How to Copy Outlook Calendar & Contacts to Another Computer

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Part of getting a shiny new computer is copying over all the data you need from the old one. The longer you've had the old computer, the more time the transfer process will take. To avoid losing data, take advantage of automatic export and import functions wherever they're available, especially for important information such as your Outlook contacts and calendar events.

1 Exporting

Click "File | Open & Export | Import / Export | Export to a File | Next." Select "Outlook Data File (.pst)," and then click "Next" again. Select the "Contacts" folder, ensure the "Include Subfolders" option is active, and then click "Next." Choose a location for the file, type a name for it, click "OK" and then click "Finish." After the export is complete, repeat the process, but select the "Calendar" folder and save the file with a different name.

2 Importing

Copy both files to your new computer using whichever method you prefer. Launch Outlook, select "File | Open & Export | Import / Export | Import From Another Program or File | Next." Select "Outlook Data File (.pst)," and then click "Next" again. Open the first of the two files. Choose what you want Outlook to do with duplicate entries, and then click "Next." Adjust the import options, if necessary, and then click "Finish." Repeat the process with the second file.

Laurel Storm has been writing since 2001, and helping people with technology for far longer than that. Some of her articles have been published in "Messaggero dei Ragazzi", an Italian magazine for teenagers. She holds a Master of Arts in writing for television and new media from the University of Turin.

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