Import/Export a pst CONTACTS folder

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GSharpe - 29 Jun 2006 18:47 GMT

I need to send my entire Contacts folder to another person via email or CD. I
have Windows XP, Outlook 2003. I did the export, I think, by exporting it to
'My Documents\Outlook\xxx.pst'. When I go there & click on that pst file,
then right click on that pst file, & click 'send to mail recipient', nothing
happens. When I choose 'send to CD', I get the error message "Windows
encountered a problem when trying to copy this file. What do you want Windows
to do?" Retry and Cancel are the options.

Ultimately, I want to copy my entire "Contacts" folder from Outlook here on
my work PC, to my home PC, which has the same Windows XP, Outlook 2003. I
know a pst file can be emailed, but I am not having any luck.

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Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook] - 29 Jun 2006 19:11 GMT

You must restart Outlook after you perform the export, so that Outlook can release the lock it has on the export .pst file.

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Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm
and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx

>I need to send my entire Contacts folder to another person via email or CD. I
> have Windows XP, Outlook 2003. I did the export, I think, by exporting it to
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> my work PC, to my home PC, which has the same Windows XP, Outlook 2003. I
> know a pst file can be emailed, but I am not having any luck.

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Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] - 29 Jun 2006 23:07 GMT

Not many users would guess they need to do that in advance. Add that to the
growing list of reasons never to use export or import to transfer Outlook
data to another Outlook installation. I'm running out of reasons ever to use
it. While Microsoft won't disavow it as a valid method to transfer Outlook
data, I certainly have. The final nail in that coffin for me was that users
exporting from Outlook 2003 or 2007 will create files incompatible with all
other versions and yet will receive no warning to that effect. Well played.
IMHO, export/import should either be fixed or abandoned. Pretending it works
when it doesn't and leaving it as an option is just nuts.

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Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

You must restart Outlook after you perform the export, so that Outlook can
release the lock it has on the export .pst file.

Signature

>I need to send my entire Contacts folder to another person via email or CD.
>I
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> my work PC, to my home PC, which has the same Windows XP, Outlook 2003. I
> know a pst file can be emailed, but I am not having any luck.

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Brian Tillman - 29 Jun 2006 19:13 GMT

> I need to send my entire Contacts folder to another person via email
> or CD.

Never export to or import from a PST. See if this helps:
http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm

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Brian Tillman

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