Migrate Outlook 2007 POP3 from XP to Windows 7 64-bit without Downloading Messages

[stlsailor]

I need to migrate Outlook 2007 on several computers from XP 32-bit to Windows 7 64-bit. POP3 accounts are used.



Previously it was possible to migrate between XP machines and avoid downloading all the e-mail saved on a server by exporting and importing the Outlook profile in the registry, along with the .pst file and the Local Settings Application Data. Will that same approach work moving from XP to Windows 7? If not, what alternative can I use?

There are thousands of messages on the server and since they are already in the local .pst file we do not need to take the time and space to download them all again.

stlsailor

[SpiderTech]

stlsailor,

The migration process you are requesting can be done.

First, if all messages are still located on the server, have you simply attempted to configure a profile to the POP server?

If the data is not on the server, and stored locally on the machine, simply import the .PST into the outlook on the Windows 7 machine.

***Not familiar with importing registry but you can export the Outlook profile by exporting it to the ,PST then importing it back into Outlook on the machine.

Please note: if the data is stored on the POP server, and since you are not migrating from one server to another, import / export is not necessary. Just create the profile on the new computer. Or import the data but MAKE CERTAIN that DO NOT IMPORT DUPLICATES is selected.

Hope this helps.

[stlsailor]

Please note: if the data is stored on the POP server, and since you are not migrating from one server to another, import / export is not necessary. Just create the profile on the new computer. Or import the data but MAKE CERTAIN that DO NOT IMPORT DUPLICATES is selected.

I just got back into town to give this a try. Unfortunately it duplicated messages--not on the transfer (I did check the box you mentioned on the import) but on the subsequent send/receive.

I set up a new profile and only one e-mail account, a less-used one, for a test.

There were 76 messages in the pst file on the old computer. All of them imported fine into the new computer.

There were 1441 messages on the server for that one e-mail account, only one of which was newer than those already in the pst file.

After hitting Send/Receive there were 112 messages sent to that e-mail account in the pst file on the new computer and most, (strangely enough not all), were duplicated. With my main e-mail account having thousands of messages on the server, that would be a huge problem.

Here's what I did:

1. Copied the old pst file to the hard drive on the new computer.
2. Imported it into Outlook.
3. Set up the one e-mail account for a test.
4. Hit Send/Receive.
5. Checked to see how many messages were now in the pst file sent to that one e-mail account I set up on Outlook for the test.

[SpiderTech]

stlsailor,

As stated before, your not migrating away from your current system. So backing up the data from your server to re-import to the same server will cause duplicates.

To help remove the duplicates, you can perform a full mailbox export removing everything from the server and importing it again with Do Not Import Duplicates checked. In an Exchange platform 2003 or higher, all duplicated messages should not be imported back to the server. This also has been tested using standard pop services.

Hope this helps.

[stlsailor]

As stated before, your not migrating away from your current system. So backing up the data from your server to re-import to the same server will cause duplicates.

To help remove the duplicates, you can perform a full mailbox export removing everything from the server and importing it again with Do Not Import Duplicates checked. In an Exchange platform 2003 or higher, all duplicated messages should not be imported back to the server. This also has been tested using standard pop services.

What I understand from this is that when I import the pst file from the XP machine to the Win7 machine and do a Send/Receive for gmail there will be duplicates since I am set up to leave messages on gmail as well as download them. I should then export the pst file from the Win7 machine and re-import it with the appropriate check box to eliminate the duplicates. Is that the right understanding?

If that's right, then it solves part of the problem because at least duplicates can be eliminated. There is still the problem of tying up my machine and internet connection for a day or two downloading thousands of e-mail messages that don't need to be downloaded in the first place. That's what I most want to avoid. If I understand what you're saying right, I wouldn't avoid that, but I would have a good method of eliminating duplicates once it's done.

Exporting the Outlook profile registry keys to the new computer caused messages already on the local computer not to be downloaded in the first place when I moved between XP machines, but moving from an XP machine to Win7 I'd think would make that method no longer workable.

I do appreciate the help working through this.

Dale