Old Outlook to new Vista? - Overclock.net

dralb · 01-06-09

OK, I just got home from building a new PC with VHP for my bro. He wants all his old outlook files on the new PC. I have the old drive hooked up and know that I can import into the new mail system (windows mail), but how can I tell it to go into the other drive to retrieve the old files?

I can search the other drive and I know it has them all, but I can't seem to get them to import. (I guess it is because I don't know where to look in the old drive, lol)

he is more than happy using the new mail system, just that he has a lot of important emails in the old drive he wants access to. I am no good with mail servers and such, so please help

TwoCables · 01-07-09

If it's the same as Outlook 2002 (Office XP), then I can help, otherwise things might not be exactly as the same. I've reformatted several times and haven't lost anything in Outlook. So this may be able to apply here.

Now, I've always done this manually and have had 100% success (I don't like letting software do this for me). Here are the files that I save:

Outlook.pst (it holds all of your e-mails, contacts and stuff. Notice how big it is? Mine's 81 MB!)
Outlook.NK2 This is the file that allows you to have the ability to start a new e-mail, begin typing an address you've used before, and it will automatically suggest it because it's in this file. It's the nickname file. It's like Auto Complete for Outlook.

The location for Outlook.pst in Windows XP is C:\Documents and Settings\Tim\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook (%appdata%\Microsoft\Outlook will not bring you to this specific location).

But the location for Outlook.NK2 is accessible using %appdata%\Microsoft\Outlook because the location is C:\Documents and Settings\Tim\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook (notice the lack of "Local Settings").

You can also save Outlook.FAV which contains your Outlook Bar Shortcuts (it's in the same folder as Outlook.NK2). However, the last time I saved this, I didn't get my Outlook Bar Shortcuts back to the way I had them. Besides, I don't mind setting that back up again as long as I don't lose any e-mails or Contacts. I also prefer to keep my nickname file too. That's handy!

So after Outlook is installed, set it all up the way you want it (e-mail accounts, and other preferences). Then after that, send an e-mail to yourself. Then make an outlook bar shortcut customization. Then close Outlook.

Since you sent an e-mail and made an outlook bar shortcut customization, you should now be able to find these newly-created Outlook.pst, Outlook.NK2, and Outlook.FAV files in order to see where they are located (since this is Vista, I'm assuming the locations are different). Once you've found them, overwrite them with the ones you saved using Copy/Paste.

Now re-open Outlook. Everything should now be back to normal. But if not, then we'll take it from there and make it normal.

Oh man I hope this works. I mean it works for me 100%, but I've never done it so I can go from XP to Vista.

dralb · 01-07-09

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwoCables

If it's the same as Outlook 2002 (Office XP), then I can help, otherwise things might not be exactly as the same. I've reformatted several times and haven't lost anything in Outlook. So this may be able to apply here.

Now, I've always done this manually and have had 100% success (I don't like letting software do this for me). Here are the files that I save:

Outlook.pst (it holds all of your e-mails, contacts and stuff. Notice how big it is? Mine's 81 MB!)
Outlook.NK2 This is the file that allows you to have the ability to start a new e-mail, begin typing an address you've used before, and it will automatically suggest it because it's in this file. It's the nickname file. It's like Auto Complete for Outlook.

The location for Outlook.pst in Windows XP is Cocuments and SettingsTimLocal SettingsApplication DataMicrosoftOutlook (%appdata%MicrosoftOutlook will not bring you to this specific location).

But the location for Outlook.NK2 is accessible using %appdata%MicrosoftOutlook because the location is Cocuments and SettingsTimApplication DataMicrosoftOutlook (notice the lack of "Local Settings").

You can also save Outlook.FAV which contains your Outlook Bar Shortcuts (it's in the same folder as Outlook.NK2). However, the last time I saved this, I didn't get my Outlook Bar Shortcuts back to the way I had them. Besides, I don't mind setting that back up again as long as I don't lose any e-mails or Contacts. I also prefer to keep my nickname file too. That's handy!

So after Outlook is installed, set it all up the way you want it (e-mail accounts, and other preferences). Then after that, send an e-mail to yourself. Then make an outlook bar shortcut customization. Then close Outlook.

Since you sent an e-mail and made an outlook bar shortcut customization, you should now be able to find these newly-created Outlook.pst, Outlook.NK2, and Outlook.FAV files in order to see where they are located (since this is Vista, I'm assuming the locations are different). Once you've found them, overwrite them with the ones you saved using Copy/Paste.

Now re-open Outlook. Everything should now be back to normal. But if not, then we'll take it from there and make it normal.

Oh man I hope this works. I mean it works for me 100%, but I've never done it so I can go from XP to Vista.

Thanks, but the only issue I see is that there is no outlook on his new PC. It has the newer version (Windows Mail)

TwoCables · 01-07-09

I thought he was going to be installing Outlook on the new pc.

dralb · 01-07-09

Quote:

Originally Posted by TwoCables

I thought he was going to be installing Outlook on the new pc.

I would if there is a way to do it for free with vista. He doesn't care (and would prolly prefer outlook) I am so used to using my work mail plus 2 others for junk, that I never set this stuff up at home.

TwoCables · 01-07-09

If there ends up being no way to do it, then what I did my first time before I figured this out was I just sent all of my e-mails to myself. That was a huge task. lol

Pheatton · 01-07-09

If you mean the he was using Outlook Express then that was replaced by Windows Mail in Vista.

dralb · 01-07-09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pheatton

If you mean the he was using Outlook Express then that was replaced by Windows Mail in Vista.

What I mean is: He had a PC with XP on it that he was using outlook on. That mobo died, so I built him an entire new PC with Vista. The new PC with Vista has Windows Mail. He wants to get all the old emails and contact off the hdd with XP on it from the failed PC and move it to the new PC. I figure he can either A: move the files and get them to work with Windows Mail or, B: get outlook to work on the Vista PC.

I am not sure how to do either atm. I am planning to look into it more in a day or so, but I was hoping someone here had done this already.

e_dogg · 01-07-09

I just did some searching around and it sounds like PSTs cannot be imported into Windows Mail unless you have Outlook on the Vista installation.

You can export the contacts list to .csv (comma separated) and import them into Windows Mail.

Here's a link where someone suggested importing the PST into Outlook Express and then running a backup from Outlook Express. That sounds like a pretty good workaround to me.

http://www.eggheadcafe.com/software/...okpst-fil.aspx

dralb · 01-07-09

Quote:

Originally Posted by e_dogg

I just did some searching around and it sounds like PSTs cannot be imported into Windows Mail unless you have Outlook on the Vista installation.

You can export the contacts list to .csv (comma separated) and import them into Windows Mail.

Here's a link where someone suggested importing the PST into Outlook Express and then running a backup from Outlook Express. That sounds like a pretty good workaround to me.

http://www.eggheadcafe.com/software/...okpst-fil.aspx

Thanks, I didn't think of that. I suppose I could copy the .pst files to another PC with outlook and them create a back-up. I can't believe MS didn't think of this. If WM is the successor or Outlook, would some people want to do just this?

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Old Outlook to new Vista?

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