NEED HELP SOON: Win7 Files & Settings Transfer Wiz & Office Outlook PST Mailboxes

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

Don't compare beta behavior to RTM - without knowing which exact beta build
its hard to say why it happened. It's just not a common occurrence and is
highly unlikely to happen. Its certainly not risky enough for me to tell
someone not to do it.

 

[Gordon]

If you were to have actually done this, as we can tell that Peter has
NOT done this, you would know that Export and Import work fine and
without corruption across the different versions of outlook.

So why are there NUMEROUS posts in many Outlook groups saying that there ARE
problems when export and import is used?
And why would anyone export FROM a pst file TO a pst file? What's the point?

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

There are many points... I believe I went over some of them with you
previously.

Show me one post where it actually resulted in a CORRUPTED PST?

Corrupted profiles, yes... but remember, we only see the reports where it
caused problems, not the millions of times it actually worked as expected.
Done right, the profile will not corrupt.

It should never be used for back up of the entire pst or moving between the
same version of outlook (copy the pst instead and point the new profile to
the copied pst). If you need just the calendar and contacts (or a few
folders) or are changing versions or pst formats, them its fine and the
simplest method for many users. Experts can (and often do) use other methods
(like open and Move) but not all users are experts and Import meets their
KISS standard.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Outlook Tips: http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com/

Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
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Do you sync your mailbox with a smartphone or pda?
http://forums.slipstick.com/showthread.php?t=39473

 

[Gordon]

This is the perfect scenario for Importing.

Absolutely - but there's no logical reason for doing it to and from the SAME
format of pst file..

 

[Gordon]

A better recommendation for WLMail and Thunderbird has never been
written.

Not at all. There's absolutely NO NEED to import in the first place. Do you
IMPORT Word or Excel documents when changing computers? Of course not - you
OPEN them. Same with Outlook data.

 

[Gordon]

"The poster formerly known as 'The Poster Formerly Known as Nina DiBoy'"

<snip>

Nice Kite pics!!

They were taken by a friend of mine who lives near the kite feeding
sanctuary...

 

[Gordon]

Corrupted profiles, yes... but remember, we only see the reports where it
caused problems, not the millions of times it actually worked as expected.
Done right, the profile will not corrupt.

I think Russ Valentine, MVP would strongly disagree with you!

 

[Leythos]

Not at all. There's absolutely NO NEED to import in the first place. Do you
IMPORT Word or Excel documents when changing computers? Of course not - you
OPEN them. Same with Outlook data.

Word and Excel don't operate the same way - blows your analogy out of
the water.

 

[Leythos]

I think Russ Valentine, MVP would strongly disagree with you!

You should try doing things in the real world before you go posting
about them.

I've done this thousands of times, different versions, same versions,
exporting disconnected Exchange cached Outlook data into a new exchange
system.... not a single error/corruption.

 

[Gordon]

exporting disconnected Exchange cached Outlook data into a new exchange
system.... not a single error/corruption.

because THAT is what the export function is designed for NOT same-pst to
same-pst. The fact that you haven't had any corruption is luck. There are
MANY posts in forums and the newsgroups where people HAVE had corruption by
importing.

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

Show me one post where the pst was corrupted. We have seen profiles
corrupted (and I think some were bad to begin with), but I have yet to see a
pst corrupted by import.

There are legitimate reasons you should avoid import; there are legit
reasons to use it. The biggest reason not to use it is the loss of views and
other hidden data, and the change in the last mod date. Some users don't
care - they wouldn't know a custom view if it bit them - they just want the
darn thing working as quickly as possible. For them, import is fine.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Outlook Tips: http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com/

Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

Do you sync your mailbox with a smartphone or pda?
http://forums.slipstick.com/showthread.php?t=39473

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

There are MANY posts in forums and the newsgroups where people HAVE had

corruption by importing.

Links please...

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Outlook Tips: http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com/

Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

Do you sync your mailbox with a smartphone or pda?
http://forums.slipstick.com/showthread.php?t=39473

 

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

It's "former MVP". I don't know that he's ever said it will corrupt the pst.
He does state it can corrupt the profile.

There are legit reasons to export to a pst (example: copying a calendar or
contacts only to another machine), there are legit reasons to import from a
pst. There are legit reasons its bad to use Import and Export.

There are times when it makes sense to copy the pst. There are times when it
doesn't make sense. It's all about knowing which is which.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Outlook Tips: http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com/

Outlook Tips by email:
mailto:[email protected]

EMO - a weekly newsletter about Outlook and Exchange:
mailto:[email protected]

Do you sync your mailbox with a smartphone or pda?
http://forums.slipstick.com/showthread.php?t=39473

 

[Russ Valentine]

No. I wouldn't disagree. Exporting and importing work fine when users only
want to transfer a _portion_ of the PST file and are simpler than copying
and opening the entire PST just to transfer a small portion of the file.
The problem comes when users try to use Export and Import to transfer their
_entire_ PST File. That causes a corrupt profile because the profile cannot
connect the address book service to the imported PST file (it thinks that
property has already been set, but it hasn't). Also, things like rules,
information stored in hidden messages, and distribution lists do not survive
the import process.
The majority of the problems that arise with export and import are end user
error.

 

[Russ Valentine]

As if 10 years wasn't long enough, and I suddenly became stupid overnight?

 

[Leythos]

because THAT is what the export function is designed for NOT same-pst to
same-pst. The fact that you haven't had any corruption is luck. There are
MANY posts in forums and the newsgroups where people HAVE had corruption by
importing.

And you don't appear to know all of the conditions that they may have
had, other than just wanting to export/import.

As I've said, thousands of instances where I've done different and same
and done it without a problem.

I suspect that one of the major causes for those that have problems is
malware or after fixing a malware compromised machine.

All of the times I've done this, the machines were clean.

 

[Leythos]

No. I wouldn't disagree. Exporting and importing work fine when users only
want to transfer a _portion_ of the PST file and are simpler than copying
and opening the entire PST just to transfer a small portion of the file.

In all the years, decade+, that I've been doing this I've only rarely
had a reason to do part of a outlook export, it's (except for a dozen)
be the entire outlook exported and then imported, into the same version
or a newer version, and I've never had a corrupted PST, not once, never,
nada, and I can't believe, after thousands of cases, that it's "Luck".

 

[Russ Valentine]

No one ever said you corrupted a PST file, but you most certainly lost data.
The luck was that it was data you happened not to need, such as Rules and
Distribution Lists and links to Contacts and links to the Calendar and the
links to the address book view. Others may want to preserve that information
in their next installation.
Exporting and importing the entire PST file to populate a new installation
is simply a bad practice that should not be recommended.

 

[Leythos]

No one ever said you corrupted a PST file, but you most certainly lost data.
The luck was that it was data you happened not to need, such as Rules and
Distribution Lists and links to Contacts and links to the Calendar and the
links to the address book view. Others may want to preserve that information
in their next installation.

Um, if you're smart enough to export the PST, why not be smart enough to
export the rules?

All of my distribution lists export and import properly....

 

[Russ Valentine]

You appear to have some pressing need to validate and defend your own
experience. That experience is anecdote and should be recognized as such for
the benefit of other readers of this thread.
The experience of many is far more valid than the experience of one. In
this newsgroup over the last 12 years we have confirmed that the following
information is not transferred when you export and import a PST file:
1. Custom Forms
2. Custom Views
3. Connections between contacts and activities
4. Received dates on mail
5. Birthdays and anniversaries in calendar
6. Journal connections
7. Distribution Lists
8. Rules
9. Link between Contacts and the address book view, which cannot be
re-established until a new profile is created and the data migrated
properly.

If none of that information is important, then sure you can export and
import. Why you would want to remains a mystery, however, since simply
copying and opening the PST file is much easier and preserves all of the
above information.
The cardinal rule when providing advice in these groups is primum non
nocere. Your insistence that export and import is the best way to transfer
Outlook data to a new installation violates that rule. Readers of this
thread should know that so they can make up their own mind on what they want
to do. This is a public newsgroup. Your opinion is welcome but needs to be
placed into context.