how do I transfer my old emails and folders over from my old Outlook (16.64) to my new Outlook account on my new Mac? email accounts all set up but I need the old emails and folders as well.

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how do I transfer my old emails and folders over from my old Outlook (16.64) to my new Outlook account on my new Mac? email accounts all set up but I need the old emails and folders as well.

Tim Gates 20

How do I transfer my old emails and folders from my old Mac and outlook to my new one? all email accounts set up just need the old folks and folders?

uday ukirde 0 Reputation points

2026-06-26T13:13:12.58+00:00

Moving your data to the new Mac depends entirely on how your email accounts are set up. Because you mentioned the accounts are already running on the new Mac but are missing the old folders, it usually comes down to one of two scenarios:

Scenario A: Your accounts are cloud-based (IMAP, Exchange, or Microsoft 365)

If your accounts use IMAP or Exchange, your old folders are already safely stored on the email provider's server.

If you just set up the new Mac, Outlook might still be downloading everything in the background. If you have years of history, it can take anywhere from a few hours to a day to download your complete folder structure and old attachments. Make sure your Mac stays connected to the internet and leave Outlook open to finish syncing.

Scenario B: You have local folders ("On My Computer")

If you have folders tucked under the "On My Computer" section on your old Mac (common for POP accounts or local archives), those live strictly on your old hard drive and will never sync through the cloud.

To transfer local folders, you need to export them as an .olm archive file from your old Mac and move them to the new one.

1.**Switch to Legacy Outlook (Old Mac):**Required for Export.

Open Outlook (16.64) on your old Mac. If you are using the modern look, click the Help menu at the very top of your screen and select Revert to Legacy Outlook.

2.**Export your data:**Old Mac.

Go to File > Export. Check the boxes for Mail (and anything else you want to bring over like Contacts or Calendars) and click Continue. Save the .olm file to your desktop or a USB flash drive.

3.**Switch to Legacy Outlook (New Mac):**Required for Import.

Open Outlook on your new Mac. Just like step 1, go to Help > Revert to Legacy Outlook. (Note: The modern "New Outlook" interface cannot import local .olm files directly, so you must temporarily drop back to the classic view to do this).

4.**Import the file:**New Mac.

Plug in your USB drive or transfer the file to your new Mac. In Legacy Outlook, go to the Tools tab at the top and click Import. Choose Outlook for Mac archive file (.olm), click Continue, and select your file.

5.**Reveal your folders:**New Mac.

Once the import finishes, look at your left sidebar. Your old folders will appear under a section called On My Computer.

If you don't see that section: Click Outlook (next to the Apple logo) > Preferences > General, and uncheck Hide On My Computer folders.

Going back to the modern Outlook layout: Once your folders are imported and visible on the new Mac, you can safely flip the switch in the top right corner (or go back to Help > Try the New Outlook) to return to the modern interface. It will prompt you to migrate your local data into the new l

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TaoLi 113K Independent Advisor

Hi

To guide you correctly, could you first confirm what type of email account you are using on Outlook?

For example, is it Outlook.com / Hotmail / Microsoft 365 / Gmail / Yahoo / iCloud / your company email? Also, is the account added as IMAP, POP, or Exchange?

This matters because if the old emails and folders are stored on the mail server, they may sync automatically after adding the account. But if they were stored locally in old Outlook on the Mac, we may need to export/import an .olm archive file instead.

Microsoft guide for Outlook for Mac archive files: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/export-items-to-an-archive-file-in-outlook-for-mac

TaoLi 113K Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-06-26T13:24:25.7033333+00:00

I would appreciate it if you could reply to me directly. Thank you.
Tim Gates 20 Reputation points

2026-06-26T13:40:40.5133333+00:00

Okay, a mixture of accounts and all files are stored on the old Mac under "on My Computer" something I cannot set up under the new Outlook?

how do I transfer my old emails and folders over from my old Outlook (16.64) to my new Outlook account on my new Mac? email accounts all set up but I need the old emails and folders as well.

Scenario A: Your accounts are cloud-based (IMAP, Exchange, or Microsoft 365)

Scenario B: You have local folders ("On My Computer")

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