How to restore MS Office Outlook 2007 folders back in Outlook

I'm not going to butt back in here, as it will only add to confusion with Try*3's responses, but just make an observation based on your screen shot;

The outlook files on the desktop are all copies of the original data files. (at their default locations)

The outlook pst file contains all mail, Contacts, Tasks, calendar entries etc.

There is no real point in exporting Contacts to another file since they will be contained in any pst backup.

Its only necessary to copy the pst files, whilst outlook is closed, to another location in order to have a backup (MS has a free utility for this)

If using backup software you cannot incrementally backup a pst, any pst is marked as modified as soon as it is opened in outlook, so any backup is a full backup

There are only specific circumstance where you use export/import for a pst, primarily using these functions results in loss of data and various settings.

The pst files should always be located on the local drive, if you intend to open them within Outlook, locating them on an external or LAN can lead to corruption of the pst

For home use there is rarely any need to create multiple archives for specific folders, more sense to create the single archive, if necessary creating a new archive by year, and editing the archive name to reflect the year.

Hello Palcouk,

I am sure that Try*3 will consider your information. Thank you.

Earleb

From: Microsoft Community [mailto:MicrosoftAnswers@microsoft.com]

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Subject: Question has reply: How to restore MS Office Outlook 2007 folders back in Outlook

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Hello earleb, <br><br> <br><br>Your question on Microsoft Community has received a reply from Palcouk.<br><br><br><br><br>Title:How to restore MS Office Outlook 2007 folders back in Outlook<br><br><br><br> <br><br><br><br>Reply<br><br><br><br>I'm not going to butt back in here, as it will only add to confusion with Try*3's responses, but just make an observation based on your screen shot;<br><br><br><br> <br><br><br><br>The outlook files on the desktop are all copies of the original data files. (at their default locations)<br><br><br><br> <br><br><br><br>The outlook pst file contains all mail, Contacts, Tasks, calendar entries etc.<br><br><br><br> <br><br><br><br>There is no real point in exporting Contacts to another file since they will be contained in any pst backup.<br><br><br><br> <br><br><br><br>Its only necessary to copy the pst files, whilst outlook is closed, to another location in order to have a backup (MS has a free utility for this)<br><br><br><br> <br><br><br><br>If using backup software you cannot incrementally backup a pst, any pst is marked as modified as soon as it is opened in outlook, so any backup is a full backup<br><br><br><br> <br><br><br><br>There are only specific circumstance where you use export/import for a pst, primarily using these functions results in loss of data and various settings.<br><br><br><br> <br><br><br><br>The pst files should always be located on the local drive, if you intend to open them within Outlook, locating them on an external or LAN can lead to corruption of the pst<br><br><br><br> <br><br><br><br>For home use there is rarely any need to create multiple archives for specific folders, more sense to create the single archive, if necessary creating a new archive by year,<br> and editing the archive name to reflect the year.<br><br><br><br> <br><br> <br><br>Read this reply on Microsoft Community.<br> <br><br> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------- <br><br><br><br>NEXT STEPS*<br><br><br><br>Was this reply helpful? Give Palcouk some kudos! <br><br>\[Vote as helpful\]<br> <br><br> <br><br>Did Palcouk's reply answer your question? Then let the community know! <br><br>\[Mark this reply as your answer\]<br> <br><br> <br><br>Want to unsubscribe from this thread? <br><br>Click here to go to the thread, click on the original post and click<br>Stop emails. <br><br> <br><br>*Sign in required. When you open the thread, you'll see that your action has been automatically recorded.

Earle,

About your problem with para 1.5

Your own search results showed that both Outlook.pst & Archive.pst existed in the folder C:\Users\Earle\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook

There should only be a folder in there called "New folder" if you have created it. 

These files are all as expected:

Outlook.xml.kfl

~last~.sharing.xml.obi

extend.dat

Outlook.sharing.xml.obi

There is no logical reason to see a file called "Outlook personal folders" in that or any other location.  That sounds to me that you are looking within Outlook itself as that is normally the only place you would see that.  It is essential to do the moves I have suggested with Outlook closed as it will not allow you to do  them whilst it is open.

About Palcouk's notes

It is perfectly possible that many of these files are just copies of each other.  The procedure I gave you in my post 3  Review the 53 backed up pst files  should identify & eliminate these duplicates.

Try*3

1 Relocate the Outlook.pst file

1.1 Close Outlook

1.2 Minimise all your open windows so you have a blank desktop to work with.

1.3 Open Windows explorer. Open Windows explorer again so you have two windows open. Right-click on the TaskBar and select Show windows side by side.

1.4 In one window, go to C:\Users\Earle\My Documents [by the way, you will sometimes see this appearing as C:\Users\Earle\My Documents and sometimes as C:\Users\Earle\Documents but they are both the same thing - one is just an alias of the other]. Double-click on C:\Users\Earle\My Documents to open it up then right-click, selectNew then Folder. Call the new folder PIM and double click on it to open it. You can confirm where you are by looking at the address bar at the top of Windows explorer & you will see that you are now in C:\Users\Earle\My Documents\PIM.

I agree.

1.5 In the other window, go to C:\Users\Earle\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook and you will see Outlook.pst, Archive.pst and several other files [including other pst files but youhave to ignore them for now].

     I don't see Outlook.pst or Archive.PST

     I see Outlook 683,065 kb

1.6 Select Outlook.pst and Archive.pstonly then drag them across to C:\Users\Earle\My Documents\PIM and let go of the mouse.

1.7 Just as a precaution, in C:\Users\Earle\My Documents\PIM, select both Outlook.pst and Archive.pst then right-click, selectSend to then Compressed [zipped] folder. Doing this will ensure that you can start again if anything goes horribly wrong later. The reason for making zipped files rather than straightforward copies is that you already have 55 copies of pst files dotted around your drive and you don’t want any more of them confusing the procedure.

     I don't see Outlook.pst or Archive.pst

     The folder is empty.

Please advise.

Earleb

Earle,

It sounds like you do not have file extensions showing.  In Windows explorer, go to Organise, Folder & search options, View tab - clear the checkbox next to Hide extensions for know file types.  This is a safe way of operating normally [i.e. not just for this task].

1.5  You should now be able to see the outlook.pst & archive.pst files [and remember that I'm only referring to them because the screenshot of your search results showed that they were there].

1.7  The folder is empty because you were unable to complete para 1.5