Backup of pst file

[April]

Please can you confirm the best way to back my calendar and contacts.

Thank you

 

[Jim R]

I use the "Export" command under the File menu. It gives you a lot of
control over what you back up. To retrieve backed up info, use the "Import"
command.

 

[DL]

Usually, with Outlook closed, you just copy the data file, *.pst - this
contains all your data.

 

[April]

Thanks this sounds quick.

Where do I find the location of the file?

 

[DL]

See here, for default location
http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm

 

[Brian Tillman]

Please can you confirm the best way to back my calendar and contacts.

If you're using a POP account, simply copy your PST. It's as simple as
that. Ignore anyone who tells you to use export/import. That's a bad idea.
It does not make a true copy. For more information, see this:
http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm

 

[Jim R]

I disagree with your comment on export/import. I frequently only want to
backup Contacts or Calendar items since all my email messages are stored
separately in their "project" files. In this case it's a huge waste of space
to have multiple copies of the entire outlook.pst file hanging around.

Jim

 

[Golden Theatrical]

Dear Brian,

I need to do a clean install of my Windows XP Operating System. I am using
OUTLOOK 2007 and in the past I have simply exported my email and contacts and
then imported them back into whatever OUTLOOK version I was going to use,
however, you say in your article Backup and Restore that it is not a good
idea to do this.

So here's my question -

I have backed up my pst-file, but I am wondering how I can just import my
CONTACTS and selected email folders back into OUTLOOK 2007 once it is
reinstalled. And is there any way to break up the pst-file into two separate
entities - 1 for EMAIL and 1 for CONTACTS.

Thank you very much!

 

[Jim R]

When you import you can select folders, sub folders, or other parts. You can
certainly import only Contacts. You can even filter what you import, say by"
company" or any other Contacts field.

Jim

 

[Golden Theatrical]

Dear Jim:

Thanks a million, I will certainly try that.

 

[Brian Tillman]

I disagree with your comment on export/import. I frequently only
want to backup Contacts or Calendar items since all my email messages
are stored separately in their "project" files. In this case it's a
huge waste of space to have multiple copies of the entire outlook.pst
file hanging around.

In some cases, export and import are appropriate, most notably when
transferring data into Outlook from another application or out of Outlook
for use by another application. It is _never_ the correct choice when
making a backup of Outlook's data. Export and import lose data, period.
Moreover importing a PST is likely to corrupt the existing mail profile.

 

[Brian Tillman]

So here's my question -

I have backed up my pst-file, but I am wondering how I can just
import my CONTACTS and selected email folders back into OUTLOOK 2007
once it is reinstalled.

Open the backup PST so that both your default PST and your backup PST appear
in the FOlder List. Open the backup PST's Contacts folder, select all the
items in it with CTRL-A, then copy the selection to the default PST's
Contacts folder. Close the backup PST by right-clicking on its root and
choosing Close.

And is there any way to break up the
pst-file into two separate entities - 1 for EMAIL and 1 for CONTACTS.

You can have as many PSTs as you want, each containing as many mail and
contacts folders as you want. Using rules, you can have Outlook delivery
incoming messages to whichever folders in those PSTs you wish. You can
configure as many of the contacts folder as you wish so that they'll appear
in the Outlook Address Book interface so that you can choose contacts from
them.

 

[Brian Tillman]

When you import you can select folders, sub folders, or other parts.
You can certainly import only Contacts. You can even filter what you
import, say by" company" or any other Contacts field.

Importing, however, will break any connections you've created between those
contacts and other items in the PST.

 

[Golden Theatrical]

Well, I must have done something wrong. I located what I though was my pst
file and saved a copy of it on my external hard drive.

I did a clean install of my computer. I'm running Windows XP with Office
2007.

Maybe I saved the incorrect file, but when I went to import my contacts and
email into the new office installation, it didn't work. I did export my
CONTACTS and some of my EMAIL so I can import those back in, but I know
that's not the correct way to do it.

Can you tell me for the future how to save all my email and contacts so I
can import them back into my computer if I have to do another clean install.

 

[Brian Tillman]

Well, I must have done something wrong. I located what I though was
my pst file and saved a copy of it on my external hard drive.

It's not possible to miss which is your PST if you ask Outlook. File>Data
File Management.

I did a clean install of my computer. I'm running Windows XP with
Office 2007.

Maybe I saved the incorrect file, but when I went to import my
contacts and email into the new office installation, it didn't work.
I did export my CONTACTS and some of my EMAIL so I can import those
back in, but I know that's not the correct way to do it.

You should never use export or import to transfer data between two Outlook
instances. I posted the correct method earlier in this thread.

 

[Golden Theatrical]

Dear Brian,

Where is my back-up PST located as opposed to my default PST? The problem
is I thought I backed-up my PST file and something went wrong. How do I get
the back-up and the default pst in the same folder list?

 

[Brian Tillman]

Where is my back-up PST located as opposed to my default PST?

Wherever you put it when you made it.

The problem is I thought I backed-up my PST file and something went
wrong. How do I get the back-up and the default pst in the same
folder list?

Open them both in Outlook. FIle>Open>Outlook Data File.

 

[Golden Theatrical]

Maybe I'm not uinderstanding something, but when I am in Outlook and I follow
your instructions File>Open>Outlook Data File only one thing appears. It's a
file that says "Outlook". That's it. There is no back up in the window. Do
I just make a copy of it?

 

[Brian Tillman]

Maybe I'm not uinderstanding something, but when I am in Outlook and
I follow your instructions File>Open>Outlook Data File only one thing
appears. It's a file that says "Outlook". That's it. There is no
back up in the window. Do I just make a copy of it?

You said you backed up your PST. In the Open dialogue, to open that backup,
you must browse to where you placed that backup so you can select it. Since
you made the backup, you must know where you put it. I sure can't tell you.
I wasn't there.

 

[Golden Theatrical]

Please don't be condescending. I followed your instructions. The problem
was when I went to import the information back into OUTLOOK from the backup
pst file there was a problem and I thought I had backed up an incorrect file.
I have subsequently downloaded the PST Back-up tool and I am now backing up
on a regular basis. I wanted to know how to import certain folders from the
pst into the clean install of OUTLOOK and it wasn't clear.

I'd also like to know what the advantage is of having more than one pst file
and more than one backup. I like to keep all my past email and my contacts,
but why does that require more than one backup?