# Can't find mail folders in MS Outlook 2003



## Canajun (Mar 1, 2007)

MS Outlook 2003 on XP Pro
Computer was originally set up with XP on drive C: and Office 2003 on Drive D. Recently backed up D but not C, then deleted all partitions, reformatted, repartitioned and re-installed XP on C: drive. My problem is that I didnt specifically back up the mail folders in Outlook just before I formatted everything and I cant find them in the new installation (or the backup to import them into the new copy of Outlook). Entire computer searches for pst, ost, dbx, & mailbox don't find anything useful. Anybody know where they'd be hiding? Even if the old ones are gone, the new installation must have these folders stashed somewhere but I can't find them either. Thanks for any help.


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## pip22 (Nov 21, 2004)

Unlike Outlook Express, Outlook doesn't create folders (except those in the Outlook interface) to represent message folders and contacts. It just stores them all in a single PST file. If you formatted all partitions that will be gone, along with any backups you made.


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## cwwozniak (Nov 29, 2005)

Canajun said:


> Even if the old ones are gone, the new installation must have these folders stashed somewhere but I can't find them either. Thanks for any help.


In the Outlook 2003 menu bar select File -> Data File management ...

The should call up a screen that shows the file path to the new PST file.

FWiW, in Windows search, you may need to enable search in system and hidden folders to find them.


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## Canajun (Mar 1, 2007)

I always change a variety of defaults. Hidden files and folders are always set to show (and I've just checked that they are set to show). However, I didn't know or didn't remember about the Data File Management button. Default location is under C:\Documents and Settings\.....\Local Settings.... Don't see why that couldn't be changed but I know I didn't, so pip22 is right. They're gone. Once again, I curse myself for not thinking things through carefully enough and/or not doing the backups I know I should. Perhaps because I deliberately keep the rest of my data on a different drive I forget Windows often stashes things in places other than where I want to keep them. Thanks to you both anyway. Its forums like this that make things a lot easier/better for guys like me who frequently screw up.


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## Bob Cerelli (Nov 3, 2002)

That can be changed quite easily.

For the future, why not just configure Outlook to use a PST file in a location that is easier to remember and backup . You are not stuck or limited by only the default one. For example put it in your My Documents folder. Or in this case, since you backed up your D: drive, put it there.


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## Canajun (Mar 1, 2007)

Thanks, Bob. I've done just that and, while I was at it, I moved the "My Documents" folder to my "E:" drive. As much as possible I'm trying to separate the system, application and data files. Recently got a 320GB external Sata2 hard drive (which won't work in my current computer) so backups for my current 60GB internal drive may not be as much of a problem for a while. However, I'm also acquiring , piece by piece, the fixins' for a new computer. I expect to start using the 320 as my main drive asap so will probably be back to limited backups then. Seems like a good idea to wipe out the clutter in the system every couple of years but it'd be nice to have a decent backup for those things that will inevitably end up mixed in with the system files no matter how hard I try to separate them. (Deep sigh)


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