How to move location of .pst file in Office Outlook 2010

Andrew Hart · 13 Dec 2017

In 2010 I set up Outlook 2010 Home and Business edn to place my .pst file in 'H:\My Documents\Outlook Files'. The H: drive is faulty and I now wish to have the .pst file moved to 'I:\My Documents\Outlook Files'. Indeed that folder does exist and it contains the current .pst file because, with the help of Brink and Megahertz07 in these sevenforums, I have been able to relocate my My Documents folder from my H: drive to my I: drive. However, unless I maintain a copy of the .pst file in 'H:\My Documents\Outlook Files' Outlook will not start saying that it cannot find the .pst file. I need a way of making Outlook look for the .pst file in the new location of 'I:\My Documents\Outlook Files'.

Barman58 · 13 Dec 2017

Hello Andrew, Stopped using Outlook some time ago but it should be a case of simply using Open to point to the file at it's new location - This link to Microsoft should give step by step instructions ...

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/...st-file-in-out

Andrew Hart · 13 Dec 2017

Barman58 said:

Hello Andrew, Stopped using Outlook some time ago but it should be a case of simply using Open to point to the file at it's new location - This link to Microsoft should give step by step instructions ...

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/...st-file-in-out

Thank you Barman58. I followed the instructions in your link and Outlook is now reporting in File\Info\Account Settings\Data Files that my .pst file is indeed located in my I: drive at 'I:\My Documents\Outlook Files' (it is called 'hartlaw@optusnet.com.au.pst') and I was able to open Outlook even after deleting the old location (and the copy of the .pst file itself) at 'H:\My Documents\Outlook Files'. However, to see if everything was working I attempted, unsuccessfully, to send myself a test email. This simply remains in my Drafts (Correction: Outbox) folder and I can't seem to find a way to shift it, or send it, from there. Any thoughts?

Barman58 · 13 Dec 2017

Andrew there is normally a glitch with the settings for the SMTP server that causes this sort of error

you may want to check this ...

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/...rosoft-outlook

I think that it's possible that the settings are held in a location other than the actual PST file and the data has got confused so resetting the data here may be needed

Andrew Hart · 13 Dec 2017

Barman58 said:

Andrew there is normally a glitch with the settings for the SMTP server that causes this sort of error

you may want to check this ...

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/...rosoft-outlook

I think that it's possible that the settings are held in a location other than the actual PST file and the data has got confused so resetting the data here may be needed

Many thanks again, Barman58. I read the info in your link and followed its suggestions. My test email was not too large for sending and so the alternative suggested in the link is that my mail server may be down. Bedtime here in Queensland, Australia, so I'll try again in a few hours time.

Barman58 · 13 Dec 2017

Have a good sleep, when you reboot in the morning It may just work, I've seen it happen many times

Ranger4 · 13 Dec 2017

I hope it's OK if I butt in. Andrew, open Control Panel & select Mail (Microsoft Outlook). When that opens select the Data File button & that will take you to your Outlook email Accounts section & you can select Data Files from there. You may have to browse for the right location as you have moved the Outlook folder to another drive. When you have located it & pointed Outlook to the correct location it should now work properly.

Andrew Hart · 14 Dec 2017

Ranger4 said:

I hope it's OK if I butt in. Andrew, open Control Panel & select Mail (Microsoft Outlook). When that opens select the Data File button & that will take you to your Outlook email Accounts section & you can select Data Files from there. You may have to browse for the right location as you have moved the Outlook folder to another drive. When you have located it & pointed Outlook to the correct location it should now work properly.

Thanks Ranger4.
Think I've really cocked this up right royally. When the very helpful suggestions of Barman58 did not work, in desperation I simply moved My Documents (which contains my .pst file in the folder 'My Documents\Outlook Files' from my I: 'drive' (read 'partition') back to my faulty H: drive following this method of Megahertz07:'Open Explorer. Under Libraries you should see Documents and under, My Documents. Right click My Documents - Properties - Location tab. Select move and browse to the new location.' Well that worked (with a bit of fudging which I now can't remember) and I was then able to send and receive emails. But I now am unable to move, which I absolutely must do, the jolly My Documents back to my good I: drive from by faulty H: drive because when I use Megahertz07's method there is no Location Tab and thus no ability to Move the folder.

Andrew Hart · 15 Dec 2017

Ok, think I've tried everything I can think of now. Currently my .pst file is located in H:\My Documents\Outlook Files and now Outlook is up to its old trick of refusing to send emails and simply placing them in my Outbox. In all likelihood I now also cannot receive emails anymore, but I'm unable to test that at the moment. I've got to get the .pst file off my failing H: drive and onto my good I: drive and have Outlook recognize that and allow me to both send and receive emails. Can anyone please offer any further assistance?

Barman58 · 15 Dec 2017

Andrew

this should allow you to reset your documents folder ( It may move it back to the C drive intitally from where it can be moved back to I - User Folders - Restore Default Location - Windows 7 Help Forums which should at minimum restore your system to enable incomming mails as you had recently

One way to check if you are receiving mails is to use an online systems such as GMail or one I use often GMX Mail, always useful to have if a situation like this occurs as it allows you to send an email in an emergency situation - all you need is a free account and a browser. They can be useful for checking the operation of outlook too, whilst not using your existing data

I'm not sure what method POP3 or IMAP you use for actual transmission but I think you may need to remake these connections in the PST when you have it on your I drive but we will look at that when that time comes

Also make a copy for safety of the PST file before you do anything else