# Moving email from Outlook to new computer without Outlook



## nucleuscracker (Jan 8, 2012)

Hello,

My wife has finally given in and we are picking up her new Dell Inspiron 2320 today to replace an aging Dell. 

Here is my question: She currently checks her email via outlook 2003 , but she can also check her email online through our cable's website. I prefer she did it online in case her computer crashes (as I experienced years ago). The problem is of course all her email has been loaded onto her old computer via outlook. 

How can I transfer vital emails to the HD of her computer, or, make them readable via the web in her email?

make sense? thanks for the help in advance!

Brian


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## pip22 (Aug 22, 2004)

First of all, any emails your wife has downloaded/received into Outlook will no longer be available to view on her email provider's website, since, by default, Outlook deletes messages from the email provider's server after they've been downloaded into Outlook.

To transfer all the existing messages and contacts from the old Outlook into the new Outlook, do this:

On the old Dell PC, set folder options to "show hidden files and folders" in _Control Panel > Folder Options_.

Now locate the file *outlook.pst* 
On Windows Vista, this is usually located at _C:\Users\<user account name>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\outlook.pst_

Copy that file to a removable storage device (eg a USB thumb-drive).

Now install Microsoft Outlook on the new PC.
Set folder options to "show hidden files and folders" in _Control Panel > Folder Options_.
Plug the thumb drive into the new PC.
Find _outlook.pst_ on thumb drive, right-click it & choose "Copy".
Then paste it inside this Outlook folder on the new PC:
_C:\Users\<user account name>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook_

When the prompt appears, choose the option _"Copy & Replace"_.
This will overwrite the existing _outlook.pst_ file inside the Outlook folder.

Now open the new Outlook email application.
All messages & contacts from the old Outlook should now be visible in the new Outlook.


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## nucleuscracker (Jan 8, 2012)

I should have noted that I don't plan on loading outlook onto her new computer. After having a HD crash a few years ago, before the days of backup, I lost all my contacts, email and so forth and haven't used Outlook since. 

As she can check her email on the web as well, I'm looking to have her utilize that method versus Outlook. I'm an iMac person, but with what she uses her computer for, can't justify the cost for a 2nd iMac. 

so I'm guessing the the only option we have is to just transfer her "old" email to the HD of the machine, as there isn't a way to someway make her email "visible" again online? 

thanks again for the help!


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

You could Forward them all to herself. Outlook allows multiple selection. Be sure to disable receiving so they don't come back prior to getting out of Outlook. At the website, move to an appropriate folder.


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## nucleuscracker (Jan 8, 2012)

Corday said:


> You could Forward them all to herself. Outlook allows multiple selection. Be sure to disable receiving so they don't come back prior to getting out of Outlook. At the website, move to an appropriate folder.


Thanks for the tip Corday, I'll give it a shot!


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## nucleuscracker (Jan 8, 2012)

back from a crazy week of work. 

time for an update: 

Receiving has been turned off, so no new email. 
Able to view all new email online
successfully transferred contacts and calendar events to Google.

Current issue:

forwarded all email to herself and viewing it online -but it comes through as a DAT file... any suggestions here? I'd rather not have all her saved emails come through as that... Or is this my only option as we dont have outlook on the new rig? 

thanks again!


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

In order to accomplish the fix, you're going to have to delete them form the Web (unless you want duplication). This blog describes how to get rid of the DAT problem: How to Prevent Winmail.dat Attachments from Being Sent in Outlook - About Email


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## miss java (Jul 16, 2012)

I was trying to copy the Outlook.pst file from an old computer to a newer used one, both with Outlook 2007. I got an error message when trying to copy the pst file from the old computer onto a flash drive. The problem wasn't that the file was too big; it was something else, but right now I can't remember what. 

In any case, after reading thru various suggestions, I finally succeeded with this insanely simple process: I was able to copy the pst file from its normal location onto the desktop of the old machine. Then I transferred the copy from the desktop onto the flash drive with no problem. 

From there, I just copied the pst file onto the newer computer, overwriting the old pst file already there from an earlier email account. Voila! My theory was that Outlook didn't want to copy its pst file to an external device?? Hope this helps someone out there.


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