Can I recover info from size limited IMAP file (Outlook 2003)

[bilfen]

One of my users has an account on Gmail which was accessed by IMAP. The main content of interest is an inbox of 24,000-odd items. A couple of weeks ago the pst hit the 2 Mb limit. The user is desperate to salvage the information as to which emails had been replied to.

I have been able to show just the replied to emails with a DASL filter:

("http://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/proptag/0x10810003" >= '102' AND "http://schemas.microsoft.com/mapi/proptag/0x10810003" <= '103')

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and if I copy the odd email across to the Google Apps Sync (GAS) pst the user is now using, the "replied" flag is maintained.

However,I can only copy across messages held in full in the PST - many have only the headers on the pst, and these will not copy. Because of the size limit, I can't download the other information.

Question: What is the easiest way to be able to flag or categorise the replied to messages?

Options considered:

1) upgrade to a later version of Outlook - - but if I converted from ANSI to unicode PST to allow larger file size, would the user loose the information which shows what has been replied to?
We are a small organisation so having one use on a different version of Outlook would not be an issue

2) get the date/time, header and from info from each replied to message via a macro and then identify the messages from this in the GAS pst
I was last in full time IT 28 years ago, and this would be at the limits of my capability (or beyond them)

Has anyone any suggestions please. I'm sure I'm missing something really simple. As 75% of the pst file is this one huge inbox, there isn't really an option of deleting folders or messages. In any case outlook seems to want to sync new messages before it does any deleting, and won't do this as the file has reached its size limit.

Thanks in anticipation

Bilfen

 

[Diane Poremsky]

I believe (99% sure) if the changes synced up to the server, they will sync down to a new version of Outlook. I can't verify with certainty because i can't recall which messages i replied to from this outlook and which were replied online or in another profile.

On #2 - try this: add all the fields you need to the view, then select all (or some, using Shift+ Arrow) and copy (Ctrl+C). Paste into Notepad. Does that get you the info you need?

Now to address #1:

Is there a computer that you could install the trial on and verify it? Actually, the Click to Run version of the Home and Business trial should be perfect for testing this - it can be installed on computers that have previous versions and won't screw up the old version. You can only use one outlook at a time and will need to make a profile for Outlook 2010.

You do not want outlook 2010 opening the profile she uses with 2003!

Before opening outlook 2010 trial, go to the Control panel and find the Mail applet - open Mail and add a new profile named Outlook 2010. Add the IMAP account to the profile.

Make sure you set it to always ask which profile!

Now you can see if the replied/forward information is going to sync down. You'll also be able to move or delete mail so she can continue to use Outlook 2003.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

BTW - on #2, if copy/paste doesn't work in the search dialog, install the CFG for sender info so you can get the replied to time right from the inbox view.

 

[bilfen]

Thank you Diane for a rapid and clear reply.

Unfortunately I am having problems on two fronts with the two solutions suggested.

1. I cannot seem to get a click and play version of Microsoft Outlook or office - perhaps it is a US only product? In any case I am almost certain that the replied status in outlook does not transfer to Google Apps and vice versa, so if I cannot open my existing Outlook 2003 profile in Outlook 2010, it will not do that part of what I want (although I am trying to persuade my user to upgrade for other reasons).
   
2. The 2003 pst is has reached its it will not allow the installation of the new form you suggested, which looks as if it would do the job I want. Additionally, the "purge deleted messages" does not seem to do anything - it asks for confirmation that I want to delete them, but the messages marked for deletion still remain. I have tried accessing the pst as a secondary pst from within Outlook 2007 on another pc, but the header status does not show, neither does the last verb type or time- and the header status does not survive cutting and pasting into notepad.
   

Ideally what I would like to do would be to categorise all the replied items, attach the old imap pst as an archive and replace all messages in the current file before the date that imap fell over. This would be the simplest, but again size, and the seeming inability to remove items from the overfull file meaning there is no space to add categories ...

Any further suggestions are welcome