Moving from the classic Outlook to the new one: what comes with you and what does not

E-mail·· 4 views· 3 min read

The short answer: when moving from classic Outlook to the new one, mail from IMAP accounts comes by itself, because it is on the server. What may stay behind is whatever exists only on the computer: mail from POP accounts and PST files, calendar and contacts marked “This computer only”, rules, signatures and add-ins.

What comes and what stays

What When moving to the new Outlook
Mail from IMAP accounts Comes: it is on the server and the new Outlook syncs it again.
Mail from POP accounts and PST files May stay behind: it exists only in classic’s file.
Calendar and contacts of an IMAP account They stay on the computer, in classic. See “This computer only”.
Signatures Usually do not come over: recreate them. See the signature in the new Outlook.
Rules Not all carry over. Review them in the new one.
Older add-ins They do not work in the new Outlook.

Moving without losing anything

1 Check that the accounts are IMAP in classic. If any is POP, switch it to IMAP first: POP or IMAP.
2 Export what is local: in classic, File > Open & Export > Import/Export, and export calendar and contacts to a file.
3 Copy the signatures (text and images) into a document, to recreate them in the new one.
4 Note down the important rules, with their conditions and actions.
5 Switch on the new Outlook and let it sync. Check the folders, then import the calendar and contacts and recreate signatures and rules.
6 Keep classic installed for a while: if something is missing, it is still there.
Do not delete the PST file or the POP account in classic before confirming the old mail is on the server or in a copy. Once deleted, we cannot recover it on our side.
Before moving, read the comparison: in some cases staying on classic is the better choice. Classic Outlook or the new Outlook.

Need help moving POP accounts to IMAP before switching? Open a ticket.

Open a support ticket

SEE ALSO

Classic Outlook or the new Outlook: what changes, and which one to use

Switching between the new and the classic Outlook, and going back

Calendar and contacts marked This computer only in Outlook: why IMAP does not sync them

Your e-mail signature in the new Outlook: creating it and choosing when it appears

POP or IMAP: which to choose, and what you lose by picking wrong

Repairing the Outlook data file: damaged PST or OST, SCANPST and a new OST

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