Need Advice & Help on How to Download & Save "M

[golfnut]

I would like to ask for help and procedure for saving to CD the "MY Favorites" and "Contacts" folders on my computer. The contacts folder is in Outlook (not Outlook Express). I would like to be able to do this in case hard drive crashes. Thank you for your help and advice.

[edsmith77]

golfnut,
In M$ Outlook 2k file name extensions of .pab refer to your address books and are normally kept in the outlook folder. To find out where your system has them kept (that is unless you have specifically named them to someplace else) do a file search on your HDD for "*.pab" and copy them to your cd burning software.
Likewise do a search for a folder named "Favorites". Copy the entire folder (including subfolders) to your cd burning software and then burn.

If you are like me and archive your emails you can save those as well. Just search for "*.pst" files and burn them to disk as well. however be aware that depending on your email traffic count and associated attachments these pst files can get extremely large. Enough so that they will not fit on one (1) cd. Either subdivide your archive folder or burn to a dvd.

Hope this helps.
Ed

[The village idiot]

For the my favorites folder, simply make it a shared folder with eveyone as the permissions, then burn it to disk. If you don't share the folder, sometimes you can't open it on another machine, or after re-installing the OS. Maybe you can do it without the share, but shouldn't cause a problem if you do.

[golfnut]

Thanks guys, I have one hickup. I found the favorites folder with no problem. In looking for contacts folder I did a file search under .pab, outlook, contacts, address book and found nothing. I just installed a fresh XP Home OS about a week ago so I would think it would be whereever XP put it because I have not changed those settings. Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

golfnut

[edsmith77]

golfnut,
my mistake. I thought you were using W2K. In XP the address book extension is not call ".wab".

Give that a go.

Ed

[golfnut]

Tried WAB and that gave me file for outlook express only, not outlook. I then right clicked on contacts icon, then properties, it said location is in "personal folders", then did search on "personal folders" and got no results. Would it help just to reinstall M. Office you think?

[Ripper2860]

Thry *.PST. and *.OST. I use Outlook (not Express) and copy those fiiles to a CD everytime prior to doing a re-install and it always works for me. Saves my e-mails and contacts/address book. As a precaution, I always export my contacts to an Excel file to re-import, just in case.

After a re-install, just put the OST and PST files back in the appropriate OUTLOOK directory and you are good to go.

BTW -- if you have a PDA such as Palm, IPaq, etc. A great way is to SYNC your contacts from your Desktop to the PDA and then Re-sync from PDA to Desktop, afterwards. Another layer of redunandance in case there is a problem.

[golfnut]

Ripper2860 thank you for the reply. Had no luck with either of these 2 files either. I did manage to export to excel per your suggestion but when I opened excel file it was pretty messy as format goes. I guess I will just have to give up on this one as I do not want to waste everyone's time who has tried to be so helpful. Thank you.

golfnut

[Ripper2860]

It will look pretty ugly in Excel, but should straighten itself out when you IMPORT it back in.

[golfnut]

Gotcha, problem is I do not know what file to export it back to. Thanks for your help.

golfnut

[Ripper2860]

Under OUTLOOK goto FILE / IMPORT-EXPORT / IMPORT FROM ANTOTHER PROGRAM OR FILE / MICROSOFT EXCEL.

You must have installed the EXCEL import / translator filter when you installed Office.

[golfnut]

Worked just as you said it would. I guess now I can just save the excel file to CD as a backup? Thanks so much, you have been a great help.

golfnut

[tweedledee]

There is a program for Outlook Express that is very good. It may be worth changing from Outlook. See it here

http://www.webattack.com/download/dldbx.html

[golfnut]

Tweedledee thanks so much for the tip and website, I will definitely check it out. Have a great day.

golfnut