I've lost my entire Outlook 2003, including email accounts

[Pat]

My Word program was not responding and would not validate (original install
from Toshiba). I don't know why I did it, but I did a detect & repair or did
something to reinstall my Outlook and now my entire data base is gone,
including the email accounts. I tried to do a system restore from a previous
restore point, but it said it could not restore. This is my business contact
list. I am panicked. I have no backup.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Detect and Repair will often create a new Outlook profile with a new (and
therefore empty) data file. It will not touch your previous data file. Just
find and open your previous Outlook data file.
The file you need is your Personal Folders file (*.pst) It's where all the
mail, calendar, contacts etc are stored.

Take a look at these pages for info on Outlook data backup or transfer:
http://www.slipstick.com/config/backup.htm
http://www.howto-outlook.com/Howto/backupandrestore.htm
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx

 

[DL]

Business data but no backup? guess you wont do that again
Does Outlook open?
Assuming it does, if you select properties of 'Personal Folders' > Advanced

 

[Pat]

Thanks for your reply. The specific solution (for others who have
experienced this problem) was to do a system restore in safe mode. I just
restored the day before the problem to get all the Outlook files back.
System restore would not work outside of Safe Mode. It kept saying it could
not restore. Toshiba helped me do that. Then I called MS Validation at
1-800-590-6423 to help with the validation error 1904 on MS when I did a
detect and repair on MSWord, which was constantly Not Responding. Happy New
Year!

Detect and Repair will often create a new Outlook profile with a new (and
therefore empty) data file. It will not touch your previous data file. Just
find and open your previous Outlook data file.
The file you need is your Personal Folders file (*.pst) It's where all the
mail, calendar, contacts etc are stored.

Take a look at these pages for info on Outlook data backup or transfer:
http://www.slipstick.com/config/backup.htm
http://www.howto-outlook.com/Howto/backupandrestore.htm
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

My Word program was not responding and would not validate (original
install
from Toshiba). I don't know why I did it, but I did a detect & repair or
did
something to reinstall my Outlook and now my entire data base is gone,
including the email accounts. I tried to do a system restore from a
previous
restore point, but it said it could not restore. This is my business
contact
list. I am panicked. I have no backup.

 

[Pat]

You're right. I downloaded MS backup ad-in for my personal folders which
will create periodic backup of my Outlook data. Hope that works. Thanks for
your reply. I posted my solutions to Russ Valentine's reply to mine. Happy
New Year!

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

For future reference this is not a solution anyone should use or consider
reliable. System Restore will never restore data files. The only reason it
worked in your case was that it returned you to your previous Outlook
profile. Any changes you would have made to your data file itself would not
have been restored.
Make frequent backups of your data.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Thanks for your reply. The specific solution (for others who have
experienced this problem) was to do a system restore in safe mode. I just
restored the day before the problem to get all the Outlook files back.
System restore would not work outside of Safe Mode. It kept saying it
could
not restore. Toshiba helped me do that. Then I called MS Validation at
1-800-590-6423 to help with the validation error 1904 on MS when I did a
detect and repair on MSWord, which was constantly Not Responding. Happy
New
Year!

Detect and Repair will often create a new Outlook profile with a new (and
therefore empty) data file. It will not touch your previous data file.
Just
find and open your previous Outlook data file.
The file you need is your Personal Folders file (*.pst) It's where all
the
mail, calendar, contacts etc are stored.

Take a look at these pages for info on Outlook data backup or transfer:
http://www.slipstick.com/config/backup.htm
http://www.howto-outlook.com/Howto/backupandrestore.htm
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

My Word program was not responding and would not validate (original
install
from Toshiba). I don't know why I did it, but I did a detect & repair
or
did
something to reinstall my Outlook and now my entire data base is gone,
including the email accounts. I tried to do a system restore from a
previous
restore point, but it said it could not restore. This is my business
contact
list. I am panicked. I have no backup.

 

[Pat]

I'm sure you are correct. If I had a system crash, how would I recover my
data?

For future reference this is not a solution anyone should use or consider
reliable. System Restore will never restore data files. The only reason it
worked in your case was that it returned you to your previous Outlook
profile. Any changes you would have made to your data file itself would not
have been restored.
Make frequent backups of your data.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Thanks for your reply. The specific solution (for others who have
experienced this problem) was to do a system restore in safe mode. I just
restored the day before the problem to get all the Outlook files back.
System restore would not work outside of Safe Mode. It kept saying it
could
not restore. Toshiba helped me do that. Then I called MS Validation at
1-800-590-6423 to help with the validation error 1904 on MS when I did a
detect and repair on MSWord, which was constantly Not Responding. Happy
New
Year!

Detect and Repair will often create a new Outlook profile with a new (and
therefore empty) data file. It will not touch your previous data file.
Just
find and open your previous Outlook data file.
The file you need is your Personal Folders file (*.pst) It's where all
the
mail, calendar, contacts etc are stored.

Take a look at these pages for info on Outlook data backup or transfer:
http://www.slipstick.com/config/backup.htm
http://www.howto-outlook.com/Howto/backupandrestore.htm
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
My Word program was not responding and would not validate (original
install
from Toshiba). I don't know why I did it, but I did a detect & repair
or
did
something to reinstall my Outlook and now my entire data base is gone,
including the email accounts. I tried to do a system restore from a
previous
restore point, but it said it could not restore. This is my business
contact
list. I am panicked. I have no backup.

 

[Brian Tillman]

I'm sure you are correct. If I had a system crash, how would I
recover my data?

Read the web pages you've been given already. The process is described in
detail.