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Outlook (After Hard Drive Recovery)

Started by ken S , Dec 30 2012 03:23 PM

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22 replies to this topic

#1 ken S

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Posted 30 December 2012 - 03:23 PM

I had a bad virus and decided to start over using my original XP installation disc. I have found my old files in a "back-up folder". Now I have two outlook 2003 programs and Microsoft articles say to search for .pab and .pst files to manipulate. When I use search, I only find 'email' Microsoft databases. The one in the back-up is very large so it is probably the old one. The one in my new programs list is quite small probably only contains new emails and the few contacts I have re-entered. Is there some way of combining the old with the new? Do you need a screen shot of what I am seeing in search results?
I also have many duplicated program items so is it OK to delete them from the back-up? Thanks

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#2 etavares

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Posted 02 January 2013 - 02:28 PM

Hi ken S,

I've moved this thread since it's more of an Outlook question than a virus removal question at this point. That being said, I can still help you. There are ways to combine them. Are they both pst files?

-etavares

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#3 ken S

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Posted 02 January 2013 - 04:08 PM

When I do search for files & folders containing .pst, the results list have the Microsoft logo of 4 squares Red, Yellow Blue and Green in front and names of the first 2 lines of the search results are Archive, and Outlook. File type is 'Office data file'. The files are located in Documents and Settings\username\local settings\Application data\microsoft\outlookThe Outlook data file I created after recovery is 454,353 kb, the Outlook data file in the back-up folder is 1,402,705 kb.

There are also 4 small (265 kb each) outlook .pst files on McAfee Back-up server all dated about the day I started the recovery. I have not gotten the on-line configured and working since because there is an error msg from McAfee.

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#4 etavares

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Posted 02 January 2013 - 04:21 PM

Ok, try this. If this doesn't work, there is another way.

Launch Outlook 2003.
File --> Import And Export
Click Import from another program or file
Click Next.
Click Personal Folder File (.pst), and then click Next.
Navigate to the .pst file that you want to import, and then click Next.
Select the folder that you want to import. To import everything in the .pst file, select the top of the hierarchy.
Click Finish.

Your email should now all be in the new file. Let me know if that worked.

-etavares

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#5 ken S

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Posted 02 January 2013 - 05:24 PM

As I said, When doing the search, the results only show the Outlook Data File and no .pst files, i.e. there is no .pst file to import. I tried to import the 'data file' and that didn't work. I'm wondering if I can simply drag the data file over from the back-up to the current Outlook folder, or rename it. In the back-up folder, my username was 'Administrator'. In the current new Outlook set-up, the folder is 'Ken'.

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#6 etavares

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Posted 02 January 2013 - 05:42 PM

You said they came up in a search for *.pst but you didn't say the extension. "Outlook Data File" is typically a PST, so we need to find the extension to see what format it's in. Right-click on the file that pops up in search. Select Properties. Under "Type of File" what does it say? (e.g. "Text Documents (.txt)") I'm guessing it's an OST file. THat's an "Offline Outlook Data File".

-etavares

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#7 ken S

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Posted 02 January 2013 - 05:50 PM

Right click on the filename in the search results: file type is 'Office Data File', opens with 'Unknown Application', size is 1.33 GB.

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#8 etavares

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Posted 02 January 2013 - 05:56 PM

OK, that description means they were created in an older version of Outlook. Do you know how to view file extensions? If yes, what is the extension (a dot and 3 letters after it typically)? If no, what version of Windows are you using? XP, Vista, Windows 7 or 8? It's a bit different depending on your version of Windows.

-etavares

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#9 ken S

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Posted 02 January 2013 - 06:03 PM

XP The recovery disc was SP2, I have installed all Microsoft updates and now running XP SP3. I know what file extensions are, but I do not see any extension on this data file. Could I just rename the file or move it to the current Outlook folder?

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#10 jchedot

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Posted 02 January 2013 - 07:48 PM

Since you just did a recovery, try opening Windows explorer, click on the Tools drop down and select Folder Options. Click on the View tab and un-check Hide extensions for known file types.

I finally got it all together, now if I could just remember where I put it.

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#11 etavares

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Posted 02 January 2013 - 08:39 PM

Try what jchedot said...they're likely hidden. Once we know the format, we can combine them.

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#12 ken S

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Posted 03 January 2013 - 09:49 AM

I did the explorer folder options tools view and unchecked the file extension box. Now extensions show up in the search results. .pst files are there, but I don't see any .pab. Is there some way you could look at the list of files that "search" delivers and help clean up the hard drive when this gets all figured out?

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#13 etavares

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Posted 03 January 2013 - 10:33 AM

Hi ken S,

We'll clean up the hard drive once we merge the files.

Since they are PST, this should work. Did you try it before and it failed? If so, what was the error?

Launch Outlook 2003.
File --> Import And Export
Click Import from another program or file
Click Next.
Click Personal Folder File (.pst), and then click Next.
Navigate to the .pst file that you want to import, and then click Next.
Select the folder that you want to import. To import everything in the .pst file, select the top of the hierarchy.
Click Finish.

Your email should now all be in the new file. Let me know if that worked.

-etavares

If I don't respond within 2 days, please feel free to PM me.
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#14 ken S

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Posted 03 January 2013 - 10:56 AM

I did try this procedure once before. What happens is in the search results,the data file is in Administrator\local settings\application data\microsoft\outlook. When I do import export from another program, go down to personal folder file .pst, the file to import comes from \exchange mailbox .pst. That is only the few contacts that I have recreated since outlook was re-installed. When I try to navigate thru documents and settings, Administrator, Administrators documents, all I get is the my documents list. It doesn't browse to local settings\application data\Microsoft\Outlook and that's where the .pst file is that we want to import.

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#15 etavares

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Posted 03 January 2013 - 11:09 AM

Hi ken S,

Application data is a hidden folder. We'll need to unhide it:

Open Control Panel
Click Appearance and Themes
Click Folder Options
On the View tab, under Hidden files and folders, click Show hidden files and folders.

Now, that folder should be visible when you try to import it.

Try to import now. If successful, follow the instructions above and select "Don't show hidden files or folders" instead of show hidden files. (They're hidden for a reason.)

-etavares

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