Re: Moving from dead computer to new one

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From: Mike (Mike_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 01/10/05 

Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2005 07:55:08 -0800

I have had some of these problems, as well as the problem that I can't see
the data file from Outlook (my Personal Folders is not listed as a data file
on the list under data file management) so I can't compact it or change the
name - in fact I can't even hit the Advanced button after clicking Properties
- I get an error that the Object could not be found. When I look for the
data file using Windows explorer, I can see that it is there, and all of the
folders, calendar, etc are present when I open Outlook. (WinXP, Outlook
2003). Any suggestions?

I also have the error that OL can't see my contacts, but when I check (as
suggested below), the folder is there ( in fact 2 of them are there, I have
no idea where the other one is). Help!

"Elbert" wrote:

> Many thanks for your reply. Please see what I wrote after items (1), (2),
> and (3).
>
> Elbert
>
> "Jocelyn Fiorello [MVP - Outlook]" wrote:
>
> > In news:EE106178-D024-4ABC-B868-BE840CE11652@microsoft.com,
> > Elbert wrote:
> >
> > > My old computer is dead but the C-drive disk is OK, now connected to
> > > my new computer via a USB adapter. I installed Outlook 2003 onto the
> > > new computer from CD, and wanted to copy all stored emails etc. from
> > > the old disk.
> > >
> > > I found that installation from CD put new outlook.pst and some other
> > > OL files in c:\documents and settings\Elbert\local
> > > settings\application data\microsoft\outlook. I deleted them and then
> > > copied the files from the same place on the old disk drive.
> > >
> > > It almost worked, except:
> > >
> > > (1) when I try to compose a new email and click on the TO button, it
> > > says "The address list could not be displayed. The contacts list
> > > associated with this address list could not be opened; it may have
> > > been moved or deleted..." But if I click on Contacts in the
> > > navigation bar, I see my contacts, and if I right click on a contact,
> > > I can select "New Message to Contact";
> >
> > This is a common occurrence when moving things around -- the association
> > between the Contacts folder and the Outlook Address Book gets broken. To
> > fix it, go to Tools | E-mail accounts, select "View or change existing
> > directories or address books", and click Next. If you don't see the OAB in
> > the Directories and Address Books list, click the Back button, then select
> > "Add a new directory or address book", then "Additional Address Books", and
> > add the OAB. Then keep clicking Back until you get back to the first dialog
> > box, and go back to the Directories and Address Books list as you did
> > earlier.
> >
> > Once the OAB appears in the list, select it and then click Change to make
> > sure the Contacts folder(s) you want to display are listed. If any of them
> > aren't listed, you'll need to enable those Contacts folders as Outlook
> > Address Books by right clicking the folder, selecting Properties, clicking
> > the Outlook Address Book tab, and checking the "Show this folder as an
> > E-mail address book" box. Make sure you restart Outlook after making these
> > changes.
>
> In the folders list, the personal folders tree appears twice. If I go to
> properties|OL address book after right-clicking either instance of Contacts
> in the tree, I find that "Show this folder as an E-mail address book" is
> already checked. If I uncheck it using one instance of Contacts, it is then
> shown as unchecked if I use the other instance of Contacts, so I figure the
> same entry appears twice in the tree, not two separate personal folders. I
> check "Show this folder..." again, click Apply, and OK.
>
> I go to Tools | E-mail accounts, select "View or change existing directories
> or address books", and click Next. OAB does appear in the list, so I select
> it and click Change. Contacts: personal folders appears twice in the list of
> Outlook address books. The only available options are to change the sort
> order of the address book, or to remove it. I do neither and close the
> window. I'm stumped at this point and stop before I make things worse. Any
> further ideas you can give me will be appreciated.
>
> >
> > > (2) When I click on Personal Folders in the navigation bar, I see
> > > columns with my calendar, tasks, and counts of messages of messages,
> > > just as I used to, except that the tasks are shown reverse
> > > chronological order. If I display tasks by clicking tasks in the
> > > navigation bar, I see them in chronological order, but I can't figure
> > > out how to see them that way in Personal Folders view.
> >
> > On the Outlook Today page, click Customize Outlook Today. You can change
> > the sort order of your tasks in Outlook Today there.
>
> Duh. Thanks.
>
> >
> > > (3) Something I read gave me the impression that I should have
> > > imported the old outlook.pst into outlook.pst that was newly created
> > > when I installed OL. I moved all OL related files I could find to a
> > > temporary folder, then uninstalled OL and reinstalled it, figuring it
> > > would create a nice clean outlook.pst and I'd try importing to it;
> > > this would give me the new file structure, too, in place of the
> > > OL2002 structure. But no dice: When I try to run the newly intsalled
> > > OL, it says it cannot find outlook.pst (it did not create a new one)
> > > and it refuses to run.
> >
> > The only thing I can see that you did "wrong" is to overwrite the new .PST
> > file with your old one, as you describe in the second paragraph of your
> > post. Doing this confuses Outlook. .PST files can be located anywhere on
> > your hard drive, so never overwrite one .PST with another -- just put your
> > desired .PST file where you want it and then point Outlook to it. If you
> > were using Outlook 2002 before and your old .PST file is in that format, you
> > probably do want to create a new .PST in the Outlook 2003 Unicode format,
> > open your old .PST in Outlook using File | Open | Outlook Data File, and
> > drag items from your old file to the new one. That way you get the benefits
> > of the new Unicode file format but you still have your old data. Don't
> > import and export, either -- that breaks things too.
>
> I'll try that after I figure out how to fix number (1)--I'd like to have
> things in good order before trying anything new. Thanks for warning me about
> importing--I was going to try that.
>
> >
> > > I have a feeling that all of these are due to the simple-minded
> > > approach I took to trying to move the old data. If anybody can tell
> > > me how to start over and do it right, or how to fix things without
> > > starting over, I'd sure appreciate it.
> > >
> > > Elbert
> >
> > --
> > Jocelyn Fiorello
> > MVP - Outlook
> >
> > *** Messages sent to my e-mail address will NOT be answered -- please
> > reply only to the newsgroup to preserve the message thread. ***
> >
> >
> >

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