During a recent migration from a Windows XP computer to a new system running Windows 7 x64, I was dismayed to think that I had to manually rebuild all 14 of my Outlook e‑mail accounts, their usernames and passwords, incoming and outgoing server data, and so on. After a while searching around, I found this extremely easy solution on the Microsoft Communities forums. I’m re-posting it here to make it easier for others to find. The solution worked perfectly for me. Hopefully it will help you, too.
I forgot to say it on the previous post: it is possible to export the
Outlook Email Accounts direct from the Registry and import it back on the
other installation. To do this open the Regedit and go to:
[HKEY_USERSS‑1–5‑21-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxSoftwareMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWindows Messaging SubsystemProfilesOutlook
Note: “S‑1–5‑21-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxx” is your GUID, which will
differ for each installation.
Edit or delete entries as you need, then export the entire key to a file and
import it into your new installation!
If you use this method to move the settings to another PC, make sure you do
a search and replace on the xxxxx as your GUID will be different.
It’s usually a good idea to back up the existing key on the new PC before
deleting it. Remember to always make a registry backup first and just be
careful in there!
It works for me all the time. My “FULL backup procedure” is simple:
1) Save the PST file (which is your Post Office file, containing all the
e‑mails, calendar, address book, etc)
2) Export your RULES
3) Export the aforementioned Registry Key
To import it on another installation is simple (just a few more steps):
1) Open Outlook at least ONCE, and DO NOT create an e‑mail account a this
time. Just follow the start up screens until it is done.
2) Find out the location of your PST file (go to TOOLS -> ACCOUNT SETTINGS
-> DATA FILES). Take a note of the PST file location.
3) Close Outlook (don’t minimize, CLOSE IT).
4) Go to the folder where the PST file is located and DELETE IT, replacing
it by your own backup copy
5) Open the REGEDIT and import the KEY with your email accounts settings
(make sure you have changed the GUID on the backup file as explained above)
6) Open Outlook again. Don’t be scared if it gives you an error message.
Just ignore it and close the message window. Outlook will open with all your
e‑mails and accounts already restored.
7) Import the RULES back (TOOLS -> RULES AND ALERTS -> OPTIONS -> IMPORT
RULES). Note that you may have to “adjust” some rules in very rare cases. In
most cases you just need to re-enable them.
8) As your PST file uses “direct access” to link some “shortcuts”, the
Address Book link will probably be lost (but all the addresses you have are
still there). To fix it just delete the EMPTY address book on the tree and
link yours using the address book tool to fix the shortcuts (TOOLS -> ADDRESS
BOOK).
It is pretty much simple this procedure and it may takes 15 minutes only of
your time (a lot less than develop a solution for that).
I’ve been thinking myself to create an automated tool for the task, but as
I’ve said: it is so fast to do it by hand (and failure free) that doesn’t
make sense on my case to develop a tool for the task. However, I’d love to
see someone else doing the job (maybe YOU, Galen?). If someone wants to
develop a tool I’d like to help. Just drop me a line and I can provide lots
of information about Outlook tricks…
Hope this post have helped someone else.
– Wolf