jennymcw wrote:

Yes Outlook was closed. I thought of this & went back to the old
computer to make sure that outlook was closed. I get the error
message "the file *.pst is not a personal folders file.

If you get that message, then your PST is probably damaged beyond repair.
If you can, start over using the original PST and perform the operations
form the beginning, taking care not to export or import and making sure
nothing is accessing the PST (like Outlook or a sync program from a PDA)
when you manipulate it.
--
Brian Tillman

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.

I'm not following. There is no option to save your PST file to a different
location from within Outlook. You can only move it using Windows Explorer
after Outlook is completely closed. If you did that, then Outlook would of
course be unable to find it and you would need to tell Outlook where its
data file now resides.
All you need to do is use File Open Outlook Data File... to open this
file.
Outlook does not have any of the menu commands you specify. Are you using
and add-in to do this backup? Do you still have access to your original PST
file?
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Julie B Aventura" wrote in
message ...
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.

I will be trying this. Will let you know how it goes.

"Brian Tillman" wrote:

jennymcw wrote:

Yes Outlook was closed. I thought of this & went back to the old
computer to make sure that outlook was closed. I get the error
message "the file *.pst is not a personal folders file.

If you get that message, then your PST is probably damaged beyond repair.
If you can, start over using the original PST and perform the operations
form the beginning, taking care not to export or import and making sure
nothing is accessing the PST (like Outlook or a sync program from a PDA)
when you manipulate it.
--
Brian Tillman

sigh. I'm not aware of any add-ins; after loading the software from the
discs, in each case I loaded any available updates from the MS website
(expectedly, there were several since the discs had been originally
produced). I think of my laptop & its software as tools, not an experiment
or hobby, so I'm really just trying to keep things simple.

As I mentioned, I can provide screen prints of the menu options I described,
except the "before" scenario for obvious reasons. In the Pro version, I was
able to recreate the steps to backing up my files, except that I no longer
have files to back up. The only copy of my .pst file on my c: drive is
located exactly where I saved it to (the My Documents folder). I may have
renamed the file from the original name; I'd assumed that the .pst extension
was sufficient for recognition.

Apologies that I'm not hiding my frustration well. After my first post, I
completely understood your request for more detailed information, as I'd been
rather vague; however, I wasn't expecting to read next that I '*couldn't*
have done what I did, and that "all I need to do" is "File Open Outlook
Data File" when "Open" isn't even an option on my Outlook File dropdown.

Please realize that I'm still grateful for any help you can provide, since
my alternative is probably to wipe everything out & start over (and at this
point, I'm not hopeful that would work). Regardless, I must state for the
record that Windows sucks. :\

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

I'm not following. There is no option to save your PST file to a different
location from within Outlook. You can only move it using Windows Explorer
after Outlook is completely closed. If you did that, then Outlook would of
course be unable to find it and you would need to tell Outlook where its
data file now resides.
All you need to do is use File Open Outlook Data File... to open this
file.
Outlook does not have any of the menu commands you specify. Are you using
and add-in to do this backup? Do you still have access to your original PST
file?
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Julie B Aventura" wrote in
message ...
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.

This makes no sense.
There is no version of Outlook that does not have the Open Outlook Data
File (or Personal Folders file) on its File menu. Nor have I seen one that
has the commands you specified.
Post your Outlook version from the Help menu. Look at your add-ins and see
if you have some sort of backup utility added.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Julie B Aventura" wrote in
message ...
sigh. I'm not aware of any add-ins; after loading the software from the
discs, in each case I loaded any available updates from the MS website
(expectedly, there were several since the discs had been originally
produced). I think of my laptop & its software as tools, not an
experiment
or hobby, so I'm really just trying to keep things simple.

As I mentioned, I can provide screen prints of the menu options I
described,
except the "before" scenario for obvious reasons. In the Pro version, I
was
able to recreate the steps to backing up my files, except that I no longer
have files to back up. The only copy of my .pst file on my c: drive is
located exactly where I saved it to (the My Documents folder). I may have
renamed the file from the original name; I'd assumed that the .pst
extension
was sufficient for recognition.

Apologies that I'm not hiding my frustration well. After my first post, I
completely understood your request for more detailed information, as I'd
been
rather vague; however, I wasn't expecting to read next that I '*couldn't*
have done what I did, and that "all I need to do" is "File Open
Outlook
Data File" when "Open" isn't even an option on my Outlook File dropdown.

Please realize that I'm still grateful for any help you can provide, since
my alternative is probably to wipe everything out & start over (and at
this
point, I'm not hopeful that would work). Regardless, I must state for the
record that Windows sucks. :\

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

I'm not following. There is no option to save your PST file to a
different
location from within Outlook. You can only move it using Windows Explorer
after Outlook is completely closed. If you did that, then Outlook would
of
course be unable to find it and you would need to tell Outlook where its
data file now resides.
All you need to do is use File Open Outlook Data File... to open this
file.
Outlook does not have any of the menu commands you specify. Are you using
and add-in to do this backup? Do you still have access to your original
PST
file?
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Julie B Aventura" wrote in
message ...
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.

You're in a very large club. :-0

If you must use outlook, print out your contacts, etc..., take note of email
account settings, etc.. because at some point you are going to get screwed
by outlook.

I've seen so many people over the years "lose it all" using that program it
isn't funny.

Of course, if you're a home user and not tied to any one email client, use
something else.

..

"Julie B Aventura" wrote:


Apologies that I'm not hiding my frustration well. After my first post, I

Never happened to me. Simply making a periodic copy of your Outlook data
file is all you need to do.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Slappy" wrote in message
...
You're in a very large club. :-0

If you must use outlook, print out your contacts, etc..., take note of
email
account settings, etc.. because at some point you are going to get
screwed
by outlook.

I've seen so many people over the years "lose it all" using that program
it
isn't funny.

Of course, if you're a home user and not tied to any one email client, use
something else.

.

"Julie B Aventura" wrote:


Apologies that I'm not hiding my frustration well. After my first post,
I

Hello to all of those sitting on the edge of your seats!

The "good" news: I ran the 'Detect & Repair' function within Outlook, and
am able to open Outlook "normally" now, and the menu options are more in line
with what they should be (though of course there are still no email or
contact data).

I tried following Russ' earlier direction below to "use File Open
Outlook Data File... " to retrieve the data. Though I'm able to browse to
the folder that contains the .pst file I'd created, if I try to 'open' the
file I get the error message "The file C:\Documents and
Settings\blah\etc.\backup.pst is not compatable with this version of the
Personal folders information service. Contact your administrator."

First thought: "I only upgraded from XP Home to *%$# XP Pro, how
incompatable could a .pst file be????." Second thought: "I don't have a
flippin' administrator. That's why I'm begging for help on a MS chat
website." But after some chocolate pudding & donut holes (the breakfast of
champions) I was willing to get back in the ring.

In desperate hopes that Outlook only allowed me to browse to a user-supplied
folder as a cruelly-placed red herring, and that I "simply" need to store the
..pst file in the "right" location, I tried to copy said .pst file to the
default location shown under Open Outlook Data File [namely, C:\Documents
and Settings\yours truly\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook\backup.pst] ( AFTER closing Outlook, of course )
but apparently that folder is hidden (?), so I can't. ??

In a separate post to Jenny (same thread), Russ instructed "You should exit
Outlook completely, then simply copy or upload the PST file. To see if you
file can be salvaged, make sure it does not have a read only attribute and
try running the Inbox Repair Tool against it." I checked, and my .pst file
is NOT read only or hidden. I've also found the Help information on running
the Inbox Repair tool, but after being burned earlier by doing what _seemed_
pretty intuitive, I thought I'd check with any helpful souls before
attempting a repair: any advice, admonitions, etc.?

TIA,
Julie

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

This makes no sense.
There is no version of Outlook that does not have the Open Outlook Data
File (or Personal Folders file) on its File menu. Nor have I seen one that
has the commands you specified.
Post your Outlook version from the Help menu. Look at your add-ins and see
if you have some sort of backup utility added.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Julie B Aventura" wrote in
message ...
sigh. I'm not aware of any add-ins; after loading the software from the
discs, in each case I loaded any available updates from the MS website
(expectedly, there were several since the discs had been originally
produced). I think of my laptop & its software as tools, not an
experiment
or hobby, so I'm really just trying to keep things simple.

As I mentioned, I can provide screen prints of the menu options I
described,
except the "before" scenario for obvious reasons. In the Pro version, I
was
able to recreate the steps to backing up my files, except that I no longer
have files to back up. The only copy of my .pst file on my c: drive is
located exactly where I saved it to (the My Documents folder). I may have
renamed the file from the original name; I'd assumed that the .pst
extension
was sufficient for recognition.

Apologies that I'm not hiding my frustration well. After my first post, I
completely understood your request for more detailed information, as I'd
been
rather vague; however, I wasn't expecting to read next that I '*couldn't*
have done what I did, and that "all I need to do" is "File Open
Outlook
Data File" when "Open" isn't even an option on my Outlook File dropdown.

Please realize that I'm still grateful for any help you can provide, since
my alternative is probably to wipe everything out & start over (and at
this
point, I'm not hopeful that would work). Regardless, I must state for the
record that Windows sucks. :\

"Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

I'm not following. There is no option to save your PST file to a
different
location from within Outlook. You can only move it using Windows Explorer
after Outlook is completely closed. If you did that, then Outlook would
of
course be unable to find it and you would need to tell Outlook where its
data file now resides.
All you need to do is use File Open Outlook Data File... to open this
file.
Outlook does not have any of the menu commands you specify. Are you using
and add-in to do this backup? Do you still have access to your original
PST
file?
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
"Julie B Aventura" wrote in
message ...
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.

Julie B Aventura wrote:

I tried following Russ' earlier direction below to "use File Open
Outlook Data File... " to retrieve the data. Though I'm able to
browse to the folder that contains the .pst file I'd created, if I
try to 'open' the file I get the error message "The file C:\Documents
and Settings\blah\etc.\backup.pst is not compatable with this version
of the Personal folders information service. Contact your
administrator."

That means you're trying to open an Outlook 2003 PST with an earlier version
of Outlook.

First thought: "I only upgraded from XP Home to *%$# XP Pro, how
incompatable could a .pst file be????."

You're also using a different version of Outlook than what was used to
create that PST.

In desperate hopes that Outlook only allowed me to browse to a
user-supplied folder as a cruelly-placed red herring, and that I
"simply" need to store the .pst file in the "right" location, I tried
to copy said .pst file to the default location shown under Open
Outlook Data File [namely, C:\Documents and Settings\yours
truly\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\backup.pst]
( AFTER closing Outlook, of course ) but apparently that folder
is hidden (?), so I can't. ??

First, don't copy a PST into that folder unless you know that no other PST
with the same name esists there. Second, the folder where a PST is store
doesn't matter a whit to Outlook. There are no magic folders for PST.
Third, why not just enable the ability to see the hidden folders? Open
Windows Explorer, click ToolsFolder OptionsView and click the radio button
labeled "Show hidden files and folders". While you're there, you may find
it useful also to uncheck the option labeled "Hide extensions for known file
types".
--
Brian Tillman