office 2003 detect and repair deleted my outlook data

[mpshook]

My 2003 MS Office excel program wouldn't auto open files when I clicked on
them so I ran the detect and repair option under help, now my excel runs fine
but all of my outlook stuff is gone, gone, GONE! Why did this routine delete
my "data"?
Is there any way to retrieve the missing outlook data?
I've tried the WinXP restore routine but it won't cooperate.
I've tried Norton unerase but it seems unsucessful so far (was the outlook
data "erased" by the detect and repair routine?).

 

[PC Mad]

My 2003 MS Office excel program wouldn't auto open files when I clicked on
them so I ran the detect and repair option under help, now my excel runs
fine
but all of my outlook stuff is gone, gone, GONE! Why did this routine
delete
my "data"?
Is there any way to retrieve the missing outlook data?
I've tried the WinXP restore routine but it won't cooperate.
I've tried Norton unerase but it seems unsucessful so far (was the outlook
data "erased" by the detect and repair routine?).

All you need to do is make sure you have enable hidden files and folders,
then search for *.pst on all drives this should pick up your outlook pst
files. Then just go into Outlook and add the pst files in etc. If your on
an exchange server you will need to add the exchange account in again.

When you did detect and repair sounds like you ticked the second box as well
which is the discard my custom settings and restore system defaults, which
would put settings back to as though you had just installed etc. It does
what is says on the tin !!

Cheers
PC Mad

 

[mpshook]

All you need to do is make sure you have enable hidden files and folders,
then search for *.pst on all drives this should pick up your outlook pst
files. Then just go into Outlook and add the pst files in etc. If your on
an exchange server you will need to add the exchange account in again.

When you did detect and repair sounds like you ticked the second box as well
which is the discard my custom settings and restore system defaults, which
would put settings back to as though you had just installed etc. It does
what is says on the tin !!

Cheers
PC Mad

Yes, finding and "reconnecting" the pst file solved most of the problems.
My email accounts were not reestablished though. I've begun readding them to
outlook and I've started looking for an alternative to MS Outlook for email
handling. Nothing like this event is described "on the tin" which is probably
why so MANY similar situations occur as indicated on multiple discussion
threads in this forum. Only someone with in-depth knowledge of Microsoft's
design of Outlook data would consider its contents as a "setting". Nowhere
in the domain of detecting and repairing would any typcial user imagine the
horror of opening Outlook to a blank slate after repairng.

 

[PC Mad]

Yes, finding and "reconnecting" the pst file solved most of the problems.
My email accounts were not reestablished though. I've begun readding them
to
outlook and I've started looking for an alternative to MS Outlook for
email
handling. Nothing like this event is described "on the tin" which is
probably
why so MANY similar situations occur as indicated on multiple discussion
threads in this forum. Only someone with in-depth knowledge of
Microsoft's
design of Outlook data would consider its contents as a "setting".
Nowhere
in the domain of detecting and repairing would any typcial user imagine
the
horror of opening Outlook to a blank slate after repairng.

Sorry I disagree, when you first run detect and repair by default it DOES
NOT tick the second box, it only ticks the restore my shortcuts. You must
of ticked the box. If you then tick the second box is does say it will go
back to restore the default settings. Well if you think about the word
default it means goes back the same as it came or first installed for
everyone. So bearing this in mind default settings to me would indicate as
per first installed which would imply you need to then re-configure which is
exactly what you need to do. As in most things if your not sure what the
options mean, why not research both options*BEFORE* you run the detect and
repair? And if you think of the word repair, it would also indicate I
should check I have a backup/know where my data is before proceeding incase
the REPAIR does not work.

I might be a techie, but I am not someone who has in-depth knowledge of
Outlook. I do however read error messages, and dialog boxes to try and
understand what it means first and if I am not sure I research before going
further, if more users did this and not clicked on things there were unsure
of there wouldn't be as many repeated problems.

 

[EdMike]

I made the mistake of ticking the "restore defaults". My old Outlook data
files are there, they are not hidden or ready only, but outlook does not open
them. Can you help?

Thanks

 

[Brian Tillman]

I made the mistake of ticking the "restore defaults". My old Outlook
data files are there, they are not hidden or ready only, but outlook
does not open them. Can you help?

See this information:
http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm