Outlook 2003 pst files into Outlook 2007 or Thunderbird

[pauleden]

Guys,
I'm currently rebuilding my mums PC. It's HDD was in a sorry state so I've rebuilt in with a new HDD and recovered as much as I could from the old drive, including a 1 gig pst file from Outlook 2003.
We now can't find the install disk for this and Outlook 2007 (I got the trial vers specifically for this) refuses to import the pst. Apparently they are incompatible. Likewise Thunderbird.
I've tried going via Outlook express, but this has similar issues. An application called Dawn offered hope, but it didn't work either.

So... any advice, short of buying Office 2003, or are all her emails and addresses history

[shaithis]

I beleive you will need to install a full copy of Outlook 2003 or 2007 to open the PST file.

I am fairly sure I have opened a 2k3 pst file with 2k7 before (although could be wrong)......I presume you were opening it as an additional data file? (File > Open > Outlook Data File)

It may be because the file is corrupt.....was the hard drive in that much of a mess?

[gss03]

find and download scanPST.exe (usually somewhere on your pc if youi nstall office)

Run on this PST and it will repair it and re-index it. You should then be able to use this in outlook and re-mount the PST and get it's contents out.

[dangel]

It does work - i'm using my old PST from office 2003 (which actually dates back to outlook express in windows 95 i think).

[pauleden]

Guys, thanks for all your replies.
I'll try all of your suggestions are report back later.

[PeteSmith]

I confirm that they do work, you generally get the option to open either Outlook 2007 or a earlier version. Be sure your selecting the earlier version and not trying to open it as a Outlook 2007 PST.

[pauleden]

This isn't going well.
I've now got a full version of Office 2007.
I've tried opening the file in many ways;
File/Open/Outlook Data file
File/Data File Management/(datafiles tab) Add/(and then both types of storage, Office Outlook PST AND Outlook 97-2002 PST)
File/Import&Export/(all the import combinations therein)

Each one gives the same error. ~is not a personal folder file.

I've tried washing the pst through scanpst application, it gives an error too. ~does not recognize the file.

I think we have to accept her emails and addresses are gone?

[samueljames]

if scan pst does not reconise the file it maybe lost. maybe worth googling for somemore pst repair programs though. i have used scanpst in the past though and it has always worked for me.
I've used pst's in both outlook 2003 and 2007 fine and backwards.