No, it won't corrupt the files. It can corrupt the profile. In the specific
case in this thread, importing is acceptable as much of the hidden crap that
is not exported can't be used in Outlook 2007 and won't be moved either.
Importing can be faster than moving everything manually. (Hidden things,
like Views and Published forms are stored in folders - if you don't move the
folder, you lose these things.)
PST Conversion methods are here:
http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ansi-to-unicode.asp
Last modified date, links, and anything using the items GUID is messed up by
import/report, but these are also affected by copying - only Moving will
preserve the data and I'll bet most people who use the open and move method
actually copy, not move, the data.
Importing should not be used when you are moving to a new computer and
keeping the same version of Outlook. Its not recommended when you are
upgrading 1 version, but when upgrading multiple versions or from ANSI to
Unicode, its acceptable. Why? Because each new version of Outlook adds more
properties and hidden content. Outlook can add the properties to the
existing pst, but it's better to make a new one. Importing is the easiest
and less confusing "KISS" method for many users to upgrade to a pst.
Yeah, for a long time Microsoft recommended importing when opening the pst
would be better, but in the last few years we've gotten just as bad by
insisting that all import/exports are evil and should *never* be used.
--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Outlook Tips:
http://www.outlook-tips.net/
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http://www.slipstick.com/
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http://forums.slipstick.com/showthread.php?t=39473
"Peter Foldes" <okf22@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:e6GIWAa0KHA.364@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> Alias
>
> You were correct with your answer to the OP in the alt.group. Importing
> and Exporting will corrupt the files
>
> --
> Peter
>
> Please Reply to Newsgroup for the benefit of others
> Requests for assistance by email can not and will not be acknowledged.
>
> "Alias" <aka@masked&anonymous.com.invalido> wrote in message
> news:hp26ve$uoo$3@news.eternal-september.org...
>> Joel wrote:
>>> Alias <aka@masked&anonymous.com.invalido> wrote:
>>>
>>>>> It's been a long time since I used Office 2000, but there should be an
>>>>> export function in Outlook 2000 that creates one gigantic PST file
>>>>> that can then be imported into his new copy of Outlook. I'd at least
>>>>> try it that way first.
>>>> And you would have advised the OP to do a very stupid thing. PST files
>>>> must be *opened*, not imported. Outlook 2000 has the old type of .pst
>>>> file which has a limit of 2 gigs. The new .pst files have no limit and
>>>> are set by default to 20 gigs. The .pst file doesn't need to be
>>>> exported. It needs to be copied to external media and then pasted into
>>>> the new computer where, after installing Outlook 07, one should go to
>>>> File/Open/Personal data file and navigate to where the .pst was pasted
>>>> and open it. Then one can move all the emails to the new .pst file and
>>>> then close the old one.
>>>
>>>
>>> Importing does not keep using the exported PST file copied from the
>>> old computer - it just imports the data into the new installation. It
>>> will be saved by Outlook 2007 natively. Your method is really more
>>> complex. As long as the export is done with all folders selected for
>>> exporting, it's a cleaner method for transferring - it does take time
>>> to build the exported PST on the old computer, but one can just let it
>>> work in the background until it's done.
>>>
>>
>> I wonder what the good folks in microsoft.public.outlook think of this
>> exporting/importing method.
>>
>> --
>> Alias
>