Migrating Microsoft Outlook to a New Computer

May 4, 2007

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This is something we come up against all the time at work – Migrating Microsoft Outlook from one computer to another. Having been asked again this week – I decided to post it here for all to see.

It is actually very simple…

All you do is navigate to where you keep your outlook data file of your old computer, usually it is in:

C:\documents and settings\user\local settings\application data\microsoft\outlook

Then copy the file and place it in exactly the same folder in the new machine. Then all your addresses and and emails should be in the correct place.

You will still have to set up your e-mail account settings so that new email can come in and be sent out. You do this by opening Microsoft Outlook and going to Tools>Accounts and following the relevant options.

Comments

4 responses to “Migrating Microsoft Outlook to a New Computer”

Name

July 14, 2009

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Steve Holman

October 26, 2009

When migrating or copying email from one computer to another I see that you can copy the data file, but does this also copy the rules and catagorys of email accounts. IE all my businness mail automatically goes into business catagoy while friend/family goes into that file.
Thanks
John M Voss

June 11, 2010

I dont know what versions you have. In my case, the easiest option is to follow the IMPORT / EXPORT Routine that is provided in OUTLOOK. You can export the contents of your INBOX, for example, in a variety of formats (remember which one!). This solution will leave OUTLOOK on the old computer as it is. A file will be generated which you can transfer on a stick. Absorb this into OUTLOOK on your new computer by following the corresponding IMPORT routine.
David

May 24, 2011

This is not simple….

Because, once you move to a new PC, you will get all your old emails in your outlook again.

So you need to stop it by adjusting POP setting. But Only Gmail gives that option. if you use Yahoo you are doomed to download all your old emails.

But there is one more choice of moving everything in your webmail inbox to another folder. So outlook cant see them to download.

It is not easy. I have had series issues with outlook . because MS is very stupid to save the downloaded email information in the PST file. If it does and communicates with POP server these issues can be avoided.