Outlook 2000 install - recovery of contacts folder

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Lee Beck - 30 Jan 2006 15:41 GMT

I'm recovering after a computer crash and have a couple of problems
concerning Outlook. First, I need to know which files I need to recover that
contain my personal info like contacts and email mailbox contents. I can’t
get a copy of Outlook installed at present (next problem described below),
but I can see my program files and folders from my crashed copy of XP and
HDD. I have the drive hooked up to a different computer.

When the old computer died I bought a Dell E-510. I installed Office 2000
but can’t configure Office 2000. The program installs but will not send or
receive email. I have a Verizon DSL account and their technical support took
control of my computer remotely (with my permission) and verified that my
settings are correct. They concluded that I have a Microsoft issue and to
contact MSFT tech support.

I think from some internet browsing that my problems may be related to
Symantic SystemWorks that I also have installed on my computer prior to the
Office installation. I will uninstall that and see if it helps my Office
installation.

Another option, but I will need help on this one, would be to copy all
necessary files from my revived HDD. SP is dead on it, but most of my data
files survived. I’m assuming that I can’t just copy my Office folders from
my Programs directory. Is there some other way to export my previously
running Outlook application from my old HDD en toto? I have the Office
install CD but have used it twice to uninstall/repair/reinstall Office and
have reconfigured Outlook several times and there is some reason that it
isn’t working.

As mentioned, I’ll first remove SystemWorks and try to reinstall Outlook on
my new machine. If that works, then I’ll just need to recover my personal
stuff from my old Outlook files. If it doesn’t work, then I’d like to know
how to get my old files, program and all, copied to my new HDD.

Thanks

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Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] - 30 Jan 2006 22:40 GMT

The file you need is your Personal Folders file (*.pst) It's where all the
mail, calendar, contacts etc are stored.

Take a look at these pages for info on Outlook data backup or transfer:
http://www.slipstick.com/config/backup.htm
http://www.howto-outlook.com/Howto/backupandrestore.htm
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010771141033.aspx

Signature

Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

> I'm recovering after a computer crash and have a couple of problems
> concerning Outlook. First, I need to know which files I need to recover
[quoted text clipped - 38 lines]
>
> Thanks

Reply to this Message

Lee Beck - 31 Jan 2006 03:34 GMT

The http://www.howto-outlook.com/Howto/backupandrestore.htm location gave me
the roadmap to recovering my .pst file and getting my address book back.
Thanks!

However, I still can't get Outlook to work on my new computer. I installed
Office on the revived old computer, so I'll be ready to repopulate my
contacts when I get my NEW computer to work with Office.

I completely uninstalled NSW using the utilities from the Symantec website.
I then uninstalled/reinstalled Office, and it's still doing the same things
(won't receive or send mail, hangs while checking for mail). The other
strange thing is that my previous Outlook installation and the reinstalled
Outlook on the old computer (different drive than the one that crashed - and
new Wiondows install) has the familiar Tools/Accounts menu option. There is
no "Accounts" option on any of the installs/reinstalls on the new computer.
Instead there is a Tools/Services option which is where I configure my POP3
settings.

The other major difference is that my new computer is running Windows Media
Center. The old one is Windows Professional.

So I've uninstalled NSW. Where do I go from here to get Outlook working?

Thanks

> The file you need is your Personal Folders file (*.pst) It's where all the
> mail, calendar, contacts etc are stored.
[quoted text clipped - 46 lines]
> >
> > Thanks

Reply to this Message

Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] - 31 Jan 2006 10:24 GMT

You have installed a completely different version of Outlook and failed to
configure its mail transports correctly. Read this and decide which version
you meant to install, then do so.
http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/choosingmode.htm

Signature

Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

> The http://www.howto-outlook.com/Howto/backupandrestore.htm location gave
> me
[quoted text clipped - 95 lines]
>> >
>> > Thanks

Reply to this Message

Lee Beck - 01 Feb 2006 12:39 GMT

ALMOST THERE !!!

Using advice and hints from this thread I have finally got Outlook receiving
and sending mail. I had no idea that there was more than one configuration
that could be installed, and the CD apparently installed the wrong one.

Ths last issue seems simple but is a bugger. I have an outgoing email stuck
in my outbox and it won't go away. It was placed there using the "send"
command in a previous configuration as I was troubleshooting the previous
problems. If I click on it and try to delete it, I get a message returned
"The MAPI spooler has already begun transmitting This message." I have tried
every way known to delete the message and nothing works. I tried
disconnecting from the Internet and still get the message. I tried deleting
the mapi32.dll files and Outlook continues to show the file and try to send
it. Finally, I did a Google search and found that thousands of users have
had the same problem. I haven't found a fix yet. My trusted support here
Mr. Valentine even posted a reply to a user so Ifigured I was home free. It
involved setting up a mail client and running a file C:\Progrem
Files\Office\Outlook.exe......but I never could figure out how to get the
command line to work. I don't know whether my machine is configured
differently or whether I just don't know enough about running command lines
(I guess it's from the "run" option in Windows??, but I get a returned
message "can't find the program C:\Program. I tried C:\Program_files
thinking it needed a DOS-like syntax and still didn't work.

Here's the deal. I have essentially nothing that I want to save in my
Outlook at this time. Is there some way that I can just start over, knowing
what I learned, to get rid of the message in my in-box? Will deleting my
.pst file get rid of it? I can do that and then reinstall Office if
necessary to get it back. Sounds like lots of work, but I haven't gotten a
quick fix yet.

Thanks

> You have installed a completely different version of Outlook and failed to
> configure its mail transports correctly. Read this and decide which version
[quoted text clipped - 100 lines]
> >> >
> >> > Thanks

Reply to this Message

Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] - 01 Feb 2006 22:12 GMT

It's easy to clear your Outbox.
Have you decided to stay with Corp/Workgroup mode?
If so, try this:
- File menu > New > PST file
- Give the new PST a temporary name
- Click OK to the new dialog
- right-click on the root of the new set of folders
- choose Properties
- Select "Deliver POP Mail ...."
- Click OK

Quit & Restart Outlook

Once Outlook restarts, expand your previous set of folders and delete the
bad message from the Outbox.

- Right click on the root of your original set of folders
- Choose Properties
- Select "Deliver POP Mail ..."
- Click OK

Quit & Restart Outlook

Hopefully all will be well after this...

Signature

Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

> ALMOST THERE !!!
>
[quoted text clipped - 168 lines]
>> >> >
>> >> > Thanks

Reply to this Message

Lee Beck - 02 Feb 2006 15:27 GMT

Russ,

You've been a real champion throughout this ordeal. I appreciate you
hanging in there.

All my problems are now solved (all my current computer problems. anyway).

I actually stumbled onto a solution for emptying my outbox. I had another
relatively minor issue in that when I set up my new computer I answered a
bunch of questions during the setup (I don't recail if they were posed by
MSFT or dell). One involved "aho will be using this computer" and I put my
wife's name in addition to mine. I thikn that's what triggered the "choose
user" screen at logon. A quick boot is more important to me than selecting
suer preferences so I wanted to get rid of this encumberance. I read at
http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips-pr.php/1835 that there is a way to
eliminate the logon. After following the instructions to remove the
individual profiles, I found that all my profile changes (desktop
backgrround, etc) had reset to default (Dell logo, etc). More importantly, I
was asked to complete several pop-up screens that addressed my internet mail
preferences (POP3 settings). I was hoping that this was starting me anew in
Outlook, and my hopes were fulfilled. When I started Outlook the program
downloaded current email and the outbox was empty.

This probably isn't a great fix for someone with a lot of data entered into
Outlook since it apparently wipes the settings clean. However, in my
specific case I hadn't loaded my .pst file to get my contact list etc into
outlook yet, so it effectively solved my problem without introducing any new
ones.

Thanks for your help

> It's easy to clear your Outbox.
> Have you decided to stay with Corp/Workgroup mode?
[quoted text clipped - 192 lines]
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Thanks

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