Export Account Settings in Outlook 2007

BTW,

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_USERS\S-1-5-21-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxx\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\Outlook

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.
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

4)

"Wolf" wrote:

> Galen,
>
> Your reply almost pushed me to say "bad words"!!!!
>
> Doesn't matter how wonderful or powerful the suite is if it lacks of such a
> simple and important tool as an "account exporter"... The "Outlook Develop
> Team" should be at a shame of themselves for this stupid failure (and
> Microsoft, as a company, for not providing a external tool of fixing upgrade
> for that).
>
> People who PAY MONEY for their operational tools should not be required to
> waste their valuable time studding SDKs and APIs to develop solutions to
> cover up the incompetence of a so well paid team (the Outlook Develop Team).
>
> Why don't you shut up and stop bragging about how "wonderful" the "most
> popular Office suite on the planet" is and open your mind to realize that,
> regardless of its "wonderfulness", IT STILL LACKS OF SOME SIMPLE AND
> IMPORTANT RESOURCE!!!
>
> Stop saying to people to "put up or shut up" because they PAID for something
> and they have the right to complaint once it doesn't do the job entirely!!!
>
> -- Wolf
>
> "Galen" wrote:
>
> > My reply is at the bottom of your sent message.
> >
> > In news:3E40675E-0285-4CBC-8074-23FAD78FA294@microsoft.com,
> > alt.testing typed:
> >
> > >> Or lose a few mail accounts I personally prefer multiple aliases on a
> > >> single mailbox than having multiple mailboxes.
> > >> It's indeed a shame that there isn't such a tool
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > It's a shame? It's a joke. Why there isn't such a mechanism to perform
> > > this
> > > task seamlessly is outside the scope of human understanding. Hell, I
> > > could
> > > write something in a scripting language that could do this, if provided a
> > > decent API. Testament to much of the disdain that exists towards Outlook.
> >
> > The Outlook APIs and SDK are among the best on the planet. Put up or shut
> > up. We're not talking some obscure OS or small time operation here. We're
> > talking about the most popular Office suite on the planet. Put up or shut
> > up.
> >
> > --
> > Galen (Not Current MS-MVP)
> >
> > My Geek Site: http://kgiii.info
> > Web Hosting: http://whathostingshould.be
> >
> > "In solving a problem of this sort, the grand thing is to be able to reason
> > backwards. That is a very useful accomplishment, and a
> > very easy one, but people do not practise it much. In the every-day affairs
> > of life it is more useful to reason forwards, and so
> > the other comes to be neglected. There are fifty who can reason
> > synthetically for one who can reason analytically." - Sherlock
> > Holmes
> >
> >
> >

"Wolf" wrote:

> BTW,
>
> 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_USERS\S-1-5-21-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxx\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\Outlook
>
> 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!


Wolf this is great but I have a simple [probably stupid] question.

So Do I export the entire key "Outlook"? Or is it necessary to find the
keys that actually hold the account settings themselves?

As Brian brightly replied, exporting the entire KEY named "Outlook" (or, the
KEY that reflects the Outlook profile name) should do the trick very well.

Also I would like to reinforce what Brian also said about using the
HKEY_CURRENT_USER instead of
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxx... Both work as same, as
far as you are on the same Windows Account in which the Outlook runs... The
fact is that on the majority of time when I execute this procedure I do it on
the "safe mode" and the user has another account... But, if you are logged on
the same account in which the Outlook is running, both methods will work as
same.

Just some remarks:

1) I am not sure if this "backup method" will work entirely if the account
is using Microsoft Exchange. I can assure it will work with
POP3/IMAP/HTTP/RSS, but I haven't have a chance to try it on a machine with
Microsoft Exchange. If someone else is able to try it and post the results it
would be nice;

2) On the Office 2007 the KEY also carries the RULES, so then you don't need
to export them. On the previous version of Outlook the rules use to require
the exporting method;

3) Don't forget to backup any existing signatures, they are commonly save on
external files.

Besides those remarks, this procedure is wonderfully fast and safe.

Regards to you all.

-- Wolf

"Glostah" wrote:

>
>
> "Wolf" wrote:
>
> > BTW,
> >
> > 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_USERS\S-1-5-21-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxx\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\Outlook
> >
> > 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!
>
>
> Wolf this is great but I have a simple [probably stupid] question.
>
> So Do I export the entire key "Outlook"? Or is it necessary to find the
> keys that actually hold the account settings themselves?
>

"Glostah" wrote in message


> "Wolf" wrote:
>
>> BTW,
>>
>> 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_USERS\S-1-5-21-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxx\Software\Microsoft\Windows
>> NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\Outlook

Better to use HKEY_CURRENT_USER rather than the GUID.

You should be able to export whatever is below "profiles". It may not be
the word "Outlook", since your mail profile name may not be "Outlook". It
will be whatever your mail profile name is.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

"Wolf" wrote in message


> 1) I am not sure if this "backup method" will work entirely if the account
> is using Microsoft Exchange. I can assure it will work with
> POP3/IMAP/HTTP/RSS, but I haven't have a chance to try it on a machine
> with
> Microsoft Exchange. If someone else is able to try it and post the results
> it
> would be nice;

It won't retain any account passwords. You'll have to redefine them.

> 2) On the Office 2007 the KEY also carries the RULES, so then you don't
> need
> to export them. On the previous version of Outlook the rules use to
> require
> the exporting method;

For Outlook 2007 rules are in a hidden folder in the PST, not in the mail
profile. If you move a PST properly, the rules can move with it. Hoewever,
it's always best to use the Rules Wizard to export the rules and move the
exported RWZ file, importing them again if needed on the target PC.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

This link looks very promising.

http://www.backuphowto.info/how-to-backup-restore-data-e-mail-account-...tings-o