Category: New OutlookSome of my clients are emailing me questions about New Outlook and I am thrilled to see the questions. I’m going to post these questions in my website posts and then add to my New Outlook Resource Guide. https://callthatgirl.biz/new-outlook-resource-guide
Question for today!
Can you use Outlook Classic and New Outlook at the same time?
Answer
I do this often during my testing and so far, so good. I haven’t had an issue with one not opening or requiring a reboot to get functioning again.
Easy answer folks! If you need help with switching to New Outlook or anything else, please use the form below to get in touch.
As New Outlook develops, technicians and IT consultants are following the updates and features that are being added to the application. Our clients will have to switch in the next few years and it’s critical we know what is possible and not possible. It’s important we know how to accomplish the tasks our clients will ask us to perform as well as explain the process to them. I’m keeping up in the technical back end of the switch from Outlook Classic to New Outlook and I found this topic to be right up my alley. This is my second update on the topic since last year.
Last year there was no way to add a PST to New Outlook. Now you can add a PST into New Outlook. The functionality is not at peak performance yet, but Microsoft is slowing getting there. Currently you can add a PST, view and move emails to another inbox. You cannot move folders, view any calendars, contacts, notes or tasks in the PST. At this point, this data will need to get migrated manually into another mail server such as Exchange or Outlook.com or any other email program that has all the data sets at PST holds.
Today, I am testing exporting and importing within New Outlook. I do not plan on using any of these methods between now and 2029, but I thought it was an interesting topic either way. I do all of my migrations of PST data to Exchange or Outlook.com it will work in New Outlook.
My analyis:
Export:
Go to settings in the upper right corner of New Outlook
Click on “Files” (far left pane, under Accounts)
Then you will see in the middle column the two options for import/export
You can click on the export button and chose the account
Click on “Start”
Select the inbox or all subfolders
Click on “Next”
It you ask how you want to handle duplicates
Now Click on “Chose File” and find a location where you want the PST exported
Click on “Ok” on the next pop up box
The export will create a PST file
This will take many hours to do. I have a smaller mailbox, and it took a few hours. If you have a larger mailbox, this could run into the overnight and next day
I would take your computer out of sleep mode until complete. Also, it might appear that it’s not doing anything but there is a process bar showing you the export
Considering New Outlook is replacing Outlook Classic I’m trying to think of why anyone would need to export an entire mailbox and here are a few reasons:
Changing companies
Terminating employees and wanting to save their data off the server
Legal retention/matters cases
Your own backup
Backup after 2029 will be mostly cloud based but for those home users this might be worth doing so you have some type of backup. Most backup is for business accounts in 365.
Import:
The import process is a bit more challenging. As of right now, the import is only allowing .EML files. This is not going to be a good option for people who want to import a PST file. EML files are just one email message at a time. Many of my law clients use these for sorting their matters and organizing outside of Outlook into a folder in file explorer. Very few end users I know still save messaged out of Outlook.
I did some testing with a PST to EML converter software today and it’s a bit complicated to work with to be honest. I did a dry run, and it wasn’t successful. I’m not sure I will spend time on converting PST to EML as I hope New Outlook developers add in import a PST as an option. Right now, you can add a PST as I mentioned above. Or better yet, you can migrate all the PST data to Exchange or Outlook.com.
I hope this helps explain this topic a bit, more to come no doubt!
More videos to help you learn manual import PST options including data in an OST file
https://youtu.be/nbpjTLtKN9U?si=M0N6gg8Q9QiRmc17
https://youtu.be/kl0BmAJReG0?si=KRJdBEKS9wBBMfXY
Lisa
With over a decade of experience supporting 1000’s clients with custom and complex Outlook setups, Lisa Hendrickson brings you a clear, practical overview of the upcoming shift from Outlook Classic to New Outlook — tailored for organizations navigating this major change.
What you’ll learn in this interactive session:
Outlook Classic and New Outlook update on the switch
How all email types work in New Outlook
How different email account types such as POP/PST, IMAP, Exchange/Google Workspace will be affected by the switch.
How PST currently works in New Outlook, changes are coming
Changes with local (This Computer Only) calendar, contacts, notes, tasks
Changes with PST custom contacts, CRM
Synchronizing calendar and contacts from PST changes to come
Home customers vs Business Consumer 365 accounts
Question/Answer during each section
This is an older post I put out last fall, and so far not much has changed in regards to forms in New Outlook. If you had custom forms in classic Outlook, as of right now they are not able to convert to the New Outlook.
Custom forms were not something I got into developing for clients, but I know many that have them and spent a lot of money creating the perfect forms (for email, contacts, many other things). If you have access to your forms in another version of Outlook or still have access to classic Outlook, I would consider making a list of everything that form did, and try to figure out another option such as using 365 Forms. And if your client has a custom form for contacts, I’d check into that way later. I’m not seeing MS add in any custom fields yet (it’s one of the best parts of Outlook contacts in my opinion), hopefully they will.
My testing with adding a 365 Form into New Outlook didn’t go so great (maybe there is an app I don’t know about). You can use a link of course from your Form you create in 365 (easier to maybe make a template in 365 and have the link there with info). Some research is saying you can do other miracles but I haven’t seen it yet, Forms might be updated before 2029, otherwise it’s “find a new replacement”. Honestly, I don’t see any old forms anymore and my 365 clients haven’t gotten excited about 365 Forms.
New Outlook so far will use “365 connected apps” so you might want to find a company that has an app similar to what you need (you can search this in New Outlook (see image below). If you are a larger company needing your own 365 app, then you want to search for a Power Apps/Automate consultant. I have found a Forms consultant and am happy to refer you but their fees are on the higher level consulting quotes (probably $5k to $10k)
If you need my help with migration or helping find a referral, please use the contact form below
I do believe this timekeeping program (track actions, phone calls, notes, etc) has not been added to New Outlook. I’ve been searching for a bit and I cannot find where to use it, no research online proves it’s been added. If you want to make a case for it’s return, use this link to submit feedback. Use the blue button on the upper right https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback/forum/89a8afa3-2e1c-ec11-b6e7-0022481f8472
There is one 365 Timekeeper app for Law firms listed if you want to check it out. Zepto AI for Outlook (I have not downloaded, tested, or even knew about it until I tried to search the 365 apps for this post, use at your own descretion please). There are most likely many other programs, you can check out the “Add Apps” in the more app nav pane of New Outlook (left side of your window)
If you are interested in keeping up with what I discover on our journey to New Outlook, check out my “New Outlook Resource Guide”
If you need my help, please use the form below to get in contact, thanks! Lisa
As a long time user of Outlook Classic, the one issue I have always had is problems with searching. I also have many PST files and many email accounts so this doesn’t help. I keep Outlook optimized as this is the core product I support with my business, and yet I still have issues. Clients call me with search issues and I can help get it working but I always tell them that with the PST and email accounts they have, search may give you issues.
Back in 2023 when I started working on my testing and research for New Outlook, I was surprised to find that the one thing in Outlook Classic that I didn’t like, was amazing in New Outlook. That would be the search function.
New Outlook is cloud based (managed by the servers), so that means there is no local indexing on the PC. Indexing is how Windows can help you find things when you search or with Outlook Classic.
So yes, search is amazing and super fast, nothing I have ever seen before. There are some things to know though about New Outlook search if you are fan of searching:
Need help with New Outlook? Use the contact form below.