Brain imploded, need help to get Outlook 2000 PST file into Outlook 2003 Unicode

[Billy T]

Hi Team

I was buggerising around half the weekend trying to find a simple procedure to migrate 1.5GB of Outlook 2000 PST into Outlook 2003 Unicode format including the much larger file size capacity, I've browsed forums from here to Xmas and back, but I've never come across such a bundle of contradictory advice and opinions since I asked Mrs T what colour carpet she wanted.


This much is clear:

(i) I can't just copy over the 2000 PST file into 2003, it won't become Unicode and it will remain capped at 2GB.


This much is potentially surrounded by smoke, light and confusion:

(ii) Supposedly I can't just import the data from a 2000 PST to a 2003 PST, by all accounts and dire warnings it will remain in the old file format, not Unicode and will again be limited to 2GB.


(iii) Below is what Microsoft says, which looks like sound common-sense but contradicts countless wailing internet gurus, not all of whom are offering their special product at their special price to make the gremlins go away:

MS says:
There is no automatic procedure to convert an Outlook 97-2002 Personal Folders File (.PST) to the new, larger-capacity Office Outlook 2003 Personal Folders File (.PST), which supports Unicode.

The easiest way to convert an older .PST file to the new file format is to create a new data file in the new format and then import items from the older data file to the new Office Outlook Personal Folders File (.PST).

Create an Office Outlook .pst file
1. On the File menu, point to New, and then click Outlook Data File.
2. Select Office Outlook Personal Folders File (.pst), and then click OK.
3. In the File name box, type a name for the file, and then click OK.
4. In the Name box, type a display name for the .pst folder.

The name of the folder that is associated with the data file appears in the Folder List. To view the Folder List, on the Go menu, click Folder List. By default, the folder will be called Personal Folders.

Importing items into the Office Outlook .PST file
1. On the File menu, click Import and Export.
2. Click Import from another program or file, and then click Next.
3. Click Personal Folders File (.PST), and then click Next.
4. In the File to import box, enter the path and file name of the Outlook 97-2002 Personal Folders File (.PST) that you want to import, and then click Next.

5. Select Import items into the same folder in, and then select the name of your new Office Outlook Personal Folders File (.PST).

6. Follow the remaining instructions in the Import and Export Wizard.

It all looks dead simple, and I'd have done it hours ago if this one article were not the sole beacon of light in a heaving sea of nay-sayers and doomsters, all of whom seem to think that there is no way to do it, in fact a couple go so far as to say very strongly: DO NOT attempt to import your [pre 2003] PST file into Outlook 2003/2007 etc or a plague of locusts will be upon your files and folders etc. etc, you get my drift I'm sure.

I'm hoping that PF1 has a few members who have already travelled this path and can confirm that following Microsoft's elegantly simple instructions on how to convert an older .PST file to the new file format is as simple as it looks and that most importantly of all the outcome will have the much higher message storage capacity. Nothing else matters much to me.

Assuming that this procedure will be effective, I have only one other query. At the beginning of my current PST file there are a number of messages that I cannot delete. I've run scanpst a number of times over the years then tried again to delete them but they refuse to disappear, however they can be opened and read so they are not corrupted in that sense.

Put me out of my misery please.

Cheers

Billy 8-{)

[SolMiester]

The creation of new format 2003 pst and import of older items from 2000 pst in what I would of suggested, did you have issues with this?

[CliveM]

Make a backup copy of the 2000 pst file first, Then give it a try and see what happens secure in the knowledge that if it all turns to c**p you still have the original pst file safe.

[Billy T]

Make a backup copy of the 2000 pst file first, Then give it a try and see what happens secure in the knowledge that if it all turns to c**p you still have the original pst file safe.

I'll only be working with a copy of my current PST for sure, I wouldn't take that kind of risk with a sole copy file. I'm fairly confident that I'll get a working PST file no problems, and I know that 2003 can handle a 2000 PST file no trouble at all, but what I don't want is to wait until it gets over the 2GB limit then find out that it was limited to that size and the file has died on me.

If I could tell whether it was a unicode file or not, that would be a help, but I don't know what to look for. At present the only idea I have would be to compare the contents of old and new files in ZTree 'view' mode and see if the coding looks different.

It would be a lot simpler if all those experts had not thrown doom and gloom on the whole MS process. I reckon they have done it just to boost sales of their various 'solutions'.

Surely somebody here must have migrated an early PST to the new 2003/2007 or onwards unicode system?

Cheers

Billy 8-{)

[Erayd]

The easy way to tell is to just import it a few times, allow duplicates, and see what happens when you hit the 2GB limit (assuming this old PST has a few hundred MB of mail in it).

[Sweep]

I'll only be working with a copy of my current PST for sure, I wouldn't take that kind of risk with a sole copy file. I'm fairly confident that I'll get a working PST file no problems, and I know that 2003 can handle a 2000 PST file no trouble at all, but what I don't want is to wait until it gets over the 2GB limit then find out that it was limited to that size and the file has died on me.

If I could tell whether it was a unicode file or not, that would be a help, but I don't know what to look for. At present the only idea I have would be to compare the contents of old and new files in ZTree 'view' mode and see if the coding looks different.

It would be a lot simpler if all those experts had not thrown doom and gloom on the whole MS process. I reckon they have done it just to boost sales of their various 'solutions'.

Surely somebody here must have migrated an early PST to the new 2003/2007 or onwards unicode system?

Cheers

Billy 8-{)

Personally I have not imported a 2000 pst file as I never used Outlook 2000.

I had no problem importing an Office Outlook 97 pst file into Office Outlook 2003 though for another person.

Why not take the other advice that you asked for and was supplied?

[linw]

I have done this and I am sure I used method two, here http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ansi-to-unicode.asp

Just drag and drop the folders from the ansi to the unicode pst. There is no doubt that it is a unicode file.

[Billy T]

Forget that, I just found another complication. Unicode only applies to Outlook when used with MS Exchange Server so I'm back to square 1½. Files will be ANSI.

I'm back to finding out how to tell if I will have <2GB of PST file capacity.

Cheers

Billy 8-{)

Just saw linw's post and am looking at that now. It contradicts what I just read (MS advice re Unicode and ES) It is minefield of conflicting advice!!!

[Billy T]

This, from MS, may help explain my utter and ongoing confusion, I seem to go around and around in circles, and I can't risk a 'suck it and see' approach:

Microsoft Office Outlook® 2003 can now provide full Unicode® support. Using Outlook in Unicode mode is especially advantageous for organizations with multilingual needs and — because Outlook Unicode-formatted files have higher storage capacities than non-Unicode files — for users who need very large Outlook files.

Taking advantage of Unicode support in Outlook depends on users' Microsoft Exchange Server version and other criteria that are checked when users run Outlook. If the criteria for using Unicode are met and users are running in Unicode mode, Unicode is used throughout Outlook when used with Exchange Server (for e-mail messages, the Address Book, and so forth).
To determine whether to use Unicode mode or non-Unicode (ANSI) mode, Outlook evaluates a set of requirements and options. One requirement for Unicode mode is that users must have Exchange 2000 or later accounts. Outlook also checks the formats — Unicode or ANSI — of users' Offline Store (OST) files and the default archive files. Finally, Outlook checks the format of users' PST files that are used as a delivery location (if any).

Cheers

Billy 8-{)

[inphinity]

Go in to data file management in Outlook, and double click the PST you're interested in. It should have File Format: and it will either say "Personal Folders File (97 - 2002)" or "Personal Folders File". If it doesn't specify that its the 97 - 02 version, its an 03+ format.