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2chiefsRus's avatar
2chiefsRus
Explorer
Dec 22, 2019

Outlook Contacts and Tasks

Normally I can find what I am looking for with a Google Search but I am stumped this time. I use Outlook Office 365 for my Emails, Contacts and Tasks. I have three different email addresses that I access with Outlook Office 365. I am getting ready to delete the oldest email address and its PST file. I am afraid that I am going to lose the contacts and recurring tasks that I created years ago with that email address if I delete the PST file for that email address.

So long story to get to this question - How can I tell which PST file a contact or task is stored in?

9 Replies

  • I did that same thing once with an older version of office.
    And yes, sometimes hard to tell which PST file is which.

    I copied several PST files from their residing directory to a backup folder I created. Then I opened, closed Outlook in the file I wanted to keep. I navigated to the PST file folder and checked the date and time stamp on the file. The one I just used, the one I wanted to keep, showed being accessed a minute ago. The others didn't.

    This would include accessing your task or contact in that file to make sure its there.

    Delete the other one or two. If you mess it up, you can copy the old files back to their original folder.
    If it all works well, delete the copies you made.

    It was at least 10 years ago I did this, so I'm relying on my aging memory for accuracy of what I just outlined!!
  • GOOGLE seems to provide answers to your problem. What you want to do is simply merge all your PST files into one. There is software available to do this quickly, or you can do it manually. I found how to instructions here:
    https://www.nucleustechnologies.com/blog/how-to-merge-multiple-outlook-pst-files/

    And here

    https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/merge-outlook-pst-files/
  • I am considering
    1) Exporting my Calendar, Contacts and Tasks
    2) changing the default PST
    3) Importing my Calendar, Contacts and Tasks.

    OR

    At this point, I'm thinking of just leaving the old PST file in place. It isn't hurting anything and I'm liable to cause more trouble trying to do all the above. I just thought it would just be a matter of clicking on each task and updating the email address that owns it. Not so simple.....
  • wnjj wrote:
    2chiefsRus wrote:
    wnjj wrote:
    This topic is about Outlook2013 but I’m guessing it hasn’t changed with 365. Check out the last post:

    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/office-365-home-how-can-i-retrieve-my-outlook/6b70877b-86b5-4ca2-a837-88757a1b8df4


    Thanks for the reply. Sounds like that guy has the problem I am looking to avoid. However, I am using POP not IMAP.

    The part about a “default data file>“ should help. Do you see one of your PST’s labeled with that?


    Yes the oldest email address's PST is listed as default. The more I read, the more afraid I am that changing that default to the new email address's PST file will mean that I won't see my old tasks or calendar events anymore - may only see the tasks and calendar events created after I change the default. I was hoping to find a way to modify existing calendar events and tasks and contacts. Not looking very likely but I'll keep reading.
  • wnjj's avatar
    wnjj
    Explorer II
    2chiefsRus wrote:
    wnjj wrote:
    This topic is about Outlook2013 but I’m guessing it hasn’t changed with 365. Check out the last post:

    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/office-365-home-how-can-i-retrieve-my-outlook/6b70877b-86b5-4ca2-a837-88757a1b8df4


    Thanks for the reply. Sounds like that guy has the problem I am looking to avoid. However, I am using POP not IMAP.

    The part about a “default data file>“ should help. Do you see one of your PST’s labeled with that?

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