Moving from Outlook Express to Outlook & WD external BU


  1. Posts : 15
    Windows 7 / XP service pack 3
       #1

    Moving from Outlook Express to Outlook & WD external BU


    I'm going to post what I just realized after moving from Outlook Express to Outlook and how my Western Digital Passport Elite (probably most external backups) handled it.

    I installed Windows 7 this week, feeling confident that everything was backed up. I manually moved everything back when the install was done. When I moved my email, only early 2008 and earlier showed up, which was about the time I moved from Outlook Express to Outlook. Since the file structure is different, my WD backup did not back up anything in Outlook, including all email, folders, contacts, tasks, my ENTIRE life!

    My backup plan was set to back up Outlook Express mail, it wasn't smart enough to back up my new .pst files which is what Outlook uses. You can't change a backup plan once it's set up. I could have created a new backup plan to add Outlook. It should have, but it never crossed my mind that my external backup wasn't getting my email backed up when I started using Outlook. I'm sure many people have been bitten by this.

    Maybe if someone reads this, it'll save them from losing all email, contacts, tasks, folders, etc. Moral of the story - when you start using Outlook from Outlook Express, change your back up plan on your external HD to include Outlook.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 519
    Windows 7 Ultimate (64)
       #2

    Your backup surely included the "Documents and Settings" folder didn't it? If so your pst file should be there under your user account data...
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 15
    Windows 7 / XP service pack 3
    Thread Starter
       #3

    win7clutz said:
    Your backup surely included the "Documents and Settings" folder didn't it? If so your pst file should be there under your user account data...
    Nope, nothing from Outlook was there. Everything else in Documents and Settings was there, but not Outlook stuff. I don't know if it's a Western Digital software peculiarity or if other backups do it the same way. When I realized it, I called them up and he confirmed that there was this "issue". The Backup Plan won't pick up .pst files unless you specify that when you set it up.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 15
    Windows 7 / XP service pack 3
    Thread Starter
       #4

    The good news for me is that one night out of boredom about a month ago, I was messing around with my network stuff and was moving files back and forth between computers. I uploaded my folders, etc. into my Verizon webmail. So I have stuff in my webmail that I can "send" back to Outlook. I just don't have anything from the last month.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 409
    win7 Ult 64
       #5

    Most likely a hidden file; did you check "Show Hidden files" from Organize and then Folder and Search Options.
      My Computer


 

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