Accessing Outlook .pst files in New Outlook

Here's the information from current roadmap item for adding PST support:

Eben,

Thank you very much for your comprehensive reply. It was extremely helpful. It prompted more questions which I have embedded below into your reply. I'm adding my comments/questions in ALL CAPS hoping it makes it easier to distinguish.

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. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT IN ORDER TO ACCESS THE DATA WHICH IS IN SEPARATE .PST FILES AFTER OLD OUTLOOK IS NOT AVAILABLE, I WILL NEED TO MOVE THE DATA FROM THE SEPARATE INDIVIDUAL .PST FILES INTO MY "ROOT" OUTLOOK EMAIL. I GET THAT. THANK YOU ITS HELPFUL. AS A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION THOUGH, ASSUMING I MOVE THE DATA FROM EACH SEPARATE INDIVIDUAL .PST FILE INTO A SEPARATE FOLDER (WITH ACCOMPANYING SUBFOLDERS (I HOPE I IMPORT SUBFOLDERS), WILL THAT DATA BE AVAILABE ON MY LAPTOP WITHOUT AN INTERNET CONNECTION? IN OTHER WORDS, IN NEW OUTLOOK, WILL ALL MY DATA STILL BE STORED ON MY LAPTOP? I DO USE ONEDRIVE FOR ALL MY SEPERATE .PST FILES.

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. IS THERE ANOTHER MICROSOFT ALTERNATIVE TO OUTLOOK FOR ACCESSING OLD .PST FILE DATA. I'LL AGREE THAT I HAVE BASTARDIZED AN EMAIL SERVICE INTO A DATABASE STORAGE TOOL. IS THERE A WAY TO USE ANOTHER TOOL TO STORE AND ACCESS THIS INFORMATION?
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. UNDERSTOOD. IS THERE ANOTHER OPTION? YOU DID SAY "ONE OPTION"...
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
   BUT I CAN'T IN NEW OUTLOOK, RIGHT? I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS COMMENT. MAYBE THIS IS A CUT AND PASTE FROM SOMETHING ELSE. CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW ITS RELEVANT TO OUR DISCUSSION?
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. ITS STRICTLY PERSONAL, I'M RETIRED. SO NO "ADMINS" FROM WORK ANY MORE. IF I'M USING OUTLOOK.COM AS MY EMAIL PROVIDER, DON'T I HAVE 1TB? HELP ME UNDERSTAND HOW THIS APPLIES IN MY FACTS.
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. UNDERSTOOD. IF I COPY THE CONTENTS OF AN EXISTING SEPARATE .PST FILE WHICH HAS FOLDERS AND SUBFOLDERS, I BELIEVE THAT THE FOLDERS AND SUBFOLDERS WILL JUST COPY AS WELL. AGREE?
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. I'M USING ONEDRIVE FOR ALL MY BACK UPS. THE INTERESTING THING IS THAT I CAN'T USE ONEDRIVE FOR MY "ROOT" OUTLOOK EMAIL. AGREE? I ASSUME THAT GETS SYNC'D AUTOMATICALLY WITH THE CLOUD SO I DON'T HAVE TO BACK UP MY MAIN EMAIL. IS THAT CORRECT?

I have a similar file size problem, although my total file size is "only" 29GB with over 3 dozen .pst files (many of them with many subfolders).

However, I have two serious additional problems:

(1) I am a contract technical editor, and some of my clients email me highly confidential technical material. For security and patentability reasons, they require me to ensure that their emails are securely held on my system only and are never stored on an outside server. How can I access all my important .pst files with the new Outlook, without losing or betraying(!) these clients?

(2) Through some sort of inadvertent keyboarding error that happened while I was typing an email to a client late at night, I unintentionally and unwillingly gave permission for Microsoft to update my Outlook installation immediately. There was no "Are you sure?" pop-up message. As a result I HAVE LOST ACCESS TO ALL MY .PST FILES, AND I CANNOT FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET ACCESS TO THEM AGAIN.

These .pst business files are all still intact in a folder within my desktop, but I I don't know how to access their content with the new Outlook. Also, I may lose some important clients if I cannot prevent the uploading of their files to a Microsoft server in the cloud.

I'm no email tech expert, but can see no way to fix this situation using the new Outlook.

To provide a temporary solution, how can I revert back to the old Outlook?

Or, after being a Microsoft email user since the 1990s, do I need to immediately migrate my email system to a different email provider that can actually meet my business needs???

This problem is time critical: please answer as soon as possible. Thanks.

Hello,

At the risk of repeating myself, my question remains: what is Microsoft's recommendation for making very large amounts of past data available when needed? Because my existing Outlook application allows me to keep files offline but easily accessible only when wanted, I'm able to archive my old emails by year and load and search those files as needed without impacting the day-to-day performance of the application. Using that strategy gives me as-needed access to approximately 195GB of archived data. Regardless of the file format, what is Microsoft's recommended strategy for accessing such a large amount of data in the absence of an offline archiving function (regardless of file format)?

Firstly, I would like to clarify that I'm not migrating .PST files BACK into Outlook. I've been using PSTs since the first release of Exchange in 1997-ish when I was an administrator, and my employer (as I remember) wanted a separate PST for each project.

I finally got Outlook.com (which is an Exchange server) to work and I use rules to move messages to the appropriate PST and for that interest; then I read the message from that PST. I also connect to more than one provider.

According to this new paradigm, I think you want us to move all our email to separate subtrees of the Outlook.com server. I'm concerned about overloading the Outlook client running on my Android tablet and Smartphone with content I read only on my home computer.