Moving from Outlook 2003 to MS365 Outlook - need basics

[glnz]

My old XP 32-bit computer has finally failed - it won't turn on. I am confident its hard drive is OK and that the problem is with power circuitry on the motherboard.
It has my Outlook 2003, on which my principal email accounts are
[myname]@verizon.net
and
[myname]@[wife's business domain hosted by Network Solutions].com

Now, no tears because I have my newer PC running Win 10 Pro 64-bit (currently v 1909) which has Office 365 Home 64-bit. I have barely ever turned on its Outlook 365, and I might have connected it once to my almost-never-used email account [myname]@ouitlook.com. So, something probably got started with it and I might already have a small .pst file going - not sure. And I could definitely delete that .pst file if recommended.

Let's assume I can connect my old dead PC hard drive to my new PC and copy anything I want from the old hard drive, like my existing Outlook 2003 .pst file. By the way, that .pst file is big - probably 11GB. I would indeed like to save everything on it.

So - please give me the links to excellent steps in this Forum and Slipstick website how to start up my Office 365 Outlook app and bring in a copy of my old .pst (copied from the hard drive of my old PC). I am particularly curious what to do first - copy the old pst onto my new hard drive and point Office 365 Outlook to it immediately, or bring it in later as a second .pst?

Thanks.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

I am particularly curious what to do first - copy the old pst onto my new hard drive and point Office 365 Outlook to it immediately, or bring it in later as a second .pst?

Either will work. If you plan to use the POP and the old pst, I would copy the old pst first, put it in the documents\outlook files folder where outlook will look for it. If you are using IMAP, it doesn't matter (outlook creates the pst), but adding the old pst first and setting it as default will prevent the imap account from creating 'this computer only' folder.


In Outlook 2003, the pst is likely under the[new drive letter]:... \ appdata \ local path - you'll probably need to give your new account permission to access it.

Copy the pst(s) to documents\ outlook files on the new computer - or somewhere convenient, but not in the appdata folder like it was on the old computer.
Then open it using File > Open & Export > Open outlook data file.

That gives you access to the old mail, calendar & contacts. If you used imap on the old computer, you have 2 pst files, one called outlook or personal folders (has calendar/contacts), one named for the email address (all mail). You don't really need the old imap pst files.

Are the new accounts added as imap (the default in new versions) or POP? If pop, you can set the old pst as the default delivery location in Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings to open the Account Settings dialog. Select the pop account on the Email page and click Change folder to select the old pst file's inbox.

 

[glnz]

Diane - you are GREAT!
I am strictly POP, and I check "Leave a copy of message on server".
I recall that Outlook 365 is very aggressive about starting itself the first time I turn it on and DEMANDS I connect it to my almost-never-used [myname]@outlook.com email account. So I am guessing Outlook 365 will create a .pst file as soon as I turn it on, and it will be too late to have it start with my Imported (old and large) pst file.
How can I Import my (old and large) pst file and get it into the right place BEFORE I fire up Outlook 365?
Or is this just not a worry?
Thanks.

 

[glnz]

Diane - One more thing. My Outlook 2003 on my XP machine has a unitary Inbox - emails coming in from three accounts all show up in one place, and it is easy to reply using the same account. So my old pst handles everything together, yes?
I vaguely recall that Outlook 365 does NOT have a unitary Inbox and I'll have a separate Inbox for each account.
Now, if I Import my old pst into the right place for the Outlook 365, will it be able to handle it, or will it go bonkers because it can't handle a single pst with emails from three accounts?
Thanks.

 

[Diane Poremsky]

>>
I recall that Outlook 365 is very aggressive about starting itself the first time I turn it on and DEMANDS I connect it to my almost-never-used [myname]@outlook.com email account. So I am guessing Outlook 365 will create a .pst file as soon as I turn it on, and it will be too late to have it start with my Imported (old and large) pst file.
>>
It won't create the account but may prefill the field with the outlook.com address that owns the subscription. Just type over it. You will need to stay logged into the outlook.com that owns the office license though (in file > account in any office app) - but will not need to add the account to outlook.


>> How can I Import my (old and large) pst file and get it into the right place BEFORE I fire up Outlook 365?
Just place it Documents\Outlook Files. Create the outlook files folder if it does not exist. When you add the account (using manual setup), you'll have the option to select the pst to use.

>>
My Outlook 2003 on my XP machine has a unitary Inbox - emails coming in from three accounts all show up in one place, and it is easy to reply using the same account. So my old pst handles everything together, yes?
>>
Yes; Outlook 365 will do the same. You will need to select the pst when you set up the accounts, or late.

You do not want to use import to get the old mail into the new outlook - you want to use the old pst as the default data file. Views, categories and other things are not exported.