How to recover Outlook'03 email after OS re-install

[skygodtj]

Ooops, goofed on first post..

I had to install a new mobo(old one fried) and subseqently re-install XP
Home. I re-installed the OS and MS apps, (Office '03). I found the folder
with the address book (outlook.pst) but need to find the email folders
(Inbox, Frafts, Sent, etc).. Am I hosed or are they stored offsite (not in
Outlook folder) and I stand a chance of recovering them?

Thanks,

TJ

 

[Gordon]

Ooops, goofed on first post..

I had to install a new mobo(old one fried) and subseqently re-install XP
Home. I re-installed the OS and MS apps, (Office '03). I found the
folder
with the address book (outlook.pst) but need to find the email folders
(Inbox, Frafts, Sent, etc).. Am I hosed or are they stored offsite (not
in
Outlook folder) and I stand a chance of recovering them?

They are in the pst file.....if they are not then your pst file is either
corrupted or not the correct one.....

 

[skygodtj]

Gordon, just found the .pst file, I hope it's still intact.. thank you for
the blazing quick reply!

teege

 

[skygodtj]

just thinking.. do I just copy the old .pst file into the current Outlook
folder over the new .pst or do I have to import it somehow?

thanks again,
teege

 

[Gordon]

just thinking.. do I just copy the old .pst file into the current Outlook
folder

No! That's the fastes way to a corruipt pst.
Copy it to somewhere other than the default location. remove any Read-Only
attribute. (Right-click-properties).
then you have two choices -
1. Either set the old pst as the default mail location, (Control
Panel-Mail-Data Files) or
2. in Outlook go to File-Open-Outlook Data File, navigate to where you
copied it to, and drag the data to the new file.

HTH

 

[Roady [MVP]]

Don't EVER copy over a pst-file. Use File-> Open-> Outlook Data File...
instead.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----

 

[skygodtj]

ok, I think something else is going on, because when I try to create an email
acct, I get:

"The operation failed due to a registry or installation problem. Restart
Outlook. If the problem persists, re-install Outlook."

and I can not get Outlook Data File Mgmt to open so, I guess I will have to
un- then re-install Office again..

Thanks for your help.

TJ

 

[JLS]

No! That's the fastes way to a corruipt pst.
Copy it to somewhere other than the default location. remove any Read-Only
attribute. (Right-click-properties).
then you have two choices -
1. Either set the old pst as the default mail location, (Control
Panel-Mail-Data Files) or
2. in Outlook go to File-Open-Outlook Data File, navigate to where you
copied it to, and drag the data to the new file.

HTH

JLS observes:
Reluctant use of dragand drop!
Several days ago I reported trying to retrieve inbox, outbox, personal
folders, and contact address data, lost for no obvious reason from Outlook
2003. Subsequently I followed the instructions in the comprehensive “back-up
and restore†document, (thank you Robert Sparniij)and having found six “.pstâ€
files I made back-up files on the D-drive, and on an external stick. BUT the
transfer process resulted in a loop. The program asked me for a password as a
condition of transferring the data back to the navigation pane. Thus:
File> open> Outlook data file > [then appeared a list as follows] Archive,
Outlook, Outlook1, Personal Folders, Personal Folders, XCardList. But the
program then asked me to “type a PASSWORD†which I do not have. So I was
stuck…
Two days later, I read HTH’s wicked proposal to drag and drop,
I gave it a try. It worked. But though currently nearly all the data is back
and accessible from the navigation pane, there remain glitches in the
Contacts folder. More serious I do not know how the problem occurred, and I
have no confidence that data will not be lost in the future.
Thank you.
JLS

 

[skygodtj]

As I was getting a registry error msg, I uninstalled/re-installed MSO2003 and
got everything to work again. Somehow, during the reinstall, MSO found and
used my old folders(dont ask me how) so now I got my email folders back and
everythig seems to be working again.

Thanks Gordon, Roady and all others that contributed to this fix

TJ

No! That's the fastes way to a corruipt pst.
Copy it to somewhere other than the default location. remove any Read-Only
attribute. (Right-click-properties).
then you have two choices -
1. Either set the old pst as the default mail location, (Control
Panel-Mail-Data Files) or
2. in Outlook go to File-Open-Outlook Data File, navigate to where you
copied it to, and drag the data to the new file.

HTH

JLS observes:
Reluctant use of dragand drop!
Several days ago I reported trying to retrieve inbox, outbox, personal
folders, and contact address data, lost for no obvious reason from Outlook
2003. Subsequently I followed the instructions in the comprehensive “back-up
and restore†document, (thank you Robert Sparniij)and having found six “.pstâ€
files I made back-up files on the D-drive, and on an external stick. BUT the
transfer process resulted in a loop. The program asked me for a password as a
condition of transferring the data back to the navigation pane. Thus:
File> open> Outlook data file > [then appeared a list as follows] Archive,
Outlook, Outlook1, Personal Folders, Personal Folders, XCardList. But the
program then asked me to “type a PASSWORD†which I do not have. So I was
stuck…
Two days later, I read HTH’s wicked proposal to drag and drop,
I gave it a try. It worked. But though currently nearly all the data is back
and accessible from the navigation pane, there remain glitches in the
Contacts folder. More serious I do not know how the problem occurred, and I
have no confidence that data will not be lost in the future.
Thank you.
JLS

 

[JLS]

As I was getting a registry error msg, I uninstalled/re-installed MSO2003 and
got everything to work again. Somehow, during the reinstall, MSO found and
used my old folders(dont ask me how) so now I got my email folders back and
everythig seems to be working again.

Thanks Gordon, Roady and all others that contributed to this fix

TJ

just thinking.. do I just copy the old .pst file into the current Outlook
folder

No! That's the fastes way to a corruipt pst.
Copy it to somewhere other than the default location. remove any Read-Only
attribute. (Right-click-properties).
then you have two choices -
1. Either set the old pst as the default mail location, (Control
Panel-Mail-Data Files) or
2. in Outlook go to File-Open-Outlook Data File, navigate to where you
copied it to, and drag the data to the new file.

HTH

JLS observes:
Reluctant use of dragand drop!
Several days ago I reported trying to retrieve inbox, outbox, personal
folders, and contact address data, lost for no obvious reason from Outlook
2003. Subsequently I followed the instructions in the comprehensive “back-up
and restore†document, (thank you Robert Sparniij)and having found six “.pstâ€
files I made back-up files on the D-drive, and on an external stick. BUT the
transfer process resulted in a loop. The program asked me for a password as a
condition of transferring the data back to the navigation pane. Thus:
File> open> Outlook data file > [then appeared a list as follows] Archive,
Outlook, Outlook1, Personal Folders, Personal Folders, XCardList. But the
program then asked me to “type a PASSWORD†which I do not have. So I was
stuck…
Two days later, I read HTH’s wicked proposal to drag and drop,
I gave it a try. It worked. But though currently nearly all the data is back
and accessible from the navigation pane, there remain glitches in the
Contacts folder. More serious I do not know how the problem occurred, and I
have no confidence that data will not be lost in the future.
Thank you.
JLS

"feetofclayJLS" adds:

...so I opened a spare account in Windows XP, and downloaded the back-up data
files saved, you will recall, on the D drive. . Bingo no glitches in the
contacts file.
How many spare accounts will Windows XP tolerate? I'm taking my question to
a Windows XP discussion group. See you there. "JLS"