Location of Outlook inbox and address book in XP...

cohenfive

Senior member
Aug 30, 2002
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sorry for the newbie question but i need to back up my dying (3rd time now) compaq pc and would like to backup the email inbox and address book for outlook. microsoft makes it very difficult for a moderate user like me to find exactly where these folders are so i can back them up onto my external hard drive. i need to do this before the pc dies again...

thanks for the help!!

now if i could only get compaq to replace the darn pc....they've already replaced the mb and cpu twice under warranty and i think they're going to have to do it again...

richard cohen
 

loup garou

Lifer
Feb 17, 2000
35,132
1
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Microsoft doesn't "make it very difficult." The office assistant can hold your hand through exporting any of your outlook items to a pst. Go to File>Import & Export>Export to a file>Personal Folder File...I think you can take it from there.
 

cohenfive

Senior member
Aug 30, 2002
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thanks, i've been using the usual route of looking for a specific folder within outlook and have had problems finding these. sorry for the criticism of ms, i should be critical of myself i guess...

i've used this function when i migrated pc's, thanks for the advice.
 

loup garou

Lifer
Feb 17, 2000
35,132
1
81
You can also find the whole pst in \Documents and Settings\*username*\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook, but the export utility is just easier.
 

Bglad

Golden Member
Oct 29, 1999
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The backup utility is more work than it is worth.

Whats more, when you try to restore it, it creates a second inbox and duplicates all folders rather than putting the mail etc. back into your main folders.

Just run a search for your *.pst file and back it up.
 

loup garou

Lifer
Feb 17, 2000
35,132
1
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Originally posted by: Bglad
The backup utility is more work than it is worth.

Whats more, when you try to restore it, it creates a second inbox and duplicates all folders rather than putting the mail etc. back into your main folders.

Just run a search for your *.pst file and back it up.
You definitely did something wrong if the import utility created multiple folders. Like imported a pst to Personal Folders instead of a Mailbox on an Exchange server setup. And I already told him where he could find his personal folders.
 

nweaver

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2001
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File and settings transfer wizard=da bomb for WinXP users....makes backing up very easy, including emails, etc. Not sure with non MS stuff, as it never gets my opera setting =/