Windows 7 - Outlook 2007 - Asked By Pat Gannon on 23-Feb-12 02:36 PM

I wanted to clear some space on my hard drive because the Outlook .pst and .ost files were taking up so much space (14gb). Please don't assume I know what I am typing about because I know those file extensions, because I flat out am not computer literate.
Someone suggested I copy them over to an external hard drive and delete them from my "c" drive. I did, turned the computer off and went to bed. This morning Outlook 2007 wouldn't open at all. I figured I would just re-copy them over from the external hard drive and put them back in the folder where they were and it'd be back to normal. Alas... ignorance is sometimes bliss, but not in this case.
Somehow, I got Outlook to open and the "e-mail" portion of Outlook 2007 is working and I can send and receive mail. There are no contacts  even though I had about 800 before. When I open a new e-mail and start to type the person's name, Outlook 2007 fills in the name so I figure the contact info is still there... somewhere, but I don't know how to get to it to get it back in my Contacts. Secondly, when I try to open the Calendar, I get an error message "the set of folders cannot be opened. File access is denied".
My gut tells me I just have to establish some kind of bread crumb path from Outlook to the correct contact and contact folder, but I don't know how to establish that trail. Any help or suggestions available will be greatly appreciated.

The .pst file is essentially the storage place for your emails and contacts.  You can import and export this into Outlook.  So, the files are portable.  I do not have Outlook 2007 anymore but I know this functionality is in there.  In Outlook 2010, it is on the File tab under the "Open" option.  It will give you an importunity to Import/Export.  Select that and go through the options and import your old .pst file.

Pat,

Robbie is right about the option being under the File tab. in the earlier versions like 07 and 03 the Import / Export are lables on the File tab drop down.  and the files are browsable.  Address book .pab  saved emails. .pst

However I am not sure you actually want to import them since you moved them due to a space issue.  you simply want to as you put it link them or locate them for use on the external.

then try this
Go to Tools,  then Options,  then Mail setup, then Data Files.   you can then specify when you want your new emails to save at.  I dont have an external to check this but I think you can navigate to teh stored files as well and continue to use those.   you may have to set it and close outlook and reopen to see them.

HTH

Don