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Where is my Outlook "PST" file located?

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HELP!!!!! I can find my PST file without any difficulty. I had to reinstall my entire system (but had a ghost backup on an external drive) - I have all my emails, etc. but what I don't have is the email account settings (pop3/smtp/logon/passwords) which means I have to redo all the settings for about 50 email addresses (yeh, I said 50) - where the heck does microsoft hide the file that has that information????

Rob

Posted by: Robert at March 5, 2008 4:58 PM

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I'm not aware of a single location or easy way to do this.
Every time I've been through this I've hand-entered all the
information for each of my accounts.

Leo

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Posted by: Leo A. Notenboom at March 7, 2008 10:24 AM

Hi Leo,
I'm have a couple of problems with pst file. It doesn't exist on my machine... I have a fairly good understanding of PC's and do all my own tech work. I have restored other pst files for friends in the past after crashes etc,
My machine has not crashed and my outlook still works, I was showing someone where they are located... and my machine cannot find mine! this has me scratching my head... could this be a virus? has something changed the name of the file, but then would outlook still function?

looking forward to an answer

cheers
Franck

Posted by: Franck at April 18, 2008 1:29 PM

You can also find your PSTs by clicking on the DATAFILE MANAGEMENT link in your FILE pulldown menu. This will show Archives (if existing) as well as Personal Folders.

Posted by: MW at May 2, 2008 6:11 AM

I desperatly need to find this file, outlook seems to have deleted my profile with my entire calender for the year & my contacts!

I can't accecc my emails easily at the moment either. I need to find this file without being able to use outlook.

and help will be gratefully recieved.

Posted by: Toby Ketley at June 2, 2008 3:38 AM

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Use this article:
http://ask-leo.com/how_do_i_find_a_file_on_my_machine.html
and look for *.pst.

Leo


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Posted by: Leo at June 2, 2008 7:06 PM

I found useful. I was also not able to see the Advance Tab the way Leo explained. But I was able to find my Outlook.pst through going File|Data File Management. Select the Personal Folders and click settings & you should be able to see the address of your pst (FileName)

My pst was in -
C:\Documents and Settings\Harsha\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.pst

When I went to this address I did not see any pst file, but I was able to see an outlook file which was called Office Data file. But fortunately that is the PST file as the size was big (typically pst are big)!!! Now I can understand why didn't I get any files when I search for *.pst file.

Thanks

Posted by: Harsha at June 12, 2008 8:36 PM

Thanks for providing such nice information regarding the pst and its location.If your pst file is corrupted, damaged or lost and you are not able to repair it with the help of free Microsoft utility you can try a good pst recovery software.This software provides recovery from PST Recovery from folders, calendars, contacts, tasks, notes. It even provides recovery from password protected and encrypted pst file.It is easy to use and supports all the version of outlook. You can check its capability by downloading the free demo from the site
http://www.stellarinfo.com/outlook-pst-file-recovery.htm

Posted by: Jackson at July 2, 2008 4:49 AM

Thanks for the article, but can anyone help me as I still cannot locate my .pst file? I've run a full search of my local drive and all network/shared drives for "*.pst" and cannot find anything. I also ran a search on my exchange server, but I don't think it was storing them there. My "Data File Management" box is empty, and the properties window only shows: "Type: Folder containing Mail and Post Items, Location: Microsoft Office Outlook". No useful info is available in the advanced screen. I'm using Office 2003 SP2, and any ideas for places to look or different formats that it could be in is greatly appreciated.

Posted by: Charlie at July 7, 2008 7:21 AM

I don't know if this will help anyone who still may be searching for his/her .pst file, but I spent several frustrated hours today trying to figure out where my archive.pst, mailbox.PAB (contacts) and Outlook.pst files went so I could back them up in anticipation of reinstalling Windows (don't ask...).

Went to My Computer...Documents and Settings...Application Data...Microsoft, then Outlook, as I have done so many times before, and found several Outlook files, but not the ones I cared about. Didn't recognize any of them, and the largest one I found was Outlook.NK2, which was all of 487 KB in size. Yet, when I'd go into Outlook, go to Personal Folders, right click on Properties and click on Advanced, it said that was indeed the path I wanted, and when I'd search the system, the cute little dog earnestly assured me I'd find the Outlook files I wanted right there.

Well, I guess I wasn't careful enough. Turns out I have TWO "Application Data" folders in my line-up -- one at the Desktop/Favorites/Local Settings level and another at the next lower level, and I was clicking on "Application Data" (followed by "Microsoft" and then "Outlook") one level too soon. Don't know WHY I have two different levels of App Data, Microsoft and Outlook going on, or what I should do about it (any thoughts, anyone?) but when I went back and clicked on LOCAL SETTINGS instead of APPLICATION DATA at that level, and THEN at the NEXT level clicked on Application Data followed by Microsoft followed by Outlook, THERE THEY WERE, my very chubby Outlook files, including Mr. Rotundo himself: my 1.46 GB Outlook.pst. Thanks to this terrific resource I've just found, I'm going to follow the advice found here on slimming him down via deletion & compression before we put one another out of business.

Posted by: Joan at July 8, 2008 3:04 PM
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