Do I import items into current Folder or ...

Anonymous

I'm reinstalling Outlook 365 to another computer and have the PST file in a Folder carried over from the older computer. When I go to import the PST file over to the new computer, I have two options, one being "Import Items into the Current Folder" OR "Import Items into the Same Folder" which has an email address as secondary and will not be my main email address. I'm attempting to import from the PST which has my main email address.

If I choose to import items into the current Folder, my secondary address is grayed out. If I choose to import items into the same Folder (which is my secondary email address) then that email address is no longer grayed out.

So the question is, which one do I choose: import items into the current folder or into the same folder which has the secondary email address?

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Anonymous

This is what I thought I was doing ... telling Outlook to use the copy of the PST file from the previous installation.

Let me go back and re-read your instructions.

Let me make it easier for you - I'll include the screenshot again that you will encounter when configuring a POP account. The critical part is to check the box for "Use an existing data file" and then browsing to the location you copied the file on your local hard drive. You do not want to select the thumb drive as the location of the file

Steps are:

#1 - On old machine copy PST file (with Outlook closed) to the thumb drive

#2 - On new machine, copy PST file to your local hard drive. A PST file can be located anywhere on the hard drive except the root of your C:\ drive. Yu should also not copy it to a folder that is being sync'd with a cloud file sharing service like OneDrive, Dropbox etc

#3 - Configure the POP account

You can always change the PST file that POP emails are being delivered to but it is a lot easier to do it right from the start

Lastly, as a FYI in case you're not aware, any PST file can always be opened in Outlook on it's own without being associated with any email account. That's done from within Outlook by

<File> --> <Open ^ Export> --> <Open Outlook Data File> --> browse to where the PST file is located and select it to open it in Outlook at which point it will appear in the Outlook Nav Pane

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Anonymous

Also, I'm not exporting a PST file to another PST FILE but rather exporting it to a thumb drive to be copied onto to the newly installed Office.

To be technically accurate - you export to a PST data where the "location" is the thumb drive. Nothing can be exported to a "drive" - data is always contained in a file that is located on a drive. When you export - your choices are

#1 - Export to a file

#2 - Select the file type you want to export to and then you have the option of where that file is going to be created

I've read too many times how one doesn't need to export and export but rather close down Outlook, copy the PST file over to the new computer to be copied onto that very computer.

There's are reasons for that. You are just needlessly complucating your life by exporting and importing just to move a POP account from one computer to another. Simply not the recommended approach but will leave it at that - can't add more then what has already been stated

If the export / import process works for you - then you should stick with it but keep in mind all the time you've already spent on this question instead of simply telling Outlook to use a copy of the PST file from the previous installation

That to me is confusing. I'm not using the pst file that is there after installing but the new pst file carried over from the other computer. As far as I can understand, the purpose of bringing over the pst file from the other computer is to copy it on to the newly installed Office on this computer.

There are different reasons to <copy> a pst file

#1 - To make a backup copy

#2 - To use it again in another instance of Outlook (as already described

#3 - To import the data onto a server (i.e. changing from POP to IMAP or Exchange)

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Anonymous

When I installed Office 365, there was one email address in there which was not the primary email address.

If that was the case, it means that Outlook was previously installed on this computer and the Outlook profile from the previous installation was used. Outlook profiles do not get removed when Office (Outlook) is uninstalled

As for using an existing PST file when you configure a POP account it's just a matter of explicitly telling Outlook to use an existing PST file as shown in the screenshot

That aside, it is never necessary to export a PST file to another PST file for the purposes of moving the data. Just need to make a copy of the existing PST file to the desired location making sure tat Outlook is closed before copying the file.

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Anonymous

So the POP account (with the check mark beside it) is the one I copied and have on this secondary computer in another folder and ready to import but as said earlier,

As mentioned in the previous response, there would be no reason to <import> the PST file, you just need to configure the POP account so that it uses the PST file that you copied.

From what you've described, the POP account was configured to create a new PST file instead of using the existing PST file. There are two ways to resolve this but will leave that unless you want that info

To import the PST file, what you need to do is

#1 - Select the <root> (top) folder in the PST file being imported

#2 - Make sure the box is checked for <include subfolders>

#3 - Select the <root> (top) folder in the destination PST file

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46 additional answers

Anonymous

2022-04-06T00:48:51+00:00

Hello Rubert

Hi, I'm Karl and will be happy to help you today.

The first question is: "What exactly are you trying t achieve by importing the PST file?"

The reason for the question is that there generally is no need to import a PST file when moving Outlook to another computer so it begs the question

Is the PST file associated with a POP account configured on the old computer?

Assuming you still have access to the old computer, the way to check the configuration is to launch Outlook and go to

<File> --> <Account Settings> --> <Email> tab

For each POP account, select the account and take note of the full folder path / file name beside the <Change Folder> button

Then click on the <Data Files> tab and

#1 - Take note of which data file is set as the <default data file> - the one with the checkmark beside it. The <default data file> is where the default contact and calendar folders are stored

#2 - Take note of any PST file that is not associated with a POP account.

On the new computer, is the email account also configured as a POP account or an IMAP account? If IMAP, was that intentional or you just entered the email address / password for the account which would result in Outlook configuring the account using IMAP by default

Once there is a clearer picture of what you had and what you want to end up with on the new computer, will be in a better position to advise accordingly.
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