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Exporting Outlook 2016


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#1
Ste

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Hi, before upgrading to Office 2016 from Office 2007 I didn’t have this issue but now it takes hours to export the Outlook data.

I have been used to cloning my main drive to an identical 250gb SSD so if I come across a serious problem I just swap drives and re-clone to what was the problem drive. I find this saves time but it does mean I have to back up my mail to another drive and then import it again after swapping drives.

 

Lately after installing Win 10 updates especially the ‘creative’ update which left me with no ‘text’ anywhere, I have had to do swap drives a few times.

 

The problem is that the time taken to import and export has increased, the last effort taking most of the day. If I cancelled the export the system would freeze and I would have to re-boot.

 

I noticed that ‘Exporting Calendar’ shows several times whilst in the process of exporting (this would be repeated showing different lengths of time i.e. 30mins- 2hrs) so I have been looking for a way to clear any Calendar files in the hope of fixing the problem but have only found instructions that are unclear or don’t relate to what I see in menu’s i.e. relating to Calendar. I don’t actually use the Calendar but when I click the icon I see the message ‘Microsoft Office is preparing the requested view’. This takes a few seconds and then freezes for a while before several calendars show in a column on the left. The last time I clicked on one the blue circle appeared and Outlook froze and I had to restart it.

 

I was wondering if Calendar data has accumulated due to importing the data several times.  My contacts list has individual contacts repeated about 30 times? Overall Outlook is working, it is only in attempting to export it to a PST file that the problem begins again with the Calendar data. Hope you can help.


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#2
SleepyDude

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Hi,

 

May I ask why are you exporting the outlook data?

 

Why not copy the Outlook .pst or .ost file to a safe place, restore using the clone and then replace the Outlook file with the most recent one saved before the restore?


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#3
Ste

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Hi, Sorry if I wasn't clear but I think that is what I am doing; I export the outlook data to another drive and then import it to the cloned drive after deleting all emails on the clone.


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#4
SleepyDude

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Hi,

 

Hi, Sorry if I wasn't clear but I think that is what I am doing; I export the outlook data to another drive and then import it to the cloned drive after deleting all emails on the clone.

 

I don't think so. To copy the Outlook data you only need to make sure Outlook is closed and then Copy the big .pst file usually stored inside the My Documents folder, its not necessary to use the export option inside the program.


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#5
Ste

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Hi, OK that's news to me, I thought that was what the export facility was for. Can you tell me where to find that file you refer to as I don't see anything to do with Outlook in the documents folder?

 

It's a little confusing now as there must be a problem regarding exporting which is why it takes so long to copy the calendar 's' and also why it freezes. If I copy the file you mention won't the problem be copied too? Though what you say seems simpler, Is it possible to delete all data regarding calendars even if it is just to find out why if 'export' then works correctly?


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#6
SleepyDude

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Hi,

 

See if this helps: Locating the Outlook data files


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#7
Ste

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Hi, strange I don't have any of those headings that link to Outlook? grab username.jpg


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#8
SleepyDude

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Inside Outlook check the account configuration

OpenDataFileLocation.jpg

On the Data Files tab is possible to check the data files Outlook is using and direct access the folder using the Open File Location... button.


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#9
Ste

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Hi, no I don't see a 'Data Files' option in Outlook but I have managed to find it via: home/new items/more items/outlook data files but the folder is empty. The file path is 'C drive/user/steve/documents/outlook files' but the 'outlook files' doesn't show via the 'This PC/C drive etc file path? .


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#10
SleepyDude

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Hi, no I don't see a 'Data Files' option in Outlook...

 

Are you sure? Another Microsoft article with the steps you must follow to locate the data files.


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#11
Ste

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Hi, Yes this time I found them-image 1. The file path for the file location was Cdrive/Users/Steve/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Outlook. I am puzzled but not surprised by the size of the data file marked on image 2 which translates to 5.87GB. It seem there has been some kind of accumulation here? 

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  • Outlook Data Files.jpg
  • Outlook Data Files2.jpg

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#12
SleepyDude

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Hi,

 

All those files on the list must be backup/restored if you don't use some of them remove that one from the list, this will not remove the files from the HDD it only makes Outlook not to use them.

 

When running Outlook locks the .pst files, make sure you close outlook before copy/restoring the files.

 

About the size, I have seen much bigger files do you have many e-mails stored with attachments?

 

Every time you delete some e-mails they continue to exist inside the .pst file until Outlook reorganizes the pst file, I suppose this is done when idle but sometimes the program doesn't do it, don't know the reason.

 

You can force Outlook to reorganize the file and clean the junk inside on the same window, check the instructions here.


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#13
Ste

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Hi, OK I seem to be getting somewhere. I have compacted all the files and Outlook starts a little faster. What I would like to know now is: What will the effect be of removing these data files (marked on the attached image)? Is copying the personal folders data all I need as backup? Is the Calendar data included in this as it did seem to be a problem and doesn't show separately, and how would I replace my personal folder data when/if I need to restore these to the backup?

 

Sorry for all the questions but researching all this takes up time I don't really have at the moment.

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#14
SleepyDude

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Hi,

 

Doing I closer look I see you have the same file added three times... you can select them and use Remove, if after doing this you find that some folders are missing from the Outlook tree you can use the Add button to "connect" to the file again.

 

The calendar, contacts, etc. is used from the Default pst file that is the one with the check mark next to it.

 

To Backup/ Restore you only need to make sure Outlook isn't running and when restoring you need to replace the old Outlook.pst file on the folder c:\users\steve\appdata\local\Microsoft\Outlook\


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#15
Ste

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Hi, Well I thought I was getting somewhere and Outlook is working OK but I have noticed that 'Contacts, Journal, Notes  & Tasks' are in a drop down list from the Inbox. 'Image 1', I am not sure where they should be but 'Calendar' was also listed there though when I clicked on it Outlook froze, so I deleted it. I have also noticed that 'Calendar, Contacts & Journal' are repeated in the folder list further down? In this case Calendar works.
 
I deleted a lot of files from folders and the repeat data files, but still see that the 'Personal Folders' data is 5.12GB in size and also the outlook data files above which is my last 'Export' before these posts is also 5.12GB. (image 2).
 
 To find out the size of my actual saved folders I have exported them all separately to another folder and together they amount to only 175mb.
I am wondering at this point if deleting my account, starting again and then importing the separate folders might remove the access whatever it is?

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  • 1.jpg
  • 2.jpg

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