Import Outlook data into kmail or Thunderbird

[zxr250cc]

Hi all,

I looked through the FAQs and also in other distro forums and seem to be unable to find a way to IMPORT Outlook data (addresses, e-mails, etc..) into either Thunderbird or kmail. Has anyone been able to get this to work? I am now tasked with helping my mother get over a motherboard meltdown with a crap Dell computer from the series run with the defective capacitors... (Anyone else in here have this fun?) I have a spare computer with dual Athlon 3800 and it has Mageia 2 on it. I am trying to avoid wiping the drive and installing XP.

(Quick comment about new user experience: She asked me while all the file names are so strange. She also thought they were confusing since they are, to her, so strange. I pointed out that the categories like OFFICE, INTERNET, etc were normal and she agreed. As to the other name choices I told her I had no clue as to why any of them have the names they do. I am meaning names like Nepomuk, for example. She has been working OK with the computer for about 5 days but will not be satisfied if she cannot have her Outlook data.)

I am attempting to import the data from Outlook 2003 into the latest Thunderbird or kmail from latest KDE to allow her to have her previous addresses. I am hoping someone in here has been able to get this to work. I would even install kmail/kontact from kde3 if that is able to do this import and function properly with the data.

Cheers,

gcd

[oj]

I've done this a few times. I exported the outlook data as csv, (comma separated values) and imported to kmail. I'm not sure about other parts of the whole kde PIM menagerie. I did this a few years back, kmail handled it all. It worked well, except a few times some contacts needed to have data filled back in by hand after the import.

There were some other export options in outlook that I can't recall at the moment, (Vcard? Q-something??) but look at what kmail can import first, then use whatever export in outlook that works best. (obviously a lot of work, but only needs to be done once)

If she has documents, videos etc in the file system that are referenced in outlook, back those up separately, and restore them to the /home Documents, Videos etc folders.

I never had luck importing to thunderbird. Mozilla made noise about not maintaining tbird any more, so kmail might be the better long term option anyway.

[zxr250cc]

I had a back up of the csv file but when I tried to get kmail to import it it didn't work right. Maybe I will go over to KDE and see if they can help. I am not interested in wasting HOURS installing XP plus Office 2003 on a system I will not want to leave in place for very long.

Thanks...

gcd

[oj]

do you still have access to the outlook machine? If so, try some of the other exports. Actually I'd export using all options, then keep an untouched copy of them. Any attempt to import, to kmail, evolution, thunderbird etc, should be done with a copy of the original backup.

I remember we spent a lot of time figuring out what fields to include in the export. Eventually, one of the folks who was trying to do this exported from a setup of kmail and made note of the fields it apparently used. He then exported from outlook and excluded some of the fields, eg birthday, business fax # and a few others.

PITA I know, but it was doable, at least back in the pre-akonadi days...

[doktor5000]

If the outlook install is still available, install Thunderbird, IIRC you can directly import Outlook when both are installed under Windows.

[zxr250cc]

Hi all,

SIGH... I could not get any of the options to work and as penance for my stupidity I had the fun of installing XP Pro and Office on my AMD system. Well, now Outlook works just fine. That is the plus, I guess. I will make the system dual boot and wonder how such an important file system as Outlook hasn't been fully integrated into some Linux e-mail system as a way to steal desktop space. I wish I knew how to code...

Thanks for the help.

Oh, the PC CHIPS motherboard I have uses nvidia chipsets and I had a total PITA time getting it to surf and that involved using some other computer to download and burn CD ROM driver files so I could get the system to function properly. Funny how putting things in storage and having the computer and the drivers NOT together can bite you later.

gcd

[doktor5000]

SIGH... I could not get any of the options to work and as penance for my stupidity I had the fun of installing XP Pro and Office on my AMD system. Well, now Outlook works just fine. That is the plus, I guess. I will make the system dual boot and wonder how such an important file system as Outlook hasn't been fully integrated into some Linux e-mail system as a way to steal desktop space. I wish I knew how to code..

Well, the problem is more that the import process is not that easy, or, well you need to pay attention to a small detail


Normally it should go like this:

- set outlook as the default email client in windows (this is the important point)
- in thunderbird -> extras -> import -> mail -> outlook
- then do the same as above for contacts
- you can then copy the thunderbird profile to linux

You can take a look at http://kb.mozillazine.org/Import_.pst_files
Other relevant links: http://www.howtoforge.com/importing_out ... _evolution
http://superuser.com/questions/462849/m ... hunderbird

[zxr250cc]

Hi,

Thanks for the point by point update about how to import from Outlook. I was not able to use that method for the simple reason that I had the working hard drive but the motherboard was 'toast' so I was unable to boot windows with the old drive in the 2nd computer. I tried. The software looks at the system and finds itself in a new motherboard and then you have the BSOD to look at. I was faced with working with the backup files I had created previously and trying to import them into Thunderbird and also kmail. Oddly enough the older version of kmail for KDE 3.51, 1.9.4.? something, did a better attempt at importing the files.

Well, now that I wiped the drive and spent about 10 hours off and on updating over 200 files + XP SP3 from Microsoft updates all is well and Outlook works so my mother's computer is as she wishes it to be. I think I will make it dual boot now and try your suggestions to see if I can get Thunderbird or kmail to import the data as a backup. (I was able to import Outlook data from Windows to Windows with the old drive set as a slave to the new one. Imagine that!)

Thanks again,

OH, MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!

gcd

[isadora]

Merry Christmas to you too zxr250cc!!!!

Mind marking the topic [SOLVED]? Thank you

[doktor5000]

FWIW, it should also be possible to import directly via the .pst files from outlook, but never did this before. But glad to hear you solved it somehow