BleepingComputer.com: Transferring Outlook .pst email personal folders

Outlook .pst folders transfer

• I'm trying to copy my Outlook email personal folders, structure as well as content, from my Lenovo T410s laptop(Windows XP, Office 2007) to a Dell desktop(Windows 7, Office 2010).
• I have two separate sets of files,one labelled Archives and the other labelled Personal Folders, both of which have multiple subfolders.
• I've now copied both(using a memory stick), to the Dell desktop.
• I tried the Import and Export feature and also tried the Open Data File feature
• The Archive folder gets copied with all the sub-folders, but I can only access those if the memory stick is inserted into a USB port, even though the Archive folder is saved on the Dell desktop
• When I do the same thing with the Personal Folders, a ‘Merge’ folder opens but it doesn’t have any content
• I do see the default Personal Folders on the left side of the Outlook screen


What should I do?
Thanks.

Did you use the Import/Export function in Outlook 2007?

Yes, I did.

then the files should be able to import via Office 2010 importation wizard.

Have a read here: http://blogs.technet.com/b/office_resource_kit/archive/2009/11/20/how-to-import-outlook-data-files-pst-the-files-formally-known-as-personal-folder-files-pst.aspx

Thanks, Cryptodan. That site had very useful info and it worked.

I'm reproducing below the post on that site, so that others may find it of use:
"1) On the PST file in question, go to "Properties" -> "Details" -> "Remove Properties and Personal Information"
2) Go with the defaults of "Create a copy with all possible properties removed" and apply the changes.
3) After it was done I was able to finally open the resultant file (has a "- copy" appended to the filename) using Outlook 2010.
I logged this on the before-mentioned forums here:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/outlook/thread/bcc6cb4d-5f8b-43e1-9f6c-8e2cb83927cf#954776b1-51ef-4b89-a706-64d692d0df3f

I did have a separate question.
I was able to successfully import my Archives.pst folder, including the sub-folders and content.

I discovered however that I have inadvertently deleted my old Personal.pst folder from the Lenovo laptop, the flash drive I used for transferring, and, the Dell desktop! :-( Is there a way to retrieve it from any of those locations/hardware?

You can using a program called Recuva which is a free download from here: http://www.filehippo.com/download_recuva

Hey, Recuva is really cool and it worked :-)
I was able to recover my Personal.pst folder(I'd renamed it as something else.

When I tried to File>Open>Outlook Data File it, I got an error saying C:\Recovered\Personal Folders from Lenovo t410s-copy.pst is not a personal folders file"

I then renamed it as 'Personal Folders.pst', removed personal info to create 'Personal Folders-copy.pst' but that didn't work either...

maybe rename it as Personal.pst

Perhaps the word "folder" is throwing things off

~ OB

Thanks, OrangeBlossom, that worked :-)
Shall I now shut down this post?

Hello,

I'm glad your problem is resolved. No need for this topic to be closed. However, I will delete your duplicate topic on this issue.

Orange Blossom

Thanks for your help.

=Khirrkee