Re: Add User / ConnectComputer script ... deleted existing email client, lost email?

From: BPR (null-4news_at_bogus.com)
Date: 02/10/05 

Date: Thu, 10 Feb 2005 09:29:59 -0500

Hi Chad ... I did find the orphaned *.pst files and imported them into the
new Outlook 2003 clients ... it mostly worked. The users are not completely
operational yet (address books are now empty) ... so there is still a bit
more work for me to do.

You advice was terrific, Thanks again.

It appears that the users have probably got all of their email messages and
their original folders back ... but not in exactly the same place they were
before ... all that seems acceptable to them.

Do you know if there is a different file type or folder location for the
Address book data files? ... I'm looking for a *.pad or *.pab file but not
finding it on the migrated PC ... so will start searching the backup files
tomorrow ... I'm not sure if this is the right type of file to be searching
for, but did come across a 'hint' a while ago that indicated Outlook address
book data was stored in a separate file from the email message data.

I am also considering re-creating a PC with Office 2000 (including Outlook
2000) to import the *.pst file into to see if I can recover the address book
information that way ... if I can, then I will export the contact info and
import back into the new Outlook 2003 clients.

So far this 'simple migration' for a few users has taken over 50 hours of
work to 'find & restore' data that was deleted by the 'ConnectComputer'
script, I think that the script should be modified to NOT delete the old
information but rather identify what should be deleted if the migration is
deemed completely successful by the user.

I think there is still quite a bit of work left to restore the missing data.
Imagine the distress that would be caused if there were no recent backup to
recover the data from ... which is probably the case for many small
customers.

Can I expect that Microsoft is reading this thread and will pick up on this
suggestion ... or is there a better way to get this message to them?

"Chad A Gross [SBS-MVP]" <chad.gross@laytonflower.nospam.com> wrote in
message news:ONzZt8lDFHA.4072@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Hi BPR -
>
> I haven't seen this before, but I think it's safe to say that Outlook 2000
> was a contributing factor. I seem to think that Outlook 2000 used a
> different default name for its pst file than Outlook XP / 2003 - but I
> don't even know if that could be a cause of this or not.
>
> Regardless - the wizard should not have removed the old pst file, which
> should still be in the previous user's profile (c:\documents &
> settings\<username>\local settings\appliation data\microsoft\outlook for
> Outlook XP / 2k3 - not sure if 2000 uses the same location - which could
> also be a contributing factor). Anyway - in Outlook go to File | Import,
> select to import from a file then browse to the old pst. Finish the
> import wizard and it will bring everything from the pst file into the
> user's Exchange mailbox . . .
>
> --
> Chad A. Gross [SBS-MVP]
>
> SBS ROCKS!!!
>
> "BPR" <null-4news@bogus.com> wrote in message
> news:u$Yo9QlDFHA.2508@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>>I have been looking through the Microsoft knowledge base and some of the
>>newsgroups but have not been able to find any problem similar to one that
>>occured for me today.
>>
>> I added 7 users to an SBS 2003 Premium server today ... 4 of them ran the
>> ConnectComputer script, two were successful and 2 lost their old email
>> accounts completely.
>>
>> The two that worked were using WinXP Pro with current maintenance (on was
>> a SP2 install, the other a SP1 install) ... one was using Outlook XP and
>> one was using Outlook 2003.
>>
>> The two that failed were using WinXP Pro with current maintenance
>> (installed before SP1) and were using Outlook 2000 as their email client.
>>
>> All 4 had only one external POP email account each before running the
>> ConnectComputer script.
>>
>> After the script completed the two successful migrations each had two
>> mail accounts, the Exchange account added by the SBS2003 server and the
>> former external POP account ... it appears that all old mail and address
>> book entries were copied over and the old email client was deleted.
>>
>> After the script completed the two that failed had only one mail account,
>> the one created by the SBS2003 server ... the original Windows UserName
>> was still available to log into, but the associated email client along
>> with the existing POP account info had been deleted and an Outlook 2003
>> install script started when the user selected the usual icon to open the
>> email client ... the outlook data files from the deleted client do appear
>> to still be on the PC though.
>>
>> I have stopped adding new users, and told the 3 users that have not yet
>> run the script to NOT setup their PCs until I figure out what went wrong.
>>
>> First question ... how do I recover the old email client folders and
>> adress book data from the leftover Outlook 2K files?
>>
>> Next question ... so I can prevent this from happening again ... is this
>> a known problem that I can read about somewhere?
>>
>> TIA,
>> BPR
>>
>>
>>
>
>

Relevant Pages

  • Add User / ConnectComputer script ... deleted existing email client, lost email?
    ... ConnectComputer script, two were successful and 2 lost their old email ... one was using Outlook XP and one ... before SP1) and were using Outlook 2000 as their email client. ... All 4 had only one external POP email account each before running the ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • Re: Opening Outlook new MailItem Display from Asp.net?
    ... in your client script: ... A variation would be to check if Outlook is running first. ... The ASP server talks directly to the ... >> the script from a .js file on the server with the ...
    (microsoft.public.outlook.interop)
  • Re: OWA and missing attachments
    ... The sender was an Exchange Outlook 2003 Client in LAN, ... If you have Trend Microsoft SMTP Gateway installed, ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • Re: Global Address Book Update
    ... >>> outlook 2003 on a Windows 2000 clients using RPC over HTTP. ... Bring up ESM, Recipients, Offline Address Lists. ... On the Outlook client ... >>> updates the Offline Address Book on the client every 24 hours. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • RE: email wont download
    ... On the SBS 2003 Server open the Server Management console. ... Configure the problematic Outlook client to connect Exchange ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)