If you’ve tried the PST Import Tool for Entourage 2004, and found that it won’t import your Outlook for Windows PST files, Diane recently posted Amir Haque’s method for migrating Outlook 2003 and 2007 PST files to Entourage 2004. However, if you don’t have an Exchange Server then you can’t use Outlook 2001 at home. Or can you?
A day after Diane’s post we were contacted privately by Dow Smith from the UK. He was trying to follow the method but ran into a snag. Outlook 2001 for Mac, which is the only application that can create PST files that Entourage 2004 can import, insists on connecting to an Exchange Server during setup. Unlike Outlook for Windows, Outlook for Mac was only an Exchange client and could never be used at home for POP or IMAP E-mail. Without connecting to Exchange, Dow’s migration was failed before it could start.
About three years ago on an old defunct blog I posted a tip for “Reading Outlook .pst files on a Mac without an Exchange server”. This was mainly in response to newsgroup requests asking for help to open old PST files created in Outlook 2001. The solution was to provide an empty Outlook 2001 profile for download. The application didn’t really need to connect to Exchange. It simply was designed to connect to Exchange first and then create the profile.
I pointed Dow to the old blog, which had the instructions and the empty Exchange profile for download. A day later Dow reported back:
“I assumed that importing into Outlook for mac would write a NEW pst somewhere, but it seemed to simply continue using the Outlook for Windows PST file. I thus ended up creating a new Mail folder in Outlook for Mac, then moved all the old mail subfolders. This finally provided a PST file that ‘PST import tool was able to see, so I was finally able to import the messages into Entourage.
“Would never have managed this without your fantastic help.”
Dow, while we enjoy hearing about your success we enjoy even more your kind words. Thank you.
Empty Exchange profile for Outlook 2001
If you have a similar need to move your Outlook for Windows PST files to Entourage, first have a look at Diane’s post and download the Outlook 2001 software from Mactopia.
Next, if you don’t have access to an Exchange Server then download this empty Exchange profile for Outlook 2001. (Remember, Outlook 2001 runs only in Mac OS 9 or in Mac OS X under Classic mode. This method will not work with an Intel Mac.)
Place the “Exchange Profiles” folder in the Preferences folder of the System Folder. Open the Outlook Settings application found in the Outlook 2001 folder and add an existing .pst file to the Services tab of the empty profile. Close the Outlook Settings application and then launch Outlook 2001. You should immediately go into your .pst file without needing to connect to an Exchange Server first.
At this point, you will be able to continue following Amir’s method to move your PST information into Entourage 2004.
Please note: For most cases, when we receive E-mail from readers asking for personal help, we like to encourage them to instead post their questions in the Entourage newsgroup online so that everyone, present and future, can benefit from the questions and answers. Please feel free to E-mail us if you have private comments or suggestions for this blog or any of its entries.
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I went through all these steps under Classic, but every time I launch Outlook 2001 it quits. I get the yellow title screen and then nothing.
The .pst file I selected in Outlook Settings was the same .pst I converted to ANSI .pst from an Outlook 2003 for Windows file. Should I be using a different .pst file to jumpstart Outlook 2001? If I can’t launch the program, where do I get one? Thanks.
Hi David!
Your problem sounds vaguely familiar—especially since you say you’re running under Classic. I recall an issue that was never resolved where Outlook simply wouldn’t run under Classic.
Can you boot into Mac OS 9 directly and try there? Alternately, can you use Disk Utility to create a disk image and launch Outlook 2001 from the disk image?
I have an item of concern. I have my Outlook 2003 PST files burned on a CD. I no longer have access to my old Windows based PC. How can I import the files into Entourage 2008?
Thank you!
Hi Rynn!
That fact is that PST files are proprietary to Outlook (Mac and Windows). To open them will require Outlook.
Your best bet is to find someone who can let you use Outlook for a little while on his computer and then use something like Outlook2Mac from Little Machines to export them to a format you can read on your Mac.
Good luck!
spent ages trying to set up outlook 2001 and to no avail.
-down loaded it to my lappy that still has classic 9 available on it.
-loaded my pst onto the desk top in a folder from my pc.
-downloaded the empty profile and copied into the system preferences folder of os 9.
-put outlook into the os 9 applications folder and opened it up, located outlook settings, but then got stuck as services tab didn’t seem to be available to me.. also wasn’t sure what to do about an existing pst file, as the only ones i have are in an unreadable form in a folder on the desktop waiting to be loaded!!!
Am i being stupid…I am not a computer geek, but do get by pretty well normally. I have all my old contacts available on vmware fusion on my new imac, but even though its a clever bit of software i really want to stop ever using any form of pc software ever again. Many of you will i would i guess agree! PC windows is so disappointing after a while on macs. a picture guided tutorial for us dislexic ludites would be so FAB….Please
thanks if you take the time to respond
Ben
Hi Ben!
Can your laptop actually boot into Mac OS 9? If so, do that and see if you have better luck. You should only need to do this for the setup and then run Outlook 2001 in Classic after that. Mac OS X permissions may be affecting the files or something similar.
Did you make sure to copy the whole Exchange Profiles folder with files inside into Preferences in the System Folder? I’ve never heard of the Services tab not being available.
See what happens if, after you’ve placed all the files, you drag your .pst file on top of the Outlook 2001 application icon. I’ve seen this open the file before so long as it thinks a profile is available. The profile isn’t needed other than to trick Outlook into thinking you’ve been connected to an Exchange Server before.
Thanks for the feedback about the picture-guided tour. Since posting these instructions I’ve been doing so with other posts. If I can locate a Mac OS 9 system at work then I’ll see what I can whip up.
I’m having the same problem as Ben. I copied the Exchange Profiles folder to the Preferences in the Classic System Folder. When I open Outlook Settings, the only option that is available is to create a new profile. There is no service tab, just the General one.
I know Microsoft doesn’t like people to switch to Mac, but making it this difficult to transfer email between two programs that are both CREATED by Microsoft is just ridiculous.
The “empty” profile seems to be the problem. I have Outlook 2001 running native in OS 9.2.2 on a G4 PowerBook. While Outlook wants to run just fine, it does not recognize the “empty” Exchange Profile. The one found here consists of 4 files with the names of: Exchange UID, Outlook Bar, Profile Registry and 000360e0. The name of the unstuffed folder is: Exchange Profiles, which I have dutifully placed in the Extensions Folder. Unfortunately, there is no Services tab, no matter what I try. Maybe a new profile will some the problem? Can someone post another “empty” profile? Thanks!
I’m not sure why this works for some folks but not others and, unfortunately, I don’t have the ability to create a new empty Exchange profile. That requires running Outlook 2001 under Mac OS 9 and connecting to an Exchange Server.
All I can suggest is that you make sure permissions for everything in your Classic “Applications (Mac OS 9)” and “System Folder” are read/write for everyone as it would have been on an actual Mac OS 9 system. Select each folder, choose File –> Get Info and change Everyone to read/write.
Hope this helps!
William,
As I mentioned, I am running OS 9.2.2 natively, that is I am booting from a drive and running the OS directly. We are not talking Classic anything, just plain vanilla, good old OS 9. And I don’t know who this method works for; all i see on this page is folks for whom it doesn’t. There’s gotta be something missing from somewhere… I am not sure I am alone in my need for this to work. Hopefully, someone can post a solution sooner than later.
For those getting no services tab… I had the same problem when I followed this step:
Place the “Exchange Profiles” folder in the Preferences folder of the System Folder.
Rather the step should read:
Place the “Exchange Profiles” folder in the Preferences folder of the your current System Folder for the OS you are running. For me it happened to be Previous System Folder. Once I put the “Exchange Profiles” folder there, I could see the services tab.
For those that cannot get Outlook 2001 to open with the profile given and their .pst, I had the same problem. I went back to Outlook 2003 (Control Panel -> Mail in XP actually) and created a new .pst file in the 97-2002 format. I then took this ‘empty’ .pst file that was created and used that as the .pst file (along with the provided profile given above) and Outlook 2001 then opened. Once Outlook 2001 opens once, you can then go and swap the .pst with your data in place of the ‘empty’ .pst file and it should work.
Great hint, just used this to open 10+ years worth of emails, archived across 2G worth of PSTs, which were copied over from a W2K box. Followed the instructions mostly as written and it worked a treat, thanks very much! The only deviation was I had to accept a dialogue that said something like “do you want outlook to rebuild your toolbar”. Until I did this, Outlook would give several error dialogs w/the message “your profile is not complete”.