Minor Outlook boo-boo :p

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Well, I needed to reinstall Windows on top of my old installation because Repair wouldn't work, so unfortunately I needed to reinstall all my apps after the reinstallation, including MS Outlook.
Because I didn't have a backup of my contacts and calendar, I trawled my old local settings folders and found the old .PST files from my previous installation of Outlook, and made Outlook open them. It worked and I got my Contacts (and my social life:p) back. However, I now two copies of my email folders in Outlook as well - the orphaned one that got imported when I opened the old .PST files, and they're annoying me, and they make Outlook start slower as well.
I tried getting rid of them by deleting the .pst files through Outlook's email account setup (the data files tab) but it won't let me, saying they're associated with an email account and I need to select a new default file for mail delivery - though, when I do, it still doesn't let me! Those older files are not in fact associated with my email accounts, which I set up from scratch: they're just sitting there, with just the messages they contained before the reinstall, neither sending nor receiving. I also tried simply deleting the files through Windows, but then Outlook won't start again. I'm certain it's the old files I'm deleting, as I compared the filenames with the copies in the previous installation's Local Settings folder. If I delete them and try to launch Outlook, it'll popup a browser window asking me to point to them. If I press cancel, it'll close.
I don't mind being stuck with them (much), but, if I need to reinstall again in future, what would be a more elegant way to save JUST my Contacts and Appointments rather than the old nuked email folders as well?
 
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OK.... this just got serious: for some reason my Contacts have disappeared again, and now opening the old .pst files doesn't bring them back! I managed to re-import my Tasks (whoop-de-doo :/ )but my Contacts remain elusive even when repeating the steps I took last time exactly. Anyone able to help me please?
 
Soldato
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Close outlook

Copy your .pst from "X:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook" to a safe location. Rename the original .pst file to .000 (or similar)

Start outlook.

It will error saying that it cannot locate you .pst file. Navigate to the copied version. Hopefully this will fix the problem.

Dunc
 
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Already fixed it actually, by renaming the old pst file into the new one's name and overwriting it. Problem is that now not only do I have my old, orpaned email folders, but also 3 (yes THREE!) copies of all my personal folders (Contacts, calendar and such). Annoying because I don't know which to back up now, and I'm planning to reinstall Windows so I need a backup handy if I don't want this whole fiasco to reoccur.
Maybe I should just nuke everything and rely on my phone's address book to bring Outlook back to speed :p
 
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