Windows 7 Missing emails and address book after factory image re-install

[JohnE]

After much thought and deliberation I have done a factory image re-install and everything is working just fine however when I re-installed Office and got to run Outlook I could not find the emails and address book that presumably were saved in the back up that I did before the factory image re-install. Any pointers please or is this a case of gone but not forgotten

 

[patcooke]

Depends on a couple of things:

1. did you allow Outlook to default to the storage location?
2. What backup did you make where did you save it and what software did you use to make it?

 

[JohnE]

Hi. I just did a windows7 back up onto a memory stick using the facility in maintenance. I thought that it would back up all files
it has backed up all of my favorites and these have all gone back into the browser as have all of my other files and photographs etc

 

[patcooke]

Try doing a files search of your entire computer, including the memory stick used for *.pst

 

[Saltgrass]

If you did a File backup from the Backup and Restore panel, you should have the green arrow and CD icon with your computer name on the flash drive. By opening the Backup and Restore panel, it should allow you to find and restore whatever files you might have.

The backup folder can be opened manually and you could search for specific files that way.

If you were to have an image backup in a WindowsImageBackup folder, you can mount the .vhd files in Disk Management and get the files that way.

 

[JohnE]

I have the green arrow and cd icon but now it looks as though there are two back ups on the stick and i cant fine any pst files anywhere at all. there are some which were stored in an old file from years ago but nothing else at all. does this mean that the back up did not find the current emails an address book and back it up with everything else. I did a system image disc set before I decided to go the the factory image re-install so could they be on one of these, there are 14 DVD-R's though and what should I look for as this may be the only way

 

[patcooke]

Bit of a grind but if you have no pst files on your system then I'd look through the dvds.

 

[JohnE]

Hi Pat, they are there and I was able to see them after I changed the view on files to stop them being hidden. When I copied these into a folder on my desk top the Outlook import told me that they were not personal files.

If I use the image back up do I still have to look for .pst files because the first 5 that I have looked at all seem to have the same gobbledy gook on them

 

[patcooke]

You need to go into the account settings in Outlook to ensure that the data file location is pointing correctly to the place where your pst file is stored.