How do I read copied Outlook 2003 files with Outlook 2002? PLEASE

[Hertsman]

I've copied Outlook 2003 files from my work computer and need to read them on
my home computer. Please this has nothing to do with pst files, I have
dragged the email files directly from Outlook 2003 on my work computer to an
external hard drive. I have then tried to read the files on my home computer
but to no avail. My home computer has Microsoft Office XP Professional
Version 2002. I have installed the latest compatibility pack for Office XP
Pro ver 2002 but I still can't read my Outlook 2003 emails. If I try to read
my Outlook 2003 files with Outlook 2002 then I get a message saying "the
message interface has returned an unknown error. If the problem persists,
please restart Outlook. If I try and read the files with Word then it just
shows a illegible text. The file conversion box pops up and allows you to
select different encoding formats. I've selected other and tried all the UNI
code options in an attempt to read the files, UNI Code UTF-7, UTF-8 but to no
avail. Please can someone help, please any help greatly appreciated. Is there
a viewer I can download? I even tried using Outlook Express to read the
files and messed about with the encoding settings but to no avail. Please I'm
not able to start messing around with pst settings as I no longer have my
work computer. I am so desperate for help, many thanks for reading through
this message. Kind regards Hertsman

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP]]

What do you mean by "email files" if not .pst files, which are the file type
Outlook uses for storage?

 

[Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]]

I've copied Outlook 2003 files from my work computer and need to read them
on
my home computer. Please this has nothing to do with pst files, I have
dragged the email files directly from Outlook 2003 on my work computer to an
external hard drive. I have then tried to read the files on my home computer
but to no avail. My home computer has Microsoft Office XP Professional
Version 2002.

By default, Outlook 2003 will create the msg files in a Unicode format, unless
you have unchecked the box labeled "Use Unicode Message Format when saving
messages" found on Tools>Options>Other>Advanced Options. This Unicode message
file cannot be read by Outlook 2002 or earlier. Tomorrow, when you get back
to work, uncheck that option and copy the messages again.

In the future, my opinion is that you'd be better off creating an Outlook
2002-compatible PST (File>New>Outlook Data File, choosing the file format that
explicitly mentions Outlook 97-2002, then copying the messages into that PST.

 

[dlw]

sounds like they are .msg files, are you double-clicking on them?