Please see requested details below (& thanks!!!)

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

How did you "back up" this file?
---- Within Outlook (Old) under "File", "Backup...", "options" -

I browsed to select the 'file location' to which I wanted to save the .pst
file (my documents folder), then saved the .pst file (I didn't choose the
extension, it's automatic). I haven't touched it, except to copy it to a cd
for backup before I did my upgrades.

How are you trying to open it and what happens when you try? Provide
specific error messages.
---- When opening Outlook (new, i.e., 2002 SP3), "Unable to open your
default email folders. Could not open them. Try again. [Ok]" then

"Would you like to open your default File System folder instead? [Yes], then

"Unable to start processing services. Could not open the item. Try again.
[Ok] then

I get a not-quite-familiar Outlook window, that shows "my computer," and
lists my c: & d: drives & my shared & personal docs folders.

Under "File", "Backup...", "open backup...", -
I browsed to the file location of my .pst file, [Open],

Result: "The personal folders file (.pst) "C:\blah\blah.etc.pst" could not
be opened. The file may not be compatable with this version of Outlook or it
may be corrupted."

I haven't tried anything else, for fear of mucking things up worse....
Other than taking two days to get updates from MS (I'm stuck in 36kbs dialup
hell), I thought the upgrade was rather straightforward, I don't remember
anything untoward.

If there's somewhere to post attachments, I've made screenprints I can
provide.

Thanks again for any help (and your patience)!

--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Julie B Aventura" wrote in
message ...
I'm having a similar problem, made worse (for me) because I'm used to the
Mac world (i.e., plug it in & it works).

1. Bought laptop with XP Home, Office 2002, used for a couple of months
2. Backed up Outlook data to .pst file
3. Upgraded opsys to XP Pro
4. Installed Office Pro
5. Cannot open Outlook successfully, cannot load data from the .pst file
(import, restore, or otherwise). Help refers to menu options that aren't
there or don't work.

Sigh, argh, help?
-----------------------------
"jennymcw" wrote:

Oh. I didn't know. That's how I transferred last time. Ok. I exported to
a
.pst folder on my desktop then I uploaded the folder to a web based file
sharing site. I then downloaded to the new computer & have attempted to
both
import & I've used the fileopenoutlook data file.

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

Importing is never the correct way to transfer Outlook data.
PST files are Outlook's native file format. Just open them.
If you can't open it, then you will have to provide information on how
you
created and transferred the file. Whatever you did made it
inaccessible.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"jennymcw" wrote in message
...
I've recently changed computers and was attempting to use the
import/export
feature to transfer my Outlook 2003 info to the new computer. When I
try
to
import into the new outlook I get an error message telling me that
the
file
is not a .pst personal folders file. But it is. Before attempting the
import
I had done all the Microsoft updates.