Windows 10: Help me understand this hot mess of outlook 2019 (backup/restoration)

Oh boy. So it begins with the desire to have basically a "mirror" of my entire outlook install on a second pc, but I havent even GOTTEN to that point yet. By chance I was looking at my account settings > data files and clicked on a few of my emailname.ost files. Each returned "an unknown error occurred 0x80040605" and thus my saga began. I assumed this was problematic so i first wanted to find a way to make it right.

Over the years ive ran outlook 2013/2016/2019 and so the hodgepodge of a mess thats been created im struggling to put together. I have an "Outlook Files" folder in My documents which has some .pst files named after all my emails, but it looks like they havent been modified in quite some time. A bit of googling seems to indicate this is because for IMAP accounts (which i use exclusively) transitioned from using .pst to .ost in 2016 or so. The location of said files also changed to appdata\local\microsoft\outlook.

If i look there, I have a bunch of files named myemail - my profile.ost. I also have one errant file called "this computer only.pst"

I had created this some time ago in an effort to separate the local data, from all the email accounts. I had done some transitioning between primary email accounts and I not only wanted to keep that untethered from a specific email that I may or may no longer use, but i also wanted to keep all the associated folders it comes with "rss feeds, tasks, local only calendars" etc from being lumped in with the current associated email address.

This has served its purpose exactly as intended since I dont use local only anyways. I'm unsure if its related to my issues now or not.

Either way, at current - I've done some experimenting with copies of the various folders and a full backup of windows im forced to restore to get it back to working at least, after this post is made.

Ive used outlook to export each mailbox (and the "this computer only" data file) however it only allows you to export as .pst. Ive tried deleting the "AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\This Computer Only.pst" which it recreates and seems to have 0 effect.

I removed each email account from outlook assuming i could re-import the backups i made of the .ost's which outlook made as .pst's, and it would put things back, however it did not. It was attempting to lump all the emails under the "this computer only" folder, and left me with no email accounts added to outlook.

At this point i removed the this computer only.pst and re added all my original.ost and the original this computer only.pst back to the local\microsoft\outlook folder but i opened outlook, and still no email accounts re-added, so that data seems to be saved in yet ANOTHER location.

Between all the various providers force you to configure whether it be sign in settings, root folders, subscribed folders etc... i really need to understand/fix 2 things.

1) how to take everything, my profile, my email boxes, the emails configured therein, and the settings - over to another pc.

2) (current priority) how to fix the whole "an unknown error occurred 0x80040605" when clicking on each of the emails.osts (and if it has anything to do with having the local data file separate)

For now, im off to run a restore of my system drive. Microsoft does a lot of great things, but it seems pretty terrible at UE stuff. The hot mess visual studio creates, outlooks convolution. Sigh.

Anyhow, sorry for the book - i wanted to be thorough in case anyone happens to understand this specific circumstance.

:)

 

Office 2019

Only supported on Win10. Sorry, 8.1 users, only 4 years old, gotta go.

Microsoft Office 2019 will only work on Windows 10

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com...-to-office-and-windows-servicing-and-support/

Spoiler Office 2019
Last year at Ignite, we announced Office 2019 – the next perpetual version of Office that includes apps (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, and Skype for Business) and servers (including Exchange, SharePoint, and Skype for Business). Today we’re pleased to share the following updates:

• Office 2019 will ship in H2 of 2018. Previews of the new apps and servers will start shipping in the second quarter of 2018.
• Office 2019 apps will be supported on:
  • Any supported Windows 10 SAC release
  • Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2018
  • The next LTSC release of Windows Server
• The Office 2019 client apps will be released with Click-to-Run installation technology only. We will not provide MSI as a deployment methodology for Office 2019 clients. We will continue to provide MSI for Office Server products.

 

Free hard drive backup/restore program?

I am looking for a free (freeware) program that will back up and restore a hard drive. I'm looking to clone a few external hard drives. If the program will backup the used space instead of the whole drive this will be awesome! Thanks for any suggestions.

 

Trying to Understand Backup/Recover/Restore Options

New to Windows 10, wanting to set up my backup routine(s). Although I have had Windows systems in the past( 95, XP, Vista, 8.1) still not quite understanding what the various backup options provide. What I have done:

1. Activated File History to an external hard drive.
2. Created a Restore Point.
3. Created a 'System Image Backup' using the Windows 10 native procedure [to the same external hard drive].
4. Created a 'Windows Backup' using the procedure in Control Panel| System and Security| Backup and Restore (Windows 7). [to the same external hard drive].
5. Created an emergency Recovery Drive on a USB stick.

I have read the tutorials on these subjects and cannot get my head around all these options. I do understand the 'File History' only backs up my files and not any programs, etc. But what is the difference between #2, #3, and #4 above? Especially between #3 and #4?

I have read the various posts recommending using a 3rd party solution such as Macrium, but before I got that route I wonder if I am not adequately covered by the native Windows 10 options.

Any help appreciated.

John
P.S. BTW, in all those years I have been fortunate never to have had to do even a Restore from a Restore Point.