PST won't import (I know, I know)

[dogmatiqua]

I've been searching the messages in this group and haven't found anything to
help me. I've made sure it's under 2 GB and read-only is not selected. It's
saved in My Documents.

When I use the import function, everything seems okay but nothing happens
when it's done. I'm unsure as to whether it has to do with my profile, since
the profile the PST was saved under has been wiped out by system restore. I
don't understand why the profile even matters since you're already pointing
Outlook to a backup file on the hard drive and not in the email program, but
I'm wondering if this is causing a problem.

Also, there may be a problem with my Personal Folders from a previous import
attempt. But it won't let me import to any other folder, even if I say use
current folder, the only choice is Personal Folders. At any rate, I'm not
getting any errors and yet absolutely nothing happens once the import task
completes.

 

[dlw]

as has been said here many times, don't IMPORT a pst, use File/Open/Outlook
data file

 

[dogmatiqua]

Thanks I will try that, and certainly let you know whether or not it works.
So I guess "import" is just for files that are not in OL format, eh? Got it.
However, there are articles all over MS help and other places about importing
PST's to OL, so you can surely understand the confusion. For example, from
howto-outlook.com: "Importing a pst-file can only be done in a working
Outlook situation like when you've reinstalled your machine, configured
Outlook and now want to restore your Inbox and Contacts," and so on.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Ignore any recommendation from Microsoft that tells you to import a PST
file. Despite having been told countless times, they have no idea the
trouble it causes--and it gets worse all the time.

 

[dogmatiqua]

Hi Russ and dlw....I tried doing what you said, and the only thing that was
created was a bunch of empty folders (but at least I got further this time!).
The only folder that actually had any imported data was our contacts. This
doesn't make any sense to me because the PST file is 1 GB. Something's gotta'
be in there, but none of our original messages/folders are showing up. In
fact it looks like the standard OL setup of folders. And like I said, nothing
in them from the PST. Waaahhhh!

Ignore any recommendation from Microsoft that tells you to import a PST
file. Despite having been told countless times, they have no idea the
trouble it causes--and it gets worse all the time.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Thanks I will try that, and certainly let you know whether or not it
works.
So I guess "import" is just for files that are not in OL format, eh? Got
it.
However, there are articles all over MS help and other places about
importing
PST's to OL, so you can surely understand the confusion. For example, from
howto-outlook.com: "Importing a pst-file can only be done in a working
Outlook situation like when you've reinstalled your machine, configured
Outlook and now want to restore your Inbox and Contacts," and so on.

 

[screwzloos]

I had the exact same thing happen, I just dont think Outlook's file handling
is very well designed. The fact that there are so many tools out there to
repair .pst files is just another clue to this truth. I just upgraded one of
my client's machines to vista, and upon restoring the .pst file, several
years worth of addresses, folders, and emails simply vanished. Nothing can
get them back. And does Outlook make its own backups from time to time, or
give warnings that there is too much data? No.

I think it has something to do with the fact that Outlook saves everything
into one huge encryped file. Emails, folders, addresses, pictures, files,
everything. What a joke, even undergraduate comp sci students know the
serious issues with doing that. One bad byte and the whole thing is
unsalvageable, and I'd guess that's what happened to you too. Why won't
Microsoft get a clue?

And what am I supposed to tell my client?