Outlook backup - how to prevent duplicate emails being downloaded?

Draeger

Draeger

Draeger

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About to replace my 775 motherboard and Q6600 with a new motherboard and i7 so I'm looking at a reformat. Going through everything I need to backup and I'm about to make a copy of my .PST files in Outlook 2010 as well as all my Windows Live Mail folders (I use both Outlook and WLM). Now, I usually get there eventually and don't lose anything but it's always a bit of a to and fro trying to get everything backed up and set up properly again on a fresh install.

The issues I always come across are:-

While copying the .PST is just fine and dandy, when you fire up Outlook 2010 on the new machine after copying the .PST in there, it never opens with the same folder structure you just copied from the old machine. I can only assume this folder structure isn't contained within the .PST? If not, where is it and can it be copied over to the new machine?

I have two POP3 email addresses that are set to 'Keep a copy of the email on the server' until email is permanently deleted from the local machine, as I've lots of emails I simply cannot afford to delete. As a result, I copy over my .PST with all my current inbox/sent email and as soon as the PC connects to the net and checks for new email, I get almost 4 years of email downloading to the PC! :eek:

Is there any way to prevent this happening? I end up having to delete all the duplicates which takes absolutely ages.

Finally, is the best way to copy across all received and sent email to simply manually backup the .PST folder (Is that all I need, along with my contacts folder?) or to use the Export function within Outlook? I can never tell so I usually end up doing both but only using one method to restore. Last time I think I used the Export/Import method but it wasn't any smoother to do than manually doing it which I did the time before that.

Ta. :cool:
 
Windows Easy Transfer, or when importing your PST in Outlook select the option you are given to not import duplicates. I'd personally run Windows Easy Transfer before installing outlook on the new install and it will all just be there. You need to run easy transfer on your old machine obviously first to create the transfer file to use on the new install.

Backup the PST as well in case of any issues with the transfer process. (I've done it many times with no issues.
 
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Cool, ta. Do you know if Windows Transfer will work going from W7 Home Premium to Windows 8.1? Toying with the idea of going with W 8.1 for this fresh install but I'm undecided as yet.
 
Cheers. Okeydoke. I'll make a manual backup of the .PST folders as well. So basically to prevent duplication of email messages, install Outlook on the freshly formatted PC, enter email account details then let it download all the email from the server and THEN import the backed up email using Windows Transfer but tick it not to restore duplicate emails?
 
Draeger said:
Cheers. Okeydoke. I'll make a manual backup of the .PST folders as well. So basically to prevent duplication of email messages, install Outlook on the freshly formatted PC, enter email account details then let it download all the email from the server and THEN import the backed up email using Windows Transfer but tick it not to restore duplicate emails?
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Nope, run easy transfer before installing anything then install outlook and everything should be there along with all your account settings. Outlook will than download any messages not already in the inbox.
 
kitch9 said:
Nope, run easy transfer before installing anything then install outlook and everything should be there along with all your account settings. Outlook will than download any messages not already in the inbox.
Click to expand...

Ah, I see. How will Outlook know not to download duplicates of the emails still sat on the server though? :confused:
 
Honestly it'll be easier to manually backup the Outlook PST and reconfigure on the new install than rely on some other software. This web site lists the steps of what you need to do. The most important thing is to setup the profile through the Control Panel initially rather than through the wizard that runs when you first run Outlook. This will allow you to associate your old PST with it prior to Outlook connecting to the email server. You could actually try this out before you format if you wanted to make sure it'll work as you expect, just create a new profile, take a copy of your PST then follow the steps on that site to set it up.

You should really look at moving to IMAP if you want your emails in multiple locations. Using POP3 with the keep messages on the server option is a really messy way of working, and I'm not completely convinced that the above won't result in Outlook re-downloading all the messages again anyway.
 
Draeger said:
When you fire up Outlook 2010 on the new machine I get almost 4 years of email downloading to the PC! :eek:

Is there any way to prevent this happening? I end up having to delete all the duplicates which takes absolutely ages.
Click to expand...

Go into Control Panel > Mail > E-mail Accounts > Email

Double click on one of your accounts & move slider on the right named > mail to keep offline from ALL down to 1 Month

When done click next > Once test email has been sent hit Close > Now you should only receive 1 months emails not the default 3 years as you mention on that account, Repeat the same process on the other account etc ....


Dropbox Image
 
Draeger said:
Ah, I see. How will Outlook know not to download duplicates of the emails still sat on the server though? :confused:
Click to expand...

Because Easy Transfer will sort it all for you, I see others are chiming in over complicating the process.

I have done this many times as my work email is POP too.
 
kitch9 said:
Because Easy Transfer will sort it all for you, I see others are chiming in over complicating the process.

I have done this many times as my work email is POP too.
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If by complicated you mean incredible straight forward... :o Everything I've read online suggests Easy File Transfer does not work properly with Outlook.

Draeger said:
@Time Out - I don't get any sort of slider on the right if I double click an email account?
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You won't have that option because he is using an IMAP server.
 
andshrew said:
If by complicated you mean incredible straight forward... :o Everything I've read online suggests Easy File Transfer does not work properly with Outlook.



You won't have that option because he is using an IMAP server.
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Must have done it 20 times fella and it worked everytime. Open Easy transfer, run it. Go to new PC run easy transfer, then install Outlook all settings, accounts and emails along with download history is there.

Simple, not a slider in sight.

http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/o...t-has-outlook-2010-installed-HA102544948.aspx

That link is if you want to do it the long way, which you can if Easy Transfer fails for whatever reason as you will have a backup of the PST which I mentioned earlier. Outlook has a penchant for corrupting profiles randomly so its always worth making sure you are backed up.
 
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Well, meant to carry out the motherboard/CPU swap tonight but got sidetracked by a million other things so planning on doing it tomorrow morning. I'm going to give Windows Easy Transfer a pop first and if it goes wrong I'll fall back on the manual backups I've made of the PST files. I always hate the thought of reformatting/reinstalling Windows, initially at least, but needs must I 'spose.
 
Draeger said:
Well, meant to carry out the motherboard/CPU swap tonight but got sidetracked by a million other things so planning on doing it tomorrow morning. I'm going to give Windows Easy Transfer a pop first and if it goes wrong I'll fall back on the manual backups I've made of the PST files. I always hate the thought of reformatting/reinstalling Windows, initially at least, but needs must I 'spose.
Click to expand...

Backup in case, but you'll probably find Windows 7 will handle the Mobo and CPU swap without needing a re-install, I've done that a few times as well. You'll probably just have to phone for activation again.

Probably be worth testing to see if the old Windows install boots on the new mobo which it probably will especially as you are sticking with Intel. Just install the drivers you need after.
 
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