Transferring Outlook 365 licence to new pc


  1. Posts : 18
    Windows 10 Home x64
       #1

    Transferring Outlook 365 licence to new pc


    Hi All,

    I recently bought a new pc as my old one is dying!
    The first thing I wanted to do was get my email up and running on the new pc so I exported my Outlook (365) data on the old one to a .pst file. So far so good.
    On my new machine I accessed the Office 365 site and opened my account and set it up on my new pc.
    I then imported the .pst file to the new instance of Outlook in the new pc. So far so good.....ish!
    All the email folders and content showed up with the remark "This pc only" in brackets and the Contacts and Calendar appeared is inbox files, also marked "this pc only" in brackets.

    I have since found a site online that says the normal steps are to go to the Office 365 site, sign in, then delete the old pc from the list before setting up the new one and importing the .pst file.

    So my question is what I should do now.

    Should I delete both pcs from the account and start again, or can I simply delete the old one and everything will fall into place?

    Or what?

    Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated as I am a bit of a techno-moron/dummy!

    Thanks,
    John
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 1,366
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #2

    Do you have your e-mail through an Office 365 hosted exchange account? If so, nothing should need to be backed up to .pst, unless you've created offline archives on your old computer. Office 365 also allows each user to install Office on 5 computers, so shouldn't need to do anything, in terms of computer accounts.

    That being said, it sounds like your import process didn't go properly, and you may have just added the .pst as a data file.

    Let's start with what type of e-mail account you have. Does your Office 365 account include hosted e-mail?
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 18
    Windows 10 Home x64
    Thread Starter
       #3

    I use it as a POP account, through the national Post & Telecom. An account I've had for 18 years as it provides superb service, spam protection, etc.

    I have never used gmail, hotmail, etc.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 15,037
    Windows 10 IoT
       #4

    In Outlook, if I go to File > Account settings > account settings. Then look under the Data Files tab, it lists the PST file(s) in use by that account. There, you can set one as default, and remove a file if needed.
    Have a look see what yours shows, it might give a hint as to what is happening. Also on the main screen, does it show just the one inbox/one account?
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 18
    Windows 10 Home x64
    Thread Starter
       #5

    I did that.
    It shows just one PST file in use (the one that I imported) and, yes, on the main screen it does just show my one inbox/one account.

    So I tried something new (on the advice of a friend).
    I started my old machine and opened Outlook and it downloaded all my recent mail from the server, as I expected it to.
    I then exported the PST file again (giving it a new name) to an external HD.
    I then deleted MS Office from my old computer and shut it down.
    I then went to my new machine and also deleted Office there.
    I then went into My Account and removed both PCs from my account.
    Then, restarted my new PC and did a fresh install of Office.
    On opening Outlook it looks exactly the same as before - same folders, etc. - but the inbox was empty. This I kind of expected as my old machine had received them from the server.
    I then tried to import the new PST file but I cannot. The pop-up says I must have permission, but I can't seem to proceed in any way.
    Looking at the account settings it appears that it is referencing the previously imported PST file and the correct account.

    I'd like to be able to import the newer file, but how?

    Also, when I access my IP's web mail (lucky lifeline right now!) it seems to be now full of my very old mails - hundreds of them!

    Is there a way that I have to set this PC as being the one that receives all my mail then deletes them from the server, so that the web mail is clean again?

    This doesn't seem to be getting any easier!
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 15,037
    Windows 10 IoT
       #6

    For me, my PST file is saved in MyUserName > Documents > Outlook Files. I have my Documents folder on my Data drive so it's not touched on a clean install. When I setup Outlook for the first time it asks if I want to use an existing file or create a new one. If I have remembered to change the location of my Documents folder to my Data drive folder, outlook finds that PST file all on its own. I then select use existing and I get all my folders and e-mail back.
    If you to the File menu, then select Account Settings > Account settings. Select the account you setup, then click change. Then click more settings > advanced. At the bottom you should see options for Leave a copy on the server etc. I read my e-mail on two different PC's so I have leave a copy on the server check marked. I also have remove after and remove when deleted checked.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 1,366
    Windows 10 Pro x64
       #7

    Do they offer IMAP for your e-mail? POP is way outdated and, at least for me, completely unusable.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 18
    Windows 10 Home x64
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Looking in my settings it appears that it is an IMAP account.

    Remember, I'm a real dummy in this area!
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 18
    Windows 10 Home x64
    Thread Starter
       #9

    Well, it is sort-of working nearly the way I need. Such that I can live with it.
    The emails I was concerned about have since had replies so the trail can be seen and saved to folders in the system.

    But. What is bothering me is the following.
    Outlook is behaving as though it is one of multiple instances of the account.
    As you saw from my previous post, I deleted Office from my old pc, deleted the previous installation from my new pc and deleted both from my MS Office 365 account, then did a fresh install in my new pc. The new install appears to be using my previously imported .pst file but when I look at the file type in my new installation it seems to be calling it an OST file. Is this normal?
    But, more annoyingly, it is not treating this instance of the prgram as the "master". For example, when I access Lux Post's web mail all my messages are in there (including hundreds of old ones) and not removed/deleted from the server by Outlook 365. Also, messages I send from Outlook do not appear in the sent items folder in Outlook but do appear in web mail. And when I create a new folder in my Outlook the label always has "(this computer)" affixed to it.

    How do I tell Outlook that this is the master instance and that it should retrieve from the Lux Post server and then delete? Like my old instance did!

    Thanks for your advice.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 15,037
    Windows 10 IoT
       #10

    I don't have Office365 installed at the moment. I'm using the full Office 2016 Professional Plus with a POP e-mail account. Mine shows as an actual PST file. I have an Office 365 subscription, just not using it at the moment. I prefer the full office over office365. My subscription is free, if it wasn't I wouldn't use it at all. The PC I was running it on I did a clean install on and haven't re installed office yet. I'm not sure when that will happen. I'm waiting for the Windows 10 fall Update to drop first, as I want to clean install it on that PC.

    Outlook may not pull e-mail from sub folders on your mail server? It may only re download and sync to the main folder. You may have to log in directly to the mail server and clean it up via a web interface, if that's possible.

    Go to the File Tab, then Options. Then have a look around in there to see what might need to be changed. I'd look in the Mail and Advanced sections for sure.
      My Computer


 

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