I backed up my contacts, can't import on another computer?

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Syrran - 11 Oct 2005 17:20 GMT

Hi, I have XP home, and are trying to make sure I can back up and open ny
Outlook contact file on another computer before I enter more information. I
am new to outlook but have figured a lot out regarding how to use it for
contacts. I have no experience backing up, so I looked in outlooks support. I
have tried to export it, burned it on a cd via XP's "copy to cd" feature and
also via burning it with the program in the burner. When I go to import it, I
can't do it. I have tried on my computer at home (XP home) and on another
computer at work (2000). I get this message every time: "File access is
denied, You do not have the permission required to access the file". How can
that be, it is my file, it is my home computer and there are no passwords set
or passwords error? Please help, I need to enter
a lot more info in to Outlook, but don't want to do that until I can figure
this out, or it will be wasted time if my computer crashes.

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Noel All - 11 Oct 2005 17:28 GMT

Copy the file to the hard drive and then go into its properties and remove
the Read Only check box

> Hi, I have XP home, and are trying to make sure I can back up and open ny
> Outlook contact file on another computer before I enter more information.
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> figure
> this out, or it will be wasted time if my computer crashes.

Reply to this Message

Syrran - 11 Oct 2005 18:00 GMT

"Copy the file to the hard drive "
Where do I find the .pst on the computer so I can copy it unto the hard drive?

> Copy the file to the hard drive and then go into its properties and remove
> the Read Only check box
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> > figure
> > this out, or it will be wasted time if my computer crashes.

Reply to this Message

Noel All - 11 Oct 2005 19:25 GMT

You copied the file from one computer to CD you need to copy the file from
CD to your hard drive.

> "Copy the file to the hard drive "
> Where do I find the .pst on the computer so I can copy it unto the hard
[quoted text clipped - 30 lines]
>> > figure
>> > this out, or it will be wasted time if my computer crashes.

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Vince Averello [MVP-Outlook] - 11 Oct 2005 17:31 GMT

Copy the PST file that's on the CD to your hard drive, then remove the
read-only attribute on the file in its Properties. After that you can open
the file in Outlook using the File menu > Open > Outlook Data File command
then drag/drop items from one file to the other.

> Hi, I have XP home, and are trying to make sure I can back up and open ny
> Outlook contact file on another computer before I enter more information. I
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> a lot more info in to Outlook, but don't want to do that until I can figure
> this out, or it will be wasted time if my computer crashes.

Reply to this Message

Syrran - 11 Oct 2005 21:00 GMT

I have read here that export and import is not a good idea. So I wanted to
start over. I had problems finding the .pst file, because the (\outlook) part
of location was not there. I had all hidden files visible but still no
success. I researched it, and found that I could paste this;
%USERPROFILE%Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook and all of
a sudden there was a .pst file visible. I copied it to the hard drive with
Outlook closed and copied it to a cd using XP's built in burning capability.

Now when I tried to go to File and Open this file, (after coping to the hard
drive on the new machine) I get the message it is not compatible with the
system. It was another XP machine I tried it on. Can you only do this if the
Office suite is of the exact same version? How can I be sure I have a back
up copy that works if I just want a copy for my own work computer, if I need
to re-install it?

> Copy the PST file that's on the CD to your hard drive, then remove the
> read-only attribute on the file in its Properties. After that you can open
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> > a lot more info in to Outlook, but don't want to do that until I can figure
> > this out, or it will be wasted time if my computer crashes.

Reply to this Message

Vince Averello [MVP-Outlook] - 11 Oct 2005 23:39 GMT

Outlook 2003 can open PSTs from earlier versions but earlier versions may
have trouble with a PST created in OL2003 (there's two formats supported in
OL2003, one's backwards compatible, one's not)

>I have read here that export and import is not a good idea. So I wanted to
> start over. I had problems finding the .pst file, because the (\outlook)
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> need
> to re-install it?

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Terry - 24 Oct 2005 08:12 GMT

I assume you can't export to .WAB file in Outlook? (Outlook Express uses .WAB
file, so that is what I am familiar with). Try exporting to "Text File (Comma
Seperated Values)" instead. Export to a floppy or a CD-RW, not a CD. If you
export to a CD, the file will be set "read only". If CD-R is the only media
you have for exporting, then do it, but then copy back to your hard drive
(like on your desktop, where it's easy to find). Then right-click the file on
your desktop (or on the floppy or the CD-RW), click Properties, and make sure
you remove the "read only" check mark.

Now you should be able to import it.

This should also work with .pst files, unless it's incompatible. But from
the error you specified, the problem is the attributes are currently
read-only.

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