Old files appear in Reminder window

On 6 October I installed Outlook 2007 over an existing installation of
an earlier version, which was using PST files created in Outlook 2003.
All the messages dated before 6 October appear in a Reminder window
which cannot be shut down. This is very annoying; what can be done to
turn off the Reminder window?

"Thomas Bartlett" wrote in message
u...

On 6 October I installed Outlook 2007 over an existing installation of an
earlier version, which was using PST files created in Outlook 2003. All
the messages dated before 6 October appear in a Reminder window which
cannot be shut down. This is very annoying; what can be done to turn off
the Reminder window?

Did you create a new mail profile after updating Outlook? You should. Have
you tried starting Outlook once with the /cleanreminders command switch?

As far as I can tell, there is no microsoft.public.outlook.configuration
newsgroup.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

Yes, I did run the outlook.exe with the /cleanreminders switch, and I think
it has helped. But I did not create a new mail profile until I read your
message. Thanks very much for the tips.

When I first upgraded about a week ago, I still had several older PST files
displayed, with thousands of old messages. So the Reminder window at first
showed over 3,500 messages. After I removed all the old PST files from the
display in Outlook, the Reminder window then only showed about 40 messages,
all from the default PST file. So I exported and deleted those 40 messages
and soon there was no more Reminder window.

But I suppose this is merely an expeditious handling, and not a radical
solution. Now that I have created a new default profile, I would like to
import into it the folder structure and messages from the former default
profile, which is saved as a PST.

But what about that older PST file (or files) which caused the 3,500
reminders? Or the more recent PST file into which I exported the last 40 old
messages which also caused reminders? Can those PST files simply be
displayed through the Data File Management option under Outlook's File menu?
Or do they need to be imported? The main goal is that I be able to view
those old messages without them generating reminders.

A newsgroup called 'microsoft.public.outlook.configuration' appears in the
list of newsgroups which came from my ISP's server at the address
'news.optusnet.com.au'.

Many thanks for your help.

Thomas aka Learner

"Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]" wrote:

"Thomas Bartlett" wrote in message
u...

On 6 October I installed Outlook 2007 over an existing installation of an
earlier version, which was using PST files created in Outlook 2003. All
the messages dated before 6 October appear in a Reminder window which
cannot be shut down. This is very annoying; what can be done to turn off
the Reminder window?

Did you create a new mail profile after updating Outlook? You should. Have
you tried starting Outlook once with the /cleanreminders command switch?

As far as I can tell, there is no microsoft.public.outlook.configuration
newsgroup.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

The problem seems to be solved now; both points you raised were effective:
creating a new profile and running the 'cleanreminders' switch.

I think the problem may have been provoked when I used drag and drop to
transfer large numbers of folders and messges from one displaye PST file to
another, rather than exporting and re-importing. That seems to be the
conclusion I've drawn from this episode.

Learner


"Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]" wrote:

"Thomas Bartlett" wrote in message
u...

On 6 October I installed Outlook 2007 over an existing installation of an
earlier version, which was using PST files created in Outlook 2003. All
the messages dated before 6 October appear in a Reminder window which
cannot be shut down. This is very annoying; what can be done to turn off
the Reminder window?

Did you create a new mail profile after updating Outlook? You should. Have
you tried starting Outlook once with the /cleanreminders command switch?

As far as I can tell, there is no microsoft.public.outlook.configuration
newsgroup.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

"Learner" wrote in message
...

I think the problem may have been provoked when I used drag and drop to
transfer large numbers of folders and messges from one displaye PST file
to
another, rather than exporting and re-importing. That seems to be the
conclusion I've drawn from this episode.

Importing and exporting always lose data. Copying is the correct way to
transfer data from one PST to another.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

And what is the best way to carry out this 'copying'? For example, every day
I receive several dozen messages from regular sources. In the old profile, I
had created several dozen rules for automatic forwarding of those incoming
messages into a complex tree of folders. But my newly created profile lacks
that complex structure of folders, and also lacks the rules for forwarding
messages.

So, should I 'copy' the file structure from the old PST file into the new
one? If so, how can I 'copy' the folders other than by drag and drop, which
has caused me so much grief lately, by generating all those unwanted
reminders. Can I copy the old set of rules into the new PST file, to be used
with the copied structure of folders?

Learner

"Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]" wrote:

"Learner" wrote in message
...

I think the problem may have been provoked when I used drag and drop to
transfer large numbers of folders and messges from one displaye PST file
to
another, rather than exporting and re-importing. That seems to be the
conclusion I've drawn from this episode.

Importing and exporting always lose data. Copying is the correct way to
transfer data from one PST to another.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

"Learner" wrote in message
...

And what is the best way to carry out this 'copying'? For example, every
day
I receive several dozen messages from regular sources. In the old
profile, I
had created several dozen rules for automatic forwarding of those incoming
messages into a complex tree of folders. But my newly created profile
lacks
that complex structure of folders, and also lacks the rules for forwarding
messages.

What stops you from recreating that? A new profile does not affect the
structure within a PST. It sounds like you created a new PST as well as a
profile. PSTs and profiles are not the same thing. Rules should be copied
by exporting them with the rules wizard and importing them again, if they
need copying at all.

So, should I 'copy' the file structure from the old PST file into the new
one? If so, how can I 'copy' the folders other than by drag and drop,
which
has caused me so much grief lately, by generating all those unwanted
reminders. Can I copy the old set of rules into the new PST file, to be
used
with the copied structure of folders?

Non-default folders can be dragged and dropped with no problem. For default
folders, the contents should be dragged and dropped and it shouldn't cause
any errors. You might have to reset reminders, as you've done, but that
should be it.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

Yes, I created a new PST as well as a new profile, precisely because the
older PST which holds the complex tree of folders seems to be corrupted.
When this older PST file is made the default file, every time I open up
Outlook, the hour glass shows for several minutes and all other work is
halted while the program generates a list of over 3,000 messages which are
finally displayed in the reminder window. In theory, the 'snooze' time
adjustable to periods from 5 minutes to 2 hours, but the only option
functioning is 5 minutes; if I choose 10 minutes or more then click the
'snooze' button, the option reverts back to 5 minutes, and the window remains
open. I can finally close the reminders window by clicking the white-on-red
X at the top right corner, but the whole process is likely to begin again
while I'm working in Outlook, triggered by I don't know what action on my
part. I have run the /cleanreminders switch at least ten times now,
apparently with no effect on any of this. I just don't understand the logic
of why it's selecting those 3,000 files to be displayed in the reminders
window. Is this what the program is meant to do? I think it's out of
control, and I suspect it's somehow corrupted.

Could this be due to a faulty upgrade? The older PST files were created on
Outlook 2003 on my older computer. But my old copy of Office 2003 refused to
install on my new computer, so I first installed a copy of Office 2002 on the
new computer, and used it for several days before I could buy Office 2007.
So the PST files created on Outlook 2003 were being used in Outlook 2002
before the upgrade to Office 2007. Could that omission of Outlook 2003 from
the upgrade process have caused some defect in the default PST file which
makes it behave this way in Outlook 2007?

My work efficiency in Outlook has dropped like the stock market during the
last week, because of this reminders problem. Isn't this a recognized
problem? This afternoon, after creating the new default PST with the new
profile, the problem stopped, and I thought it was solved. Now, restoring
the old PST to the default position, the problem has returned, as bad as
ever.












"Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]" wrote:

"Learner" wrote in message
...

And what is the best way to carry out this 'copying'? For example, every
day
I receive several dozen messages from regular sources. In the old
profile, I
had created several dozen rules for automatic forwarding of those incoming
messages into a complex tree of folders. But my newly created profile
lacks
that complex structure of folders, and also lacks the rules for forwarding
messages.

What stops you from recreating that? A new profile does not affect the
structure within a PST. It sounds like you created a new PST as well as a
profile. PSTs and profiles are not the same thing. Rules should be copied
by exporting them with the rules wizard and importing them again, if they
need copying at all.

So, should I 'copy' the file structure from the old PST file into the new
one? If so, how can I 'copy' the folders other than by drag and drop,
which
has caused me so much grief lately, by generating all those unwanted
reminders. Can I copy the old set of rules into the new PST file, to be
used
with the copied structure of folders?

Non-default folders can be dragged and dropped with no problem. For default
folders, the contents should be dragged and dropped and it shouldn't cause
any errors. You might have to reset reminders, as you've done, but that
should be it.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

"Learner" wrote in message
...

I just don't understand the logic
of why it's selecting those 3,000 files to be displayed in the reminders
window.

Sorry, but I don't follow. The Reminder window displays reminders, not
file.

Could this be due to a faulty upgrade? The older PST files were created
on
Outlook 2003 on my older computer. But my old copy of Office 2003 refused
to
install on my new computer,

Define "refused". Outlook 2003 will install on any PC running Windows 2000,
XP, or Vista, I believe.

So the PST files created on Outlook 2003 were being used in Outlook 2002
before the upgrade to Office 2007.

Possible only if you created an Outlook 97-2002 format PST. The format used
natively by OL 200 and 2007 will not work on OL 2002.

Could that omission of Outlook 2003 from
the upgrade process have caused some defect in the default PST file which
makes it behave this way in Outlook 2007?

Not likely, in my opinion.

My work efficiency in Outlook has dropped like the stock market during the
last week, because of this reminders problem.

You say you clicked the X in the upper right of the reminders window, but
did you click Dismiss All?

Also, you didn't say what is preventing you from recreating your folder
structure and redefining the rules. Reminders fire only from items in the
default folders, so if you have a complex folder structure, none of the
folders you created yourself can contain reminders that show up.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]

Update: I just removed the old PST from default position, but a reminders
window with the same 3,000 messages has just reappeared, even though the
messages are not in a default PST in Outlook. Even if the search for
messages to include in the reminders window is generated from the default
PST, it evidently also includes messages found in non-default PSTs as well.

A couple of days ago, when in this same situation, I removed the old PST
from display in Outlook, then imported its contents into another non-default
PST displayed in Outlook. Under those circumstances, no reminders were
generated for the old messages. However, when I moved that PST, which
contained the re-imported old messages, into default position, the reminders
began, and now they apparently continue even after I remove this PST from
default. Once the reminder program has been activated, it can't be easily
stopped, it seems.



"Brian Tillman [MVP - Outlook]" wrote:

"Learner" wrote in message
...

I just don't understand the logic
of why it's selecting those 3,000 files to be displayed in the reminders
window.

Sorry, but I don't follow. The Reminder window displays reminders, not
file.

Could this be due to a faulty upgrade? The older PST files were created
on
Outlook 2003 on my older computer. But my old copy of Office 2003 refused
to
install on my new computer,

Define "refused". Outlook 2003 will install on any PC running Windows 2000,
XP, or Vista, I believe.

So the PST files created on Outlook 2003 were being used in Outlook 2002
before the upgrade to Office 2007.

Possible only if you created an Outlook 97-2002 format PST. The format used
natively by OL 200 and 2007 will not work on OL 2002.

Could that omission of Outlook 2003 from
the upgrade process have caused some defect in the default PST file which
makes it behave this way in Outlook 2007?

Not likely, in my opinion.

My work efficiency in Outlook has dropped like the stock market during the
last week, because of this reminders problem.

You say you clicked the X in the upper right of the reminders window, but
did you click Dismiss All?

Also, you didn't say what is preventing you from recreating your folder
structure and redefining the rules. Reminders fire only from items in the
default folders, so if you have a complex folder structure, none of the
folders you created yourself can contain reminders that show up.
--
Brian Tillman [MVP-Outlook]