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.
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
At a glance
Windows 7 / XP service pack 3AMD Turion / Athlon 64 (V) 3800+ 2.4 GHz2048MB DDR2 (2 Dimm) / PC-3200 184 p DDR SDRAMNVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 (UMA) / Integrated ?
- Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
- HP Pavilion laptop DV2312us AND Compaq Presario SR1950NX
- OS
- Windows 7 / XP service pack 3
- CPU
- AMD Turion / Athlon 64 (V) 3800+ 2.4 GHz
- Motherboard
- No idea what's on laptop / Presario - Asus A8N-LA
- Memory
- 2048MB DDR2 (2 Dimm) / PC-3200 184 p DDR SDRAM
- Graphics Card(s)
- NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 (UMA) / Integrated ?
- Sound Card
- Altec Lansing / Realtek ALC 883 chipset
- Monitor(s) Displays
- 14.1" WXGA Widescreen / 22" AOC 2217
- Screen Resolution
- 1280 x 800 / ?
- Hard Drives
- 120GB (5400RPM) Hard Drive (SATA) / 250 GB SATA 7200 rpm
- Keyboard
- Integrated / out of the box Compaq
- Mouse
- same
- Internet Speed
- Verizon FIOS
- Other Info
- Out of the box HP notebook / out of the box Compaq - RAM upgraded to 3.5 max useable
