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Software => Computer software => Topic started by: KristinS on January 22, 2007, 07:29:56 PM

Title: Moving Outlook data to new computer
Post by: KristinS on January 22, 2007, 07:29:56 PM

I just purchased a Lenovo T60 laptop with Windows XP and have loaded it with Office XP Pro (Outlook 2002).  I've copied my Outlook folder (containing three files extend.dat, mailbox.pst and outlook.pst) from my old computer to my new computer, and placed the Outlook folder in My Documents (a tip I read somewhere for easier backup of Outlook).  

Two questions:

1) What do I do next to get Outlook reading the data files (calendar, email, contacts and tasks)?

2) In copying the files, an extra extension was automatically added to the email filename (mailbox.pst.pst).  Can I simply rename the file, dropping the extra extension?  This only happened to that file, not the other two.  Go figure.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Kristin

Title: Re: Moving Outlook data to new computer
Post by: soybean on January 22, 2007, 07:38:43 PM

Yes, I believe you need to rename the mailbox.pst.pst to mailbox.pst   Then, try importing the .pst files into Outlook.  To do this, go to File, Import and Export, select Import from another program or file, click Next, and select the .pst file(s) from the list in the box.  

Title: Re: Moving Outlook data to new computer
Post by: KristinS on January 23, 2007, 07:33:11 AM

Thanks.  Just about everything imported beautifully.  The exception:  the 21 folders I had created to organize Inbox messages, and all of the messages within those folders.  Any thoughts on how to also import those folders?

Title: Re: Moving Outlook data to new computer
Post by: soybean on January 23, 2007, 07:49:06 AM

Try this.  Go back to your old computer and export your Inbox again.  I'm looking at Outlook 2003 here, so I'm assuming your version is quite similar.  To export, go to File, Import and Export, select Export to a file, click Next, select Personal Folder File (.pst), click Next, select Inbox, check the box at the bottom of that panel for Include subfolders, and proceed.  Then, import that file into the new computer.

Title: Re: Moving Outlook data to new computer
Post by: KristinS on January 23, 2007, 09:37:14 AM

Problem solved!  A huge thank you!  This was my first time using this forum, and I was very impressed.  I'll be back.    :D