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Moving Microsoft Outlook mail from one machine to another involves copying a single file once the new copy of Outlook has been set up.
How do I move my Microsoft Outlook mail & address book (not Outlook Express) from one computer to another?
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I've done this countless times back when I was using Microsoft Outlook.
My approach turns out to be extremely easy, though the steps may not be quite as obvious as you might hope.
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This technique assumes you have two machines. One I'll call it the "old" machine, that has Microsoft Outlook up and running and on which you currently receive email. The other that you're setting up I'll call the "new" machine. Your plan is to move your email and your email access from your old machine to your new one.
Almost everything you need to copy is in a single file, your "PST" or "Personal Store".
Step 1: Install Outlook on your new machine. Set it up as completely as you can, including email account definitions, but don't download any email. Not yet.
Step 2: Determine the location of the new PST file on the new machine. Where is my Outlook "PST" file located? will show you how.
Step 3: Determine the location of the old PST on the old machine. This is the PST file that contains all of your current email, contacts, and calendar.
Step 4: Save your rules to a file if you use Inbox Rules.
Step 5: Shut down Outlook on both old and new machines.
Step 6: Copy the old PST from the old machine to the new, replacing the new PST on the new machine. If required, rename the PST in the process to match the name of the PST on the new machine. (Typically copying is done via a network connection, but burning your PST to a CD or DVD is also quite common and a good way to create a backup of the file at the same time. Be sure to reset the read-only attribute when you copy the file to your new machine.) Also copy the file containing your Inbox Rules if you created one earlier.
Step 7: Fire up Outlook on your new machine. It should come up with your email, contacts, and calendar, all transferred from the old one.
Step 8: Finish configuring Outlook on the new machine. Particularly if you have Inbox Rules, this would be the time to import them and make sure they're working properly.
Step 9: Never use the Outlook on the old machine again. Doing so might cause some email to be downloaded into that old PST and if you're using your new machine to download email that's not where you want it. There's no simple way to transfer just "some" of the email from one machine to another. It's possible, but the steps are definitely more involved.
Article C3180 - October 14, 2007 « »
Leo A. Notenboom has been playing with computers since he
was required to take a programming class in 1976. An 18 year career as a programmer at Microsoft soon followed.
After "retiring" in 2001, Leo started Ask Leo! in 2003 as a place for answers
to common computer and technical questions. More about Leo.
August 22, 2011 7:54 AM
If only wantes to move my contact from old pc (outlook 2003) to new pc (outlook 2010), how could I do that?
November 15, 2011 2:58 AM
Thanks for great info on how to move microsoft outlook mail and address book from one computer to another. You can also try http://www.outlookaddressbooks.com/outlook-address-book-2/exporting-outlook-address-book-to-yahoo-mail/
December 20, 2011 5:17 AM
When you replace your current computer with a new one, you have to transfer your programs and files first.. after which, transfer Outlook email so as to enable access to all the old emails on your new computer..
January 4, 2012 9:07 AM
THANK YOU so much for this info...took me a little bit to find the file on the old computer and 1st try didn't work but I got it reading more of your notes and I can't thank you enough for posting!!! I did it and it works!!
July 17, 2012 1:32 PM
Another option that I have used and seems to work quite well is to use the "Export" / "Import File" options available in Outlook.
Under File / Options / Advanced / Export - select "Export To A File", then "Outlook Data File (.pst)" then select the highest level folder - possibly "Personal Folders" be sure to check the box "Include Subfolders" this will assure your inbox, calendar, contacts, etc. are included.
I use a USB drive to save the file and transfer it to the new machine (best to create a new folder on the removable drive and save the pst file to this folder). I found it was better not to set up or configure an account in Outlook on the new computer. Open Outlook and Import the file following the same steps above - File, Options, Advanced, Export, “Import From Another Program or File”, “Outlook Data File (.pst) ……….
This should import everything from your old computer. This process also worked in 2007, 2003, and I believe 2000 and 97.
Regarding the question from - Yanesh Tyagi October 10, 2010 - one work around to eliminate duplicate messages downloaded from the server, after the download is complete (thousands of old messages may be interspersed among the messages imported), so create a folder for "Unread Mail" in the "Outlook Search Folders" (Right click Search Folders, select "Unread Mail", then all of the unread message will be grouped in this folder, first check new messages as read (new messages since the transfer from the old computer) then delete all the remaining messages in the Unread Mail folder, voilà!