of an
overall backup of all my personal & data files. I restored to it's
original location of MyDocs\Data\Outlook (I store all my programs data
files with My Docs for easier backup). I have done this before with
success although I don't remember if it was with 2003 with no problems.
When I had trouble this time I tried restoring the data from it's
tradition Outlook location as well as a temp folder. I hope this helps.

Bob
You backed it up how?
You "restored" it how?
You should never copy a PST file into the "default directory" because
you will corrupt your profile.
Ample instructions exist in the help files for how to migrate Outlook
data correctly:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Sorry. Here are pertinent parts of the original post and applicable
replies:



I thought I knew how to do this, I guess I was wrong. I formatted
my drive, installed Windows XP Pro SP2, reinstalled Office Pro 2003.
I had backed-up my pst file, I restored it to my data directory,
then chose File/Open/Outlook Data file to load it into Outlook. I
tried it twice (once after deleting the generic pst) both times it
yielded a set of folders entitled Bob's Folders (me) -The calendar
contains

appointments only up until last March and nothing since then. There
is nothing at all in the Contacts folder (it has several subfolders
under it but none now), there is also nothing in the inbox and again

the subfolders are missing (there was a ton of email). I suspect the
info is in there somewhere because the file is listed as 1,795,072
in size. There is also a folder that was not there before
entitled"Handheld Synchronization" (I had been syncing my Palm with
the appt calendar) but other than a couple of reminder notes there is
nothing there either. I also ran scanpst.exe, that didn't help
either.What might I be doing wrong? I also tried restoring from an
ealier backup but got the same result.



Bob



The question must also be somewhere.
How can anyone attempt to answer you when we have no idea what you
have done?
Spell it out in complete detail. There is no information here.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
This is a new post because I'm using a different computer but I
have been asking why I can't seem to restore my backed-up Outlook
(2003) PST file after a fresh install of XP Pro SP2. I am showing
some calendar appts. prior to the back-up date but nothing at all
in the contacts or saved emails (which of course is the most
important thing). Speculation was that the file may have been
corrupted but I just tried to restore from a backup previous to the
latest and got the same results. Help Please. The answer MUST be
here SOMEWHERE.

Thanks in advance... Bob
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
If you have the original backup PST files, you should be fine.
You may have corrupted your profile by copying data into the default
directory.
Why not just create a new Outlook profile from scratch and then use the
instructions to configure it to use your backup PST file? If you're not
clear on how to do that, post anything that isn't clear to you.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Bob Newman said:
Russ... I'm sorry but I must be missing something. I read both your post
and the article you referenced. I did everything they say and there is no
data, other than old appointments in the file that I have restored (using
any one of several directories). I am missing the old email and contact
lists which are the most important things. Nor can I get data from
previous backups (again from any directory). Is there perhaps more than
one pst file I should have backed up? I never knowingly created one. I
would think that it would be a pretty long shot that both backups would be
corrupted. If I could have some way corrupted them attempting to
reinstall, I still have the original backups. Thanks for you
understanding.

Bob

Russ Valentine said:
I posted the correct steps for migrating your Outlook data.
Use a backup of your Outlook data file and follow the steps in the
article I posted. That is the only way you can transfer a PST file in
Outlook 2003.
Never, ever copy an Outlook data file into the default directory because
you may corrupt it by overwriting another PST file.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Bob Newman said:
Russ, sorry if I've missed your answer somewhere along the line but I
have not seen it and do not have my old information.

Bob

Did you still have a question?
I've posted the answer.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
I backed it up using my standard backup program (Backup +) as part of
an overall backup of all my personal & data files. I restored to it's
original location of MyDocs\Data\Outlook (I store all my programs data
files with My Docs for easier backup). I have done this before with
success although I don't remember if it was with 2003 with no problems.
When I had trouble this time I tried restoring the data from it's
tradition Outlook location as well as a temp folder. I hope this
helps.

Bob
You backed it up how?
You "restored" it how?
You should never copy a PST file into the "default directory" because
you will corrupt your profile.
Ample instructions exist in the help files for how to migrate Outlook
data correctly:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Sorry. Here are pertinent parts of the original post and applicable
replies:



I thought I knew how to do this, I guess I was wrong. I formatted
my drive, installed Windows XP Pro SP2, reinstalled Office Pro 2003.
I had backed-up my pst file, I restored it to my data directory,
then chose File/Open/Outlook Data file to load it into Outlook. I
tried it twice (once after deleting the generic pst) both times it
yielded a set of folders entitled Bob's Folders (me) -The calendar
contains

appointments only up until last March and nothing since then. There
is nothing at all in the Contacts folder (it has several subfolders
under it but none now), there is also nothing in the inbox and again

the subfolders are missing (there was a ton of email). I suspect
the info is in there somewhere because the file is listed as
1,795,072 in size. There is also a folder that was not there before
entitled"Handheld Synchronization" (I had been syncing my Palm with
the appt calendar) but other than a couple of reminder notes there
is nothing there either. I also ran scanpst.exe, that didn't help
either.What might I be doing wrong? I also tried restoring from an
ealier backup but got the same result.



Bob



The question must also be somewhere.
How can anyone attempt to answer you when we have no idea what you
have done?
Spell it out in complete detail. There is no information here.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
This is a new post because I'm using a different computer but I
have been asking why I can't seem to restore my backed-up Outlook
(2003) PST file after a fresh install of XP Pro SP2. I am
showing some calendar appts. prior to the back-up date but nothing
at all in the contacts or saved emails (which of course is the
most important thing). Speculation was that the file may have been
corrupted but I just tried to restore from a backup previous to
the latest and got the same results. Help Please. The answer MUST
be here SOMEWHERE.

Thanks in advance... Bob
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Okay, I'll give that a try.

Bob

Russ Valentine said:
If you have the original backup PST files, you should be fine.
You may have corrupted your profile by copying data into the default
directory.
Why not just create a new Outlook profile from scratch and then use the
instructions to configure it to use your backup PST file? If you're not
clear on how to do that, post anything that isn't clear to you.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Bob Newman said:
Russ... I'm sorry but I must be missing something. I read both your post
and the article you referenced. I did everything they say and there is
no data, other than old appointments in the file that I have restored
(using any one of several directories). I am missing the old email and
contact lists which are the most important things. Nor can I get data
from previous backups (again from any directory). Is there perhaps more
than one pst file I should have backed up? I never knowingly created
one. I would think that it would be a pretty long shot that both backups
would be corrupted. If I could have some way corrupted them attempting
to reinstall, I still have the original backups. Thanks for you
understanding.

Bob

Russ Valentine said:
I posted the correct steps for migrating your Outlook data.
Use a backup of your Outlook data file and follow the steps in the
article I posted. That is the only way you can transfer a PST file in
Outlook 2003.
Never, ever copy an Outlook data file into the default directory because
you may corrupt it by overwriting another PST file.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Russ, sorry if I've missed your answer somewhere along the line but I
have not seen it and do not have my old information.

Bob

Did you still have a question?
I've posted the answer.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
I backed it up using my standard backup program (Backup +) as part of
an overall backup of all my personal & data files. I restored to
it's original location of MyDocs\Data\Outlook (I store all my programs
data files with My Docs for easier backup). I have done this before
with success although I don't remember if it was with 2003 with no
problems. When I had trouble this time I tried restoring the data from
it's tradition Outlook location as well as a temp folder. I hope this
helps.

Bob
You backed it up how?
You "restored" it how?
You should never copy a PST file into the "default directory"
because you will corrupt your profile.
Ample instructions exist in the help files for how to migrate
Outlook data correctly:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Sorry. Here are pertinent parts of the original post and
applicable replies:



I thought I knew how to do this, I guess I was wrong. I formatted
my drive, installed Windows XP Pro SP2, reinstalled Office Pro
2003. I had backed-up my pst file, I restored it to my data
directory, then chose File/Open/Outlook Data file to load it into
Outlook. I tried it twice (once after deleting the generic pst)
both times it yielded a set of folders entitled Bob's Folders
(me) -The calendar contains

appointments only up until last March and nothing since then.
There is nothing at all in the Contacts folder (it has several
subfolders under it but none now), there is also nothing in the
inbox and again

the subfolders are missing (there was a ton of email). I suspect
the info is in there somewhere because the file is listed as
1,795,072 in size. There is also a folder that was not there before
entitled"Handheld Synchronization" (I had been syncing my Palm with
the appt calendar) but other than a couple of reminder notes there
is nothing there either. I also ran scanpst.exe, that didn't help
either.What might I be doing wrong? I also tried restoring from an
ealier backup but got the same result.



Bob



The question must also be somewhere.
How can anyone attempt to answer you when we have no idea what you
have done?
Spell it out in complete detail. There is no information here.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
This is a new post because I'm using a different computer but I
have been asking why I can't seem to restore my backed-up Outlook
(2003) PST file after a fresh install of XP Pro SP2. I am
showing some calendar appts. prior to the back-up date but
nothing at all in the contacts or saved emails (which of course
is the most important thing). Speculation was that the file may
have been corrupted but I just tried to restore from a backup
previous to the latest and got the same results. Help Please.
The answer MUST be here SOMEWHERE.

Thanks in advance... Bob
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
I give up. I'll just have to rebuild I guess. BTW is 2003 different than
other Outlook versions in this regard? I never had any trouble before.

Thanks for trying to help.

Bob

Bob Newman said:
Okay, I'll give that a try.

Bob

Russ Valentine said:
If you have the original backup PST files, you should be fine.
You may have corrupted your profile by copying data into the default
directory.
Why not just create a new Outlook profile from scratch and then use the
instructions to configure it to use your backup PST file? If you're not
clear on how to do that, post anything that isn't clear to you.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Bob Newman said:
Russ... I'm sorry but I must be missing something. I read both your
post and the article you referenced. I did everything they say and
there is no data, other than old appointments in the file that I have
restored (using any one of several directories). I am missing the old
email and contact lists which are the most important things. Nor can I
get data from previous backups (again from any directory). Is there
perhaps more than one pst file I should have backed up? I never
knowingly created one. I would think that it would be a pretty long
shot that both backups would be corrupted. If I could have some way
corrupted them attempting to reinstall, I still have the original
backups. Thanks for you understanding.

Bob

I posted the correct steps for migrating your Outlook data.
Use a backup of your Outlook data file and follow the steps in the
article I posted. That is the only way you can transfer a PST file in
Outlook 2003.
Never, ever copy an Outlook data file into the default directory
because you may corrupt it by overwriting another PST file.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Russ, sorry if I've missed your answer somewhere along the line but I
have not seen it and do not have my old information.

Bob

Did you still have a question?
I've posted the answer.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
I backed it up using my standard backup program (Backup +) as part of
an overall backup of all my personal & data files. I restored to
it's original location of MyDocs\Data\Outlook (I store all my
programs data files with My Docs for easier backup). I have done
this before with success although I don't remember if it was with
2003 with no problems. When I had trouble this time I tried restoring
the data from it's tradition Outlook location as well as a temp
folder. I hope this helps.

Bob
You backed it up how?
You "restored" it how?
You should never copy a PST file into the "default directory"
because you will corrupt your profile.
Ample instructions exist in the help files for how to migrate
Outlook data correctly:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Sorry. Here are pertinent parts of the original post and
applicable replies:



I thought I knew how to do this, I guess I was wrong. I
formatted my drive, installed Windows XP Pro SP2, reinstalled
Office Pro 2003. I had backed-up my pst file, I restored it to my
data directory, then chose File/Open/Outlook Data file to load it
into Outlook. I tried it twice (once after deleting the generic
pst) both times it yielded a set of folders entitled Bob's Folders
(me) -The calendar contains

appointments only up until last March and nothing since then.
There is nothing at all in the Contacts folder (it has several
subfolders under it but none now), there is also nothing in the
inbox and again

the subfolders are missing (there was a ton of email). I suspect
the info is in there somewhere because the file is listed as
1,795,072 in size. There is also a folder that was not there
before entitled"Handheld Synchronization" (I had been syncing my
Palm with the appt calendar) but other than a couple of reminder
notes there is nothing there either. I also ran scanpst.exe, that
didn't help either.What might I be doing wrong? I also tried
restoring from an ealier backup but got the same result.



Bob



message The question must also be somewhere.
How can anyone attempt to answer you when we have no idea what
you have done?
Spell it out in complete detail. There is no information here.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
This is a new post because I'm using a different computer but I
have been asking why I can't seem to restore my backed-up
Outlook (2003) PST file after a fresh install of XP Pro SP2. I
am showing some calendar appts. prior to the back-up date but
nothing at all in the contacts or saved emails (which of course
is the most important thing). Speculation was that the file may
have been corrupted but I just tried to restore from a backup
previous to the latest and got the same results. Help Please.
The answer MUST be here SOMEWHERE.

Thanks in advance... Bob
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Outlook 2003 is far more intolerant than earlier versions in how data is
migrated. Each time it is installed or each time a new profile is created it
will create a new PST file and set it as its default. If you simply rename
that PST file and copy another PST file into the same directory or if you
try to import an entire PST file, the profile will become corrupted beyond
repair.
You must use the method in the Help files to migrate PST files.
However, migrating PST files corrupts the profile, not the PST file. The
only time the PST file becomes corrupted is if you overwrite it.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Bob Newman said:
I give up. I'll just have to rebuild I guess. BTW is 2003 different than
other Outlook versions in this regard? I never had any trouble before.

Thanks for trying to help.

Bob

Bob Newman said:
Okay, I'll give that a try.

Bob

Russ Valentine said:
If you have the original backup PST files, you should be fine.
You may have corrupted your profile by copying data into the default
directory.
Why not just create a new Outlook profile from scratch and then use the
instructions to configure it to use your backup PST file? If you're not
clear on how to do that, post anything that isn't clear to you.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Russ... I'm sorry but I must be missing something. I read both your
post and the article you referenced. I did everything they say and
there is no data, other than old appointments in the file that I have
restored (using any one of several directories). I am missing the old
email and contact lists which are the most important things. Nor can I
get data from previous backups (again from any directory). Is there
perhaps more than one pst file I should have backed up? I never
knowingly created one. I would think that it would be a pretty long
shot that both backups would be corrupted. If I could have some way
corrupted them attempting to reinstall, I still have the original
backups. Thanks for you understanding.

Bob

I posted the correct steps for migrating your Outlook data.
Use a backup of your Outlook data file and follow the steps in the
article I posted. That is the only way you can transfer a PST file in
Outlook 2003.
Never, ever copy an Outlook data file into the default directory
because you may corrupt it by overwriting another PST file.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Russ, sorry if I've missed your answer somewhere along the line but I
have not seen it and do not have my old information.

Bob

Did you still have a question?
I've posted the answer.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
I backed it up using my standard backup program (Backup +) as part
of an overall backup of all my personal & data files. I restored
to it's original location of MyDocs\Data\Outlook (I store all my
programs data files with My Docs for easier backup). I have done
this before with success although I don't remember if it was with
2003 with no problems. When I had trouble this time I tried
restoring the data from it's tradition Outlook location as well as a
temp folder. I hope this helps.

Bob
You backed it up how?
You "restored" it how?
You should never copy a PST file into the "default directory"
because you will corrupt your profile.
Ample instructions exist in the help files for how to migrate
Outlook data correctly:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Sorry. Here are pertinent parts of the original post and
applicable replies:



I thought I knew how to do this, I guess I was wrong. I
formatted my drive, installed Windows XP Pro SP2, reinstalled
Office Pro 2003. I had backed-up my pst file, I restored it to
my data directory, then chose File/Open/Outlook Data file to load
it into Outlook. I tried it twice (once after deleting the
generic pst) both times it yielded a set of folders entitled
Bob's Folders (me) -The calendar contains

appointments only up until last March and nothing since then.
There is nothing at all in the Contacts folder (it has several
subfolders under it but none now), there is also nothing in the
inbox and again

the subfolders are missing (there was a ton of email). I suspect
the info is in there somewhere because the file is listed as
1,795,072 in size. There is also a folder that was not there
before entitled"Handheld Synchronization" (I had been syncing my
Palm with the appt calendar) but other than a couple of reminder
notes there is nothing there either. I also ran scanpst.exe,
that didn't help either.What might I be doing wrong? I also tried
restoring from an ealier backup but got the same result.



Bob



message The question must also be somewhere.
How can anyone attempt to answer you when we have no idea what
you have done?
Spell it out in complete detail. There is no information here.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
This is a new post because I'm using a different computer but I
have been asking why I can't seem to restore my backed-up
Outlook (2003) PST file after a fresh install of XP Pro SP2.
I am showing some calendar appts. prior to the back-up date but
nothing at all in the contacts or saved emails (which of course
is the most important thing). Speculation was that the file may
have been corrupted but I just tried to restore from a backup
previous to the latest and got the same results. Help Please.
The answer MUST be here SOMEWHERE.

Thanks in advance... Bob
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Okay, thanks. I'll file that away for future reference. Again, thanks for
all your help.

Bob

Russ Valentine said:
Outlook 2003 is far more intolerant than earlier versions in how data is
migrated. Each time it is installed or each time a new profile is created
it will create a new PST file and set it as its default. If you simply
rename that PST file and copy another PST file into the same directory or
if you try to import an entire PST file, the profile will become corrupted
beyond repair.
You must use the method in the Help files to migrate PST files.
However, migrating PST files corrupts the profile, not the PST file. The
only time the PST file becomes corrupted is if you overwrite it.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Bob Newman said:
I give up. I'll just have to rebuild I guess. BTW is 2003 different than
other Outlook versions in this regard? I never had any trouble before.

Thanks for trying to help.

Bob

Bob Newman said:
Okay, I'll give that a try.

Bob

If you have the original backup PST files, you should be fine.
You may have corrupted your profile by copying data into the default
directory.
Why not just create a new Outlook profile from scratch and then use the
instructions to configure it to use your backup PST file? If you're not
clear on how to do that, post anything that isn't clear to you.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Russ... I'm sorry but I must be missing something. I read both your
post and the article you referenced. I did everything they say and
there is no data, other than old appointments in the file that I have
restored (using any one of several directories). I am missing the old
email and contact lists which are the most important things. Nor can
I get data from previous backups (again from any directory). Is there
perhaps more than one pst file I should have backed up? I never
knowingly created one. I would think that it would be a pretty long
shot that both backups would be corrupted. If I could have some way
corrupted them attempting to reinstall, I still have the original
backups. Thanks for you understanding.

Bob

I posted the correct steps for migrating your Outlook data.
Use a backup of your Outlook data file and follow the steps in the
article I posted. That is the only way you can transfer a PST file in
Outlook 2003.
Never, ever copy an Outlook data file into the default directory
because you may corrupt it by overwriting another PST file.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Russ, sorry if I've missed your answer somewhere along the line but
I have not seen it and do not have my old information.

Bob

Did you still have a question?
I've posted the answer.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
I backed it up using my standard backup program (Backup +) as part
of an overall backup of all my personal & data files. I restored
to it's original location of MyDocs\Data\Outlook (I store all my
programs data files with My Docs for easier backup). I have done
this before with success although I don't remember if it was with
2003 with no problems. When I had trouble this time I tried
restoring the data from it's tradition Outlook location as well as
a temp folder. I hope this helps.

Bob
message You backed it up how?
You "restored" it how?
You should never copy a PST file into the "default directory"
because you will corrupt your profile.
Ample instructions exist in the help files for how to migrate
Outlook data correctly:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Sorry. Here are pertinent parts of the original post and
applicable replies:



I thought I knew how to do this, I guess I was wrong. I
formatted my drive, installed Windows XP Pro SP2, reinstalled
Office Pro 2003. I had backed-up my pst file, I restored it to
my data directory, then chose File/Open/Outlook Data file to
load it into Outlook. I tried it twice (once after deleting
the generic pst) both times it yielded a set of folders entitled
Bob's Folders (me) -The calendar contains

appointments only up until last March and nothing since then.
There is nothing at all in the Contacts folder (it has several
subfolders under it but none now), there is also nothing in the
inbox and again

the subfolders are missing (there was a ton of email). I
suspect the info is in there somewhere because the file is
listed as 1,795,072 in size. There is also a folder that was not
there before entitled"Handheld Synchronization" (I had been
syncing my Palm with the appt calendar) but other than a couple
of reminder notes there is nothing there either. I also ran
scanpst.exe, that didn't help either.What might I be doing
wrong? I also tried restoring from an ealier backup but got the
same result.



Bob



message The question must also be somewhere.
How can anyone attempt to answer you when we have no idea what
you have done?
Spell it out in complete detail. There is no information here.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
This is a new post because I'm using a different computer but
I have been asking why I can't seem to restore my backed-up
Outlook (2003) PST file after a fresh install of XP Pro SP2.
I am showing some calendar appts. prior to the back-up date
but nothing at all in the contacts or saved emails (which of
course is the most important thing). Speculation was that the
file may have been corrupted but I just tried to restore from
a backup previous to the latest and got the same results.
Help Please. The answer MUST be here SOMEWHERE.

Thanks in advance... Bob
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
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