any free (or cheap) utilities to export outlook pst files to HTML or XML?

[avevers]

Hi

At work I am continually reminded that my mailbox quota is getting full (Outlook 2003). I don't want to delete any mails, but would rather be able to export them to another format and then archive them off locally.

Ideally I would like to export them all into a Lotus Notes database (a single .nsf file is attractive to me  ) but the only option is a $129 utility that I have seen and frankly I was hoping for something a little cheaper or, er, free-er.

So - does anyone know of any utility that allows you to export all or selected mails from an Outlook 2003 pst file to another archival format, such as HTML, XML or even flat text?

Thanks for reading.

Andrew

[40hz]

Dumping to a text file is easy. You can do a 'Save As' to text or export to a TSV textfile. Don't know how useful that's going to be for what you want to accomplish, but one how-to (with screenshots) can be found here:

http://www.uwgb.edu/...chive_emails_txt.htm

Luck!

[avevers]

Thanks for the reply (that URL is blocked at work here so will check later)

The "save as" is a possibility but ideally I would have a singel HTML fiel (maybe even an mht file) per email, as opposed to one long text file.

Any other ideas?

Thanks!

[daddydave]

What interests me about this question is that you ideally would like the mails in a Lotus Notes format, BUT you'll settle for txt format, BUT have flat out rejected keeping them in a PST file where all the contents would be preserved the most accurately and still could be archived off locally, sparing you from the mailbox quota. So real problem seems not to be the mailbox quota, but that you are having to archive the mails into a format that you loathe. Am I right?

So ideally (there's that word again), you'd like the mails to autoarchive directly from the mailbox to your preferred format, without the PST intermediary. Right?

Don't really have an answer yet, my first stop to try and find Outlook utilities is always Slipstick. Check the Automatic Processing and Housekeeping sections maybe?

[steeladept]

DaddyDave, you are not the only one surprised by this.  I know I am no fan of the .PST file mostly because it is practically impossible to use outside of Outlook and corrupts easily, but that doesn't change for the .nsf files.  My main gripe against .PST files is how easily they end up corrupted, but .nsf files are no better (that is what we use at work and it is just as bad).  Personally, I would like to see an email archiver that basically preserves the current email format in a more generic format (ideally non-proprietary, perhaps .xml?) and archives them in .zip, .7z, or other general archive format. I realize this is unlikely at best to ever happen (why buy Outlook if you can archive and maintain your Outlook files in Thunderbird et.al.), but it would be nice.

[avevers]

daddydave
Apologies - I did not make it clear. I cannot archive from Outlook in my company because, for some mad reason, the feature is disabled. So I was looking into the possibility of there being a utility that will archive them to another format. I mentioned nsf because of the convenience of it using a single file to represent logic and data, and it being easily transported home. I don't loathe the pst - I have only used it for a few months so don't really have an opinion one way or the other, but I am very familiar and comfortable with nsf, having used it in my organisation for far longer. (We recently made the switch from Lotus to Microsoft.)

Ideally I would like some easy archive solution that allows me to take the files offline and also easily be able to read it/search it at home. I don't use Outlook at home so I would prefer a format that I can read, such as nsf (I do have Notes installed at home)/txt/HTML. I don't mind losing the "richness" of the content.

steeladept
I have never had a single corruption problem with nsf, having used it for 10 years+, which is why I personally am a big fan of the format (a dying breed from what I read!) Your idea is basically what I would love to see though.


Andrew

[Stoic Joker]

Why not just drag the emails out of outlook into a folder. They will be created there as .msg files, which can then be imported into a different less restrictive copy of outlook and done with as one pleases...

[Carol Haynes]

Are you sure all your emails are in a PST file? If it is a company with mailbox quotas it sounds more like an Exchange Server that is being used.

If it is in a PST profile then you can use the Home version of Mailstore (http://www.mailstore.../mailstore-home.aspx) to archive all of your email (without affecting your PST file if you don't want to) and then export from MailStore it in lots of different ways (including a folder full of text files or .eml files). Mailstore also has a brilliantly quick search built in and it can add emails incrementally.

There is also an option to delete archived emails using rules (such as older than xxx days) if that is required to reduce your PST file size.

If you do reduce your PST file size in this way don't forget to use ScanPST.exe (supplied with all versions of Outlook) to produce a new compacted version of your PST file to minimise the wasted space.

[steeladept]

daddydave
Apologies - I did not make it clear. I cannot archive from Outlook in my company because, for some mad reason, the feature is disabled.

-avevers (June 18, 2010, 07:42 AM)

It isn't mad when you realize the reasons.  It is a legality issue.  Anything that can be discovered in a lawsuit is required to be discovered within 48 hours (typically).  If it surfaces after that, then the company is fined heavily for each intervening day and can be sued separately for obstruction of justice (U.S. Law only - other countries may or may not have similar legislation).  By you taking it home, it is covered by this law and can subject the company to these penalties.  If you email them to yourself, however, that is beyond the company's control and no longer subject to legal scrutiny.  Therefore, they prevent archiving to make discovery manageable - and in many cases possible.  Further, the quota's are to prevent people from keeping everything forever.  Many, dare I say most, business email should have a lifespan and be deleted thereafter.  Most people do not do this, however, and open the company to further liabilities.  If there are true needs for these archives, the Exchange Administrator can archive the needed emails, enlarge your inbox, or one of several other things.  Just be certain you are ready to prove the need for them and that you are not saving them simply for attachments which can be saved to the hard drive thereby making your inbox drastically smaller without loosing anything.

I don't use Outlook at home so I would prefer a format that I can read, such as nsf (I do have Notes installed at home)/txt/HTML. I don't mind losing the "richness" of the content.

-avevers (June 18, 2010, 07:42 AM)

Best reason I have ever heard for using it. 

steeladept
I have never had a single corruption problem with nsf, having used it for 10 years+, which is why I personally am a big fan of the format (a dying breed from what I read!)

-avevers (June 18, 2010, 07:42 AM)

Me either.  My corruption issues were with .pst files only.  That may be because I never deal with them much, though, other than what my company put together by default.  I do not like the .nsf files, however, because they are just as difficult to work with when you do have to do something with them - at least that was my experience.  Getting anything to read them other than Lotus Notes is an experience in futility (try finding a converter that works - at a reasonable price anyway) and getting Lotus Notes to read them if they are imported is a dreadful 15-step process (only slightly exaggerated) that may or may not work.

[Curt]

... version of Mailstore (http://www.mailstore.../mailstore-home.aspx) to archive all of your email (without affecting your PST file if you don't want to) and then ...

-Carol Haynes (June 18, 2010, 07:53 AM)

Mailstore is right now offering a free trial key for their portable server version 5 BETA, for a couple of weeks only:

MailStore Server 5 comes with many new features, including:

    * Brand-new Microsoft Outlook Add-in with seemless integration
    * End-user components (Outlook Add-in and Web Access) in German, Dutch, English, French, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish and Chinese (simplified and traditional).
    * Show all changes
    * Download MailStore Server 5.0.0.4351

Please use your current license file (if you have one) or download a Version 5 trial license file valid until June 30th.

http://www.mailstore...n/mailstore-lab.aspx

[Carol Haynes]

The server version is really overkill for the suggested needs (and hardly qualifies as cheap when it expires in less than 2 weeks). The Home version is free permanently - but I was interested to see there is now a beta portable version of the Home edition.

[avevers]

Excellent points steeladept. I think I was probably ranting a little having experienced many frustrations of not easily being able to archive, while my mailbox continues to fill!

Thanks very much Carol - will check that product out.

Andrew