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[jereboam]

Anyone here know where MS Outlook stores its information between runs?  Is there some sort of parameter or config file that holds the info about where to find the .pst files?

[TheBoy]

nevered bothered looking, but would guess user hive in reg....

[cem_devecioglu]

C:\Documents and Settings\User Profile\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Archive.pst

[cem_devecioglu]

found this one
http://ask-leo.com/where_is_my_outlook_pst_file_located.html

[Mysteryman]

Anyone here know where MS Outlook stores its information between runs?  Is there some sort of parameter or config file that holds the info about where to find the .pst files?

And you said my thread was not interesting. Dear me. terribly sorry old boy, I am a little tired. I've fallen asleep now.

[jereboam]

nevered bothered looking, but would guess user hive in reg....

That was the first place I looked, and most of the Outlook information is there.  But what I can't find is where it stores the list of open .pst files.

A couple of days ago it just started bombing out without an error message immediately after starting.  I've removed and re-installed Outlook, then MS Office in its entirety, but it hasn't made any difference.  I've moved all the .pst files so that it can create a new outlook.pst, which it has done.  But somehow or other, it's picking up the names of the other .pst files that were in use at the time it stopped working and showing those in the folder list.

[jereboam]

C:\Documents and Settings\User Profile\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Archive.pst

Thanks.  I know where the .pst files are, but I need to know where Outlook thinks they are and how it knows which ones are open.

But you may possibly have solved the problem.  I had a .pst file that, when in use, showed in the folder list as "Archive" - I gave it that description.  It's possible that I saw archive.pst in the folder where the .pst files reside and assumed that it corresponded with the user-named "Archive".  I might have clobbered it during maintenance - I ran out of space and had to move some messages.

Now all I've got to do is figure out how to edit a .pst file

[jereboam]

Anyone here know where MS Outlook stores its information between runs?  Is there some sort of parameter or config file that holds the info about where to find the .pst files?

And you said my thread was not interesting. Dear me. terribly sorry old boy, I am a little tired. I've fallen asleep now.

Read the title - I know you can read.  It says "Very boring".  That was a warning which was supposed to convey the idea that this thread was VERY BORING.  Obviously it didn't make it clear enough for some among us.

And I never said your thread wasn't interesting.  In fact, I repeatedly stated just how interesting it was. 

Irony is in the eye of the beholder.

[Kevin Wood]

Have you tried searching the registry for ".pst"? I have a feeling there's something in the registry that points the application to the file(s).

Kevin

[Shackeng]

nevered bothered looking, but would guess user hive in reg....

Presumably looked after by worker bees?

[jereboam]

Have you tried searching the registry for ".pst"? I have a feeling there's something in the registry that points the application to the file(s).

Kevin

I didn't know it was possible, but now I've looked, I can see that Regedit has a "find" facility.  That has taken me to an entry called "File Name MRU", where presumably MRU stands for "most recently used".  It has a list of files, one of which has an incorrect name.  It has a temporary name I assigned during the maintenance and then changed again later. 

The question now is how to fix it.  That entry is in HKEY_CURRENT_USER, which is, I presume, the "user hive" that TB referred to.  A full search reveals that there is a duplicate in HKEY_USERS, which is to be expected.  Will that get updated automatically during shutdown?

Thanks for the suggestion - I'll try fixing later on today.  Although, come to think of it, it's probably best to rename the offending file rather than fiddle around with the registry.

[jereboam]

C:\Documents and Settings\User Profile\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Archive.pst

Thanks.  I know where the .pst files are, but I need to know where Outlook thinks they are and how it knows which ones are open.

But you may possibly have solved the problem.  I had a .pst file that, when in use, showed in the folder list as "Archive" - I gave it that description.  It's possible that I saw archive.pst in the folder where the .pst files reside and assumed that it corresponded with the user-named "Archive".  I might have clobbered it during maintenance - I ran out of space and had to move some messages.

Now all I've got to do is figure out how to edit a .pst file

As far as I can see, using "Archive.pst" to hold config data began with Outlook 2003.  I'm using Outlook 2000.  If I ever upgrade, I'll need to change the name of my Archive file!

[Kevin Wood]

There is an easier way if you just want to load the PST file:

File->Open->Outlook data file. 

Kevin

[jereboam]

There is an easier way if you just want to load the PST file:

File->Open->Outlook data file. 

Kevin

That won't help - Outlook bombs out about 7 seconds after it starts up, without allowing any input, and the only message I get is "Please wait while Outlook exits".

I tried renaming my files, but it hasn't helped so far.  I think I'm going to have to set my mail up on another computer, produce a clean set of files and start again.

Meanwhile, I'm having to access my mail via Hotmail - that's a very useful facility.

[Shackeng]

I take it you've tried system restore?