OL98: (CW) How to Move Your Personal Folders to Another Location

ID: Q197125


The information in this article applies to:

NOTE: These procedures only apply if you have installed Outlook with the Corporate Workgroup/Other option. This option allows you to use Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI) services. To determine your installation type, on the Help Menu click About Microsoft Outlook. In About Microsoft Outlook you should see "Corporate" if you have the Corporate Workgroup installation.

SUMMARY

This article describes the following process for moving your personal folders file (PST) to another location:


MORE INFORMATION

Identifying Your Profile's PST File Name and Location

  1. Start Outlook.


  2. On the Tools menu, click Services.


  3. On the Services tab, click to select Personal Folders, and then click Properties.


  4. Note the path and file name of your PST file. For example, C:\Exchange\Mailbox.pst indicates a personal folders file named Mailbox.pst located in the Exchange folder on drive C.


  5. Click OK.


  6. With Personal Folders still selected, click Remove to remove the current local PST file from your profile.

    If this is your default mail delivery location, you will see the following message:
    
          This information service contains the default message store
          for the profile. Are you sure you want to remove this information
          service from the profile? 
    Click Yes.


  7. Click OK to close the dialog box, and then click "Exit and Log Off" on the File menu to quit Outlook.


Renaming or Moving the PST File

  1. Quit all programs.


  2. Use Windows Explorer to locate the PST file you noted in step 4 in the "Identifying Your Profile's PST File Name and Location" section.


  3. After you have located the file, you may rename, move, or copy the file to another location.


Configuring Your Profile to Use the PST File That You Renamed or Moved

  1. Start Outlook.


  2. On the Tools menu, click Services.


  3. On the Services tab, click Add to open the "Add Service to Profile" dialog box.


  4. In the Available Information Services list, click to select Personal Folders, and then click OK.


  5. In the File Name box, type the path and name of the PST file you renamed or copied, and then click Open. You may want to use the Browse button to help locate the file.


  6. Click OK to close all dialog boxes.


  7. On the File menu, click "Exit and Log Off."


  8. Restart Outlook.


If the PST is your default delivery location, you will see the following message:

   The location messages are delivered to has changed for this user
   profile. To complete this operation, you may need to copy the contents
   of the old Outlook folders to the new Outlook folders. For information
   about how to complete this change of your mail delivery location, see
   Microsoft Outlook Help. Some of the shortcuts on the Outlook Bar may no
   longer work. Do you want Outlook to recreate your shortcuts? All
   shortcuts you have created will be removed. 
Click Yes to have Outlook update the Outlook Bar shortcuts so that they point to your new PST file location, or click No to leave the shortcuts for your original local PST file.

Your profile now points to your personal folders file that you renamed or moved.

Additional query words: 98 transfer data information store


Keywords          : GnlFilem 
Version           : WINDOWS:
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbhowto 

Last Reviewed: August 2, 1999