How to Transfer Data From an Old Outlook Profile to a New Profile
By Mark Taylor
Microsoft Outlook stores your emails, calendar entries, contacts, attachments and other profile data in specific folders on your computer. By moving your data folders, you can recreate this saved information in your new Outlook account. This method saves time and reduces the possibility of losing or wrongly entering data into your new profile. The PST file containing your Outlook profile data is hidden by default, so first unhide this file, and then transfer its data in a few simple steps using various tools within Outlook.
Show Hidden PST File
Step 1
Open your Windows Control Panel by clicking the right side of the desktop screen, typing "Control Panel" in the search box, and then pressing "Enter."
Step 2
Type "Folder Options" in the Control Box search field, and then press "Enter" to open the Folder Options window.
Step 3
Select the "View" tab, click "Hidden files and folders," and then click the radio button next to "Show hidden files, folders, and drives" to reveal the hidden PST file.
Move Data From Old to New Profile
Step 1
Launch Outlook, and then click "File | Info | Account Settings | Account Settings."
Step 2
Find the path for your PST Personal Folder by clicking the "Data Files" tab in the Account Settings window, selecting "Personal Files," and then clicking "Settings." The file path is displayed at the top of this box. Highlight the path, press "Ctrl-C" to copy it to the clipboard, click "OK," and then select "Close."
Step 3
Click "Menu," select "Open," click "Import from Another Program or File" to open the "Import and Export" dialog box, and then click "Next" in this dialog box.
Step 4
Click inside the "File to Import" text field, press "Ctrl-V" to paste the file path of your PST Personal Folder in the field, and then click "Next."
Step 5
Click the "Contacts" folder in the "Select the Folder to Import From" list to import your contacts to your new profile. Click the "Include Subfolders" box if there are any subfolders containing information that you would like to import to your new profile.
Step 6
Click "Import Items Into the Current Folder," and then click "Finish" to finalize importing data from your old profile to your new profile.
References
Warnings
- Information in this article applies to Outlook 2010 and 2013. It may vary slightly or significantly with other versions or products.
Writer Bio
Mark Taylor is a professional technical writer specializing in articles accessible to readers of any tech background. Taylor's favorite topics include Internet safety, mobile electronics and embedded systems. He is a triathlete and avid mountain biker.