Outlook folder transfer

Question

How to transfer folders from old Outlook to new Outlook

Answer 1

Hi,

I understand you want to transfer folders from old/classic Outlook to new Outlook for Windows. I am happy to help. Please reply with these details so we can give the exact next step

• Are the old folders visible in Outlook.com or your email provider’s webmail?
• Were the old folders stored in a .pst file in classic Outlook?
• Do you need to transfer only emails, or also contacts and calendar items?

Meanwhile, try the steps below:

1) First, check whether the folders already exist in webmail

Sign in to your email account through its webmail page, such as Outlook.com, Gmail, Yahoo, or your provider’s website. If the folders are already visible there, they are server-side mailbox folders and should sync to new Outlook after you add the same account.

In new Outlook:

• Open Settings.
• Go to Accounts.
• Select Add account.
• Add the same email account again if needed.

2) If the folders are stored in a local Outlook Data File (.pst), open the .pst in new Outlook

In new Outlook:

• Open Settings.
• Select Files.
• Select Outlook Data Files.
• Choose Add file.
• Select the .pst file.
• Select Open.

References:

• Open and close Outlook Data Files (.pst) | Microsoft Support
• Open and find items in an Outlook Data File (.pst) | Microsoft Support

Important: Opening .pst files in new Outlook requires classic Outlook to also be installed, and both versions must use the same architecture (32-bit or 64-bit).

3) If you want the old folders to become part of your mailbox, use classic Outlook for the import

Importing emails, contacts, and calendar items from a .pst is not available in new Outlook at this time. To import the folders into the mailbox itself, you need to use classic Outlook.

In classic Outlook:

• Open File.
• Select Open & Export.
• Select Import/Export.
• Choose Import from another program or file.
• Select Outlook Data File (.pst).
• Follow the prompts to import the file into the mailbox.

See: Import email, contacts, and calendar from an Outlook .pst file | Microsoft Support

4) Make sure “Include subfolders” is selected during export or import

If old folders or subfolders are missing after transfer, maybe subfolders were not included during export or import. Please rerun the process when needed and review the selected import destination/options carefully.

5) If the old Outlook folders were never exported, export them first from classic Outlook

If the folders only exist in classic Outlook and were never exported to a .pst, export them first using classic Outlook.

In classic Outlook:

• Open File.
• Select Open & Export.
• Select Import/Export.
• Choose Export to a file.
• Select Outlook Data File (.pst).
• Choose the mailbox or folder you want to export.
• Make sure Include subfolders is selected.
• Save the .pst file.

6) Keep classic Outlook available if you still need full PST, contacts, or calendar handling

New Outlook can provide access to emails stored in a .pst file, but calendar and contacts items saved in .pst files are not accessible in new Outlook, and importing emails, contacts, and calendar items into the mailbox is not available there at this time. If those items are important, use classic Outlook for the transfer.

7) You can run classic Outlook and new Outlook side by side during the transfer

Running new Outlook and classic Outlook side by side is possible, so you can keep classic Outlook available for the old folders while checking what appears in new Outlook.

Please tell me how it goes. If the problem persists, please don’t hesitate to reply to this thread and I will be happy to help. Have a lovely day!  

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