Accessing Outlook .pst files in New Outlook

My primary use of archive files is to make a long history of emails accessible, when needed. I organize my archives by year, opening an archive in Outlook to find old emails, then closing it when I'm done. I do this because I have archive files dating back to 2014 that range in size from 17Gb to 48GB.

Will Outlook offer a strategy to maintain access to my long history of email data, which totals over 160GB? It's obviously not practical to load that much data.

This answer is a non-starter. The main reason people export to PST is because of email storage limitation of 50Gb and 100GB if you use In-Place-Archiving. You can't just put all that historical mail back in outlook!!! The whole point of having a PST file is to hold historical email records for referencing in the future. So being able to mount the file is crucial for I would say every business on the planet not to mention Governments.

This is an interesting thread and many customers have taken a long time to describe their issues which is the same issue I am having. I cannot believe that Microsoft can only reply with a standard response which doesn't address anyone concern.

In one case "sbdeco" provides a very clear concern then Microsoft reply and when "sbdeco" replies again with other obvious questions, Microsoft does not reply again. However further down they use their initial standard response again with another customer query so basically ignoring "sbdeco".

Microsoft should not be offering this upgrade to the new outlook until it can solve this important issue. How can customers keep their emails on local drives and still view them without having to load their archived emails back into Outlook online using the Microsoft servers and then we are being charged for additional storage. I feel much safer having my archived emails on my own storage device and I do not want this admin created by Microsoft.

I appreciate your response but i'm still left with my question unanswered. What do i do to prepare for the EOL. Any assistance would be appreciated.

Hello  Amin Nosrat,

Good morning!

Thank you for publishing in Microsoft Community. We are happy to help you.

I understand that you have concerns about accessing your .pst files in New Outlook.

Firstly, I would like to clarify that New Outlook for Windows does support .pst files. You can import your .pst files into Outlook using the old Outlook ( classic Outlook).

Typically you need to switch back to the classic outlook to move everything from .pst files into folders within your "root" Outlook email

By migrating your .pst files back into your Outlook account, organizing your emails effectively, and implementing proper backup procedures, you can continue to access and manage your valuable email history in the new Outlook environment.

If you have been using .pst files in Outlook to store important emails and historic records, it's crucial to ensure that you can continue to access and manage this valuable information.

Here are some insights and steps to help you address the changes in Outlook's support for .pst files and effectively manage your email data:

1. Outlook's Transition Away from .pst Files:
     - As Microsoft transitions away from .pst files in favor of more modern data storage solutions, it's important to adapt your email management practices accordingly to ensure continued access to your email data.
2. Migration Options:
     - One option is to migrate the contents of your existing .pst files back into your Outlook mailbox or folders. This will bring all your emails back into your "root" Outlook email account, making them accessible within the new Outlook interface.
3. Importing .pst Files:
     - To import the contents of your .pst files back into Outlook, you can use the import feature within Outlook. This process allows you to select the .pst file you want to import and choose the destination where you want the data to be imported. Reference: Import contacts to Outlook for Windows - Microsoft Support
4. Considerations for Importing:
     - Keep in mind that importing a large amount of data (such as 4.5GB of emails) into your Outlook mailbox may impact performance, especially if your mailbox size reaches or exceeds the storage limits set by your email provider or your Admin.
5. Organizing Emails in Outlook:
     - Once you have imported the emails back into Outlook, you can organize them using folders, categories, or tags to maintain a structured and easily accessible email archive. Consider organizing emails based on topics, projects, or time periods to facilitate efficient retrieval of information.
6. Backup and Archiving:
     - As you make changes to your email management strategy, ensure that you have adequate backup and archiving procedures in place to safeguard your important email data. Regularly back up your Outlook mailbox to prevent data loss.

you can continue to access and manage your valuable email history in the new Outlook.

However if there is any issue kindly provide us your old outlook version

We look forward to your reply. This requested information will help us narrow down the scenario and find the right troubleshooting. We will continue to assist you based on the information you provide. I sincerely appreciate your patience and cooperation.   SincerelyEben Ezer Tres | Microsoft Community Moderator

This looks like Microsoft control freakery 1) forcing us to move everything off our local storage (where we want it) and 2) forcing us to put it onto its own servers, where, 'happily for Microsoft' it can sell us space when we run out.