Re: Transferring Outlook to another computer?
- From: TreeDoctor <TreeDoctor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 1 Jul 2007 02:00:07 -0700
I want to reiterate a few of the key points from above, based upon years of
frustration and difficulty in dealing with this issue, with the hope that it
might be of some help to others:
As a background, the challenge of transferring data from one computer to
another has been plaguing me since the very first time I had a secretary
create some new Contacts for me (from business cards I collected), then tried
to export them from hers, and import them into my existing contact list.
This was probably 6 or so years ago, back in 2001. I recall spending hours
with the secretary trying to figure out how to do it, and ultimately failing.
NOTHING should EVER be so absurdly difficult and confusing. I feel nothing
but rage toward Microsoft for the cumulative days of my life that I have
wasted trying to figure out how to do this, continuing up until the present.
Understanding Microsoft's ambiguously worded instructions and "prompts" is
difficult enough, not to mention software malfunctions that you will almost
inevitably encounter.
In any case, it's taken me a while to learn the following:
1) The one GOOD, clear piece of advice Microsoft provides is that you should
make a backup copy of your .pst file before you do anything else. What they
fail to explain is WHY this is advisable, which would be something like:
"As it is very likely that you will corrupt or otherwise screw up your .pst
file in your futile attempt to follow our confusing, ambiguously worded
instructions, you should definitely make a backup copy first, that you will
be able to revert back to after you've messed up your original file. If you
fail to do this, don't say we didn't warn you!"
2) Per advice above in this thread, avoid exporting and importing at all
cost. It will almost certain give you the wrong results... which could be
anything from the data ending up in the wrong place, to corrupting your .pst
file so that you are no longer able to do simple things like move email from
one folder to another. Follow the advice above of working with multiple .pst
files that you can have open simultaneously in Outlook. However... do
NOT use this technique to move ALL your stuff from one .pst file to another.
Per advice above, and for reasons known only to some insidious computer
programmer somewhere, this will lead to failure.
3) Do not try to transfer your folders from your original .pst file to the
new one, or you are bound for disaster. Rather, designate your original .pst
(i.e. the one that was copied from your old computer and (re-)opened in your
new one) to receive incoming mail, per instructions above. After closing
Outllook, and reopening, you can then "Remove" your new .pst file, using
"File Management". At some point along the way, your original .pst will
automatically become your "Outlook Today" folder. (If there's another way to
do this, Microsoft is keeping it a secret.)
4) An additional detail not referred to above is that if you try to open OR
import a .pst file that was CREATED IN Outlook 2003 into Outlook 2002, you
may encounter compatibility problems. The reason I know this is that I was
not able to move directly into my new computer (where I eventually
reinstalled Outlook 2002), but had to set up temporarily in a borrowed
computer which had Outlook 2003 installed. I was able to open my original
Outlook 2002 .pst file into Outlook 2003; Then, incredibly, I was able to
open this same file in my new installation of Outlook 2002, even though it
had been modified in Outlook 2003. However, I was NOT able to import a new
..pst file that I had created in Outlook 2003. Not sure why.
I've progressed from being 75% confident I know how to do all this stuff to
~90% confident. For the time being at least, it appears that I have
successfully reinstalled Outlook 2002 on m new computer, and can access all
my original Contacts, Emails, and Calendar items. I'm probably tempting fate
by saying this, but so far, so good... and with only 6-8 hours of effort,
including many failures along the way.
Finally.... to the team at Microsoft who designed the user interface and
"Settings" for Outlook... I'd like to tell you what I think of you and your
program (which I am FORCED to use, for reasons of compatibility with
co-workers)... but it would NEVER pass the scrutiny of whoever monitors this
message board, so you'll just have to use your imagination.
Good night, and good luck.
"Brian Tillman" wrote:
Bob Newman <bobnewman@xxxxxxx> wrote:.
It seems to have worked fine with a minor (I assume) problem. The
import created a separate folder tree entitled Bob's Folders as it
was on the other computer. It contains all my created subfolders and
data. Above that is still the default Personal Folders tree (which I
no longer need). How do I get rid of that section?
Now click Tools>E-mail Accounts>Next and change the "Deliver new messaeg to
the following location" drop-down to point to "Bob's Folders". Stop and
restart Outlook. If the "Personal Folder" set is empty, right-click
"Personal Folders" and choose Close.
--
Brian Tillman
--
Brian Tillman
- Follow-Ups:
- Re: Transferring Outlook to another computer?
- From: Brian Tillman
- Re: Transferring Outlook to another computer?
- From: Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]
- Re: Transferring Outlook to another computer?
- Prev by Date: reassigning ports for Outlook 2000
- Next by Date: Re: Transferring Outlook to another computer?
- Previous by thread: reassigning ports for Outlook 2000
- Next by thread: Re: Transferring Outlook to another computer?
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
Loading
