Troubleshoot importing and exporting

Show Act! 2.0

To import Act! 2.0 information, you must first save the data into either Comma Separated Values (.csv) format or Tab Separated Values (.txt) format and then import that file into Microsoft Outlook using the Import and Export Wizard.

Show dBase5, dBase III, or dBase IV files (.dbf)

To import information from dBase, open your dBase file (.dbf) in Microsoft Access. Save the file as a Microsoft Access file (.mdb) and then import the .mdb file into Outlook using the Import and Export Wizard.

Show ECCO 2.0, ECCO 3.0, or ECCO 4.0 data

To import ECCO data into Microsoft Outlook, in ECCO, export your data into Comma Separated Values (.csv) file format, and then import the .csv file into Outlook using the Import and Export Wizard.

Show FoxPro data

To import FoxPro data into Outlook, in Foxpro, export your data in Microsoft Excel file format (.xls) and then import the .xls file into Microsoft Outlook using the Import and Export Wizard.

Show Organizer 97 (3.x) information

To import Organizer 97 (3.x) information, you must first save the data into Comma Separated Values (.csv) format and then import that file into Microsoft Outlook using the Import and Export Wizard. Lotus Organizer must be installed on the computer in order for Outlook to import the data.

Show Schedule+ 1.0

To import information from Schedule+ 1.0, open the Schedule+ 1.0 file (.cal) using Schedule+ SC2 and save the file as an .sc2 file. You can then import that file into Microsoft Outlook using the Import and Export Wizard.

The Map Custom Fields button in the Import a File dialog box might not be available when you try to import data from another program or file. In the The Following Actions Will Be Performed box, select the Import check box. The Map Custom Fields button becomes available.

One of the following problems with range names might be the cause:

Microsoft Outlook reserves the first row of a named range for field names. If the range you import does not contain field names, the first row of data will be interpreted as field names and will not be imported as data. To ensure that all of the data in the named range is imported, use the first row for field names.
Some or all of the information you are trying to import is not contained within a named range in the Microsoft Excel file, and thus cannot be imported into Outlook. Or, the range name used is the same as one of the column header names in the range. To successfully import information from an Excel file, define a named range in your Excel worksheet and assign a name to it that is not the same as any of the column header names.

Show How?

In the Excel worksheet, select the rows and columns that contain the information that you want to import.
On the Insert menu, point to Name, and then click Define.
In the Names In Workbook box, type a name for the range that you just specified, and then click Add.
The name cannot contain spaces, and it cannot be the same as the name of a column header.
Click OK, and then on the File menu, click Save.
Quit Excel.

vCards and vCalendar files are text files. If the attachment appears as text in an e-mail message, select the text, and drag it to the calendar folder for vCalendar, or to the contacts folder for vCard.

Microsoft Outlook requires that individual records be placed in rows with fields in columns. If a file contains individual records in columns instead of rows, rearrange the data so that each record is in a row.

A text file can contain only one type of item because the delimited text format allows for only one set of fields per file. These fields are usually the first row in the file.

The file you imported to does not support Unicode. Therefore, any items containing characters in any language other than those supported by the system code page in text fields other than the body of items such as To and Subject lines of messages, ContactName and BusinessTelephoneNumber properties of contact items are being intepreted incorrectly and this results in the display of '?'s and other unintelligible text. You should not import items created in multiple languages or in a language that is not supported by your system code page to a file type that does not support Unicode. For example, if you have items created in multiple languages in a Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders file (.pst), you should not import the items to a Microsoft Outlook 97-2002 Personal Folders file (.pst).

Exporting

If you export a recurring task or appointment from a Personal Folders file (.pst) stored on your hard disk, only the first occurrence is exported. Make copies of the tasks or appointments and change the dates.

When you export data, you copy data to the export file, but keep your original data in the existing folders, so your original data is still in Microsoft Outlook. Repeat the export process saving the exported information in files with different names.

The file you exported to does not support Unicode and therefore, any items containing characters in any language other than those supported by the system code page in text fields other than the body of items such as To and Subject lines of messages, ContactName and BusinessTelephoneNumber properties of contact items are being intepreted incorrectly and this results in the display of '?'s and other unintelligible text. You should not export items created in multiple languages or in a language that is not supported by your system code page to a file type that does not support Unicode. For example, if you have items created in multiple languages in a Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders file (.pst), you should not export the items to a Microsoft Outlook 97-2002 Personal Folders file (.pst).

If the Import/Export wizard is unavailable, verify that the language or country/region selected in the Regional and Language Options (Microsoft Windows XP) or Regional Options (Microsoft Windows 2000) dialog box in Control Panel matches the Outlook User Interface (UI) language. See Windows Help for more information.

Troubleshoot importing and exporting

Importing

Exporting