Two .pst files on one computer both with contacts?

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Nan

Senior Member
Outlook version
Outlook 2010 32 bit
Email Account
POP3
[single computer, single user - Windows 10, Outlook 2010, no add'l devices so no syncing needed, no mobile version, etc.]

I have two .psts files - both POP3
First one was original and has everything, even more than one contact folder.

Second .pst created years later to deal with email for client - completely separate account.

I wanted to create a new folder for the 2nd .pst - a contact folder.
Can't seem to do it.
Wasn't showing up in any folder list - not 2nd .pst where I created it, not in first one either.
Added a test contact and that showed up in default contact folder of original [1st] .pst

Deleted it test contact and deleted contact 'folder'.
Then contact folder got 'stuck' in Deleted folder of 2nd .pst
Couldn't get it out.
Had to restore externally backed up .pst file from yesterday.

So can 2nd .pst have its own contacts or not?

And if so, how to create a contacts folder in 2nd .pst.
I right clicked on folder, clicked on New folder and then clicked on drop down to say it was a contacts folder.
It opened up and let me create that test contact but, as explained above, that test contact ended up in #1 .pst's default contact folder.

Bizarre.
 
It can have its own contacts folder but you will need to either open the folder and create the contact in it or use the move to folder command instead of using Save and Close - or move the contact to the folder after you save it.

Use the folder list (Ctrl+6) to see where it is - and to create it in the correct pst.
 
I don't think I explained it very well.

My 2nd .pst has only email folders.
I right clicked on the top level and clicked on New Folder.
I chose Contacts for type and created it.
I was then 'in it' as far as I could tell and created a new contact.

I saved and closed.
Then I could not find the folder or the contact.
I finally found the contact but it was in the default contact folder of my first .pst created back in 2012 when I first got this Outlook 2010.

Here's what I am guessing.
When I first created the 2nd .pst (just last year) would it have automatically had a default contacts folder?
And if so, perhaps I deleted it and now can't put it back in without recreating the .pst??
 
When I first created the 2nd .pst (just last year) would it have automatically had a default contacts folder?

No, it would only have a contacts folder if you set it as default data file.

I chose Contacts for type and created it.
I was then 'in it' as far as I could tell and created a new contact.
This should have worked, as long as you created it in the correct data file. The easiest way to know if you are in the correct data file and folder is to use the Folder list module (and use a unique name for the Contacts folder) - to switch to the folder list, use Ctrl+6.
 
Whoops - just found this on your website:
Activities in other data files
Activities (as limited as they are in Outlook 2010) are only supported in the default data file. Contacts in other data files will not have an Activities button on the toolbar.


So that was my whole purpose - I was (erroneously) thinking that if I could get the contact in the same .pst as the email I could use Activities to find all their emails. Guess that didn't work.

So your response helped me eliminate what I was doing wrong but the goal was to use the Activities tab which I guess isn't going to be there.

I have all contacts in default .pst and only got 2nd one when client gave me my own email account so all email is on 2nd .pst.
Real pain have two but there's so much mail and so many folders for 2nd one I just didn't want to mix the two unless there's some magic way to have them combined.
I know I could make all sorts of rules. Just seems too much to have 25 folders of one mixed in with 25 folders of another but it sure would be easier to be able to use the Activities tool.
 
I know I could make all sorts of rules. Just seems too much to have 25 folders of one mixed in with 25 folders of another but it sure would be easier to be able to use the Activities tool.

BTW, i agree it would likely be "too much". Try using instant search - or for recent messages, the people pane.
Outlook's Social Connector
 
Yeah, I don't get all this talk of 'broken' activities. Mine (knock on wood) works 100% fine.
I get 100% of all activities that I can tell like email, tasks, appts, and linked contacts (although I've been unlinking contacts cause Outlook 2010 doesn't seem to like that anymore.
Also, what I love about Activities - I can attach any email to a contact and it comes up.
For example - if Steve emails me or I email Steve ABOUT Bill but we don't include Bill in it at all - not the To, From, CC, or BCC I can still attach that email to Bill's record and have it come up in Bill's Activities.

I just can't do this two .pst search thing.
Also, I'm not familiar with Instant search.
Whoa! I am now! Where have I been?!?!
That did the trick.
I don't use Outlook Social Connector.
It intimidates me - I'm not will to 'add' utilities of any kind to my Outlook - it's too 'fragile'.
For example, my only copy is the .exe I downloaded 2 years ago.
The bizarre version I bought (who knew) is no longer available on their servers so when I got a new computer and had to transfer it I had to use what I had in downloads to avoid using the disks from 2010 and then needing 8 years of updates and patches!
Now I just get 2 years of updates and patches!
So I'm not willing to 'tinker' with it.
So I guess no People Pane for me.
But again, my Activities tab is perfect except for those contacts that are relevant to this one client whose email is not all in the other .pst.

Thanks again - that Instant search is great. I've always been using Advanced Search - how silly.
 
For example - if Steve emails me or I email Steve ABOUT Bill but we don't include Bill in it at all - not the To, From, CC, or BCC I can still attach that email to Bill's record and have it come up in Bill's Activities.
You can do this - you need to add bill to the mail properties but I'd need to test it to see what the search query would be.
 
You can do this - you need to add bill to the mail properties but I'd need to test it to see what the search query would be.
To be sure I'm clear, I believe you are saying that because my emails are in two different .psts, for those contacts whose emails are in the 2nd one and for whom I can't use the Activities tab, which would include these special emails that I 'attached' to a contact, I would need to use a query. And for THAT query method I would have to know how to query the ones that I had 'attached'. Hmmm...maybe I better be careful about 'attaching' emails that are in the 2nd .pst since there might not be a way to retrieve them. It will be there, but might be hard to find a way to find them.
For now, what I try to do, is for all the emails in this 2nd .pst, I put them in folders. So let's say Steve, Bill, Carol and Bob all work at ABC Company which is one of my client's customers. I file all emails to and from them in the ABC Company folder.

But sometimes it's just the client and I emailing back and forth and maybe discussing upcoming product features, one of which we know will be of interest to ABC Company, so I go ahead and attach it to the main contact from ABC Company but I don't want to file it in their folder. It should go in the 'future product features' folder. If it weren't in a separate .pst I would just go to that contact from ABC company and click the Activities tab. So now I have to just write a long note in the notepad saying the date and time of the email that has the discussion of the product feature in it cause the contact is in .pst #1 but the email is in .pst #2.

But I just 'learned' about Notes, after all these years. Maybe I'll use those more instead of tons of stuff in the Notepad.
 
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