How to Transfer Microsoft Outlook 2007 Contents to Another Computer

Whether you are working from a different location or have upgraded your business computer, for Windows Vista users, backing up and transferring Outlook 2007 contents is an easy process. If you do not use a Microsoft Exchange Server, Outlook automatically stores much of your data, such as messages, business contacts, tasks, notes and appointments, to a personal storage folder. This folder can be easily exported from one computer and imported into another.

How to Transfer Microsoft Outlook 2007 Contents to Another Computer

Open Microsoft Outlook to begin backing up and transferring Outlook 2007 data. Click on "File," then "Import And Export." Select "Export to a file" from the list of actions in the "Import and Export Wizard" that pops up. Then click "Next." Select "Personal Folder File" and click "Next."

Select the folder you wish to export and click "Next." Additionally, you can click on "Filter" to create your own search criteria for locating and exporting specific types of data, such as flagged or unread items. Click "Browse" and select the destination for your exported file. Name the file, then click "OK," then "Finish."

Insert the USB device, or thumb drive, into your computer. Then click "Start Menu," then "Computer" to locate it. Drag the exported file to your thumb drive. Safely eject the drive by right-clicking on it and opting to "Safely Remove Hardware."

Insert the USB device into the new computer and copy the contents to the computer.

Open Microsoft Outlook on your new computer. Click on "File," then "Import And Export."

Click "Import from another program or file," then click "Next."

Select "Personal Folder File," then click "Next." Browse to the file that you want to import, select it and click "Open." Click "Next," then "Finish."

Tips

It's a good idea to regularly back up your Microsoft Outlook 2007 data. In the event that your hardware fails or you lose some data, having a backup can save you significant time, energy and heartache. Microsoft offers a Personal Folders Backup tool add-in for Outlook that creates backups of specified data at regular intervals. The Backup tool can be downloaded HERE.