Someone please tell me hot to properly restore my Outlook 2003! Just get duplicates.

[Matt_Stevens]

OK, sorry for asking this, but it's been so long. I am going insane trying to do this right.

We created a .PST file from Outlook 2003. Wiped out that system (it was beyond corrupted).

Re-installed Vista and Outlook 2003 with SP3.

We obviously screwed up adding th .pst file because while the folder structures and email were there, NO EMAIL ACCOUNT was incoluded. For some reason none of the old settings were included.

I have THIS view right now:

No sending & receiving because no email account is here. Just the stupid folder structure and old emails.

So we go to TOOLS, EMAIL ACCOUNTS, VIEW OR CHANGE EXISTING.... There are no email accounts.

When we try to add an account, it creates ANOTHER completely different folder structure for that email. So they don't work together.

At one point we had THREE DUPLICATES as we followed instructions we found online that were wrong! I went nuts trying to delete those.

Please someone save me from my insanity. PLEASE show me how to do this right. It shouldn't be this difficult. I've lost my voice from yelling.

UPDATE: I have used the nuclear option and completely uninstalled Office 2003. HELP!

 

[smakme7757]

A PST file will only export your contacts, email and so on. None of the email settings will be saved.

Provided you exported the PST correctly this is how you import all the archived email.

1. Add the email account to outlook through the "Add account" wizard. Set it up and get everything working properly.
2. Select your inbox, just highlight it
3. Goto the Import & Export Wizard
4. Choose "Import from another program or file"
5. Choose "Outlook Data File (.pst)"

Now this is from memory as i don't have a PST file to test it

6. You should get a folder structure, choose where you want the items to be imported. So choose imbox if it's emails.
7. Click ok and it should start importing.

 

[Matt_Stevens]

I just get a mess. The problem is I cannot start Outlook without creating an account or importing the .pst and no matter which i choose, I end up with a mess. I am clearly not doing this right.

This is crazy because the very same same system I am having this issue with was once restored with a .pst. I've done it before, but years and years ago and I remember it was a nightmare and i had to seek help online to get the exact right sequence.

 

[smakme7757]

It's a 2 step process.

1. Add the email account when you start outlook.

2. Then import the data from the PST file.

If you don't know what you need to add the email account to outlook then you should contact your email provider for the relevant settings.

 

[Matt_Stevens]

I'll give it another go. It's hard to believe I have built a dozen systems over the years but Outlook 2003 continues to make me insane. I can never get it right.

 

[Matt_Stevens]

UPDATE. Your intructions are not valid for what I hve

This one... 4. Choose "Import from another program or file"

That is not an option at all. "Import from another program or file" is not even there.


Jesus Christ, I am at the point where i need to completely reinstall Windows AGAIN because the .PST file is missing. it's not there. Period. And because of this outlook will not not NOT even start.

This is after a complete uninstall and reinstall of Office 2003. Why did it not create a new one?

WTF is this nightmare! If I use th backed up .PST file, we are at square one, with my inability to link an email address with it.