File converter makes quick work of pesky .PSTs

Migrating from one mail system to another is never easy, and often further complicated by the different proprietary features of mail systems that don't lend themselves to easy conversion.

Outlook's .PST format is one of the more infamous examples of this; many mail administrators are unhappy with the fact that the default mail storage format for Outlook is proprietary, often prone to damage and difficult to read without a copy of Outlook.

Several third-party programs exist to convert saved mail from one format to another. One such application, Aid4Mail, stands out a bit from the pack with two main features:

1. It converts to and from almost every major desktop mail application.

2. It can archive mail in generic, RFC-compliant and non-proprietary mailbox files -- something which (for instance) Outlook doesn't directly support.

Aid4Mail supports just about every mail application in common use: Mozilla/Netscape/Thunderbird, Outlook and Outlook Express (PST and MSG format for each), Eudora, The Bat!, Opera, Forte Agent, Pegasus, Calypso, generic Unix mailboxes, and many more. It also works natively with any Windows mail program that supports the Extended MAPI messaging standard: Outlook, Novell GroupWise, and so on.

The program has several other intelligent features as well. For instance, attachments are stored separately from e-mail, and redundant copies of attachments are stored only once in each archive. Archives can be exported as MHTML documents, which can then be browsed offline in Internet Explorer, making it easy to create a copy of a mail archive that can be read w...

Digg This!     StumbleUpon     Del.icio.us

RELATED CONTENT Exchange Server Administration Tips Remove Exchange 2003 objects from AD to install Exchange 2010 Is your Exchange 2007 hub transport server healthy? Avoid Outlook 2007 performance issues during repairs Developing an Exchange 2007 server role DR plan How DSAccess service improves Exchange Server 2007 reliability An introduction to the Exchange Remote Connectivity Analyzer tool Monitor Exchange 2007 with disk- and RPC-related counters DPM 2007 replica inconsistencies in Exchange databases Track Exchange 2007 mailbox server health using database counters Digging deeper into Exchange Server 2010 .PST Files Pros and cons of Outlook 2007's storage engine redesign Email issues after configuring hosted Exchange server on laptop Avoid Outlook 2007 performance issues during repairs Stop personal calendar appointments from showing on Exchange Server Import and export .PST files in Exchange Server 2007 Microsoft fortifies Exchange Server with archiving Understand data file storage in Outlook 2007 Roaming and Local folders Problems arise after downloading email to .PST files Migrate Exchange Server mailbox data to a .PST file Top 5 Microsoft Outlook tips of 2008 Exchange Server Deployment and Migration Tools Two useful tools for documenting an Exchange Server installation Migrating to Exchange 2007 with correct permissions Restore contacts from an Exchange public folder Import and export .PST files in Exchange Server 2007 Using the Export-Mailbox command in Exchange Server 2007 Migrating new users onto Exchange Server 2003 Deployment tool errors during a migration from Exchange 5.5 to Exchange 2003 Move public folder data from Exchange Server to a local share Tool deploys customized Microsoft Outlook 2007 configurations Finding the best tool to migrate Exchange public folders to SharePoint

RELATED RESOURCES 2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary

ithout needing a mail program.

A trial version of the program is free. For mail administrators in organizations, there's an enterprise edition that can run as a console application from a batch file for mass conversion operations.

About the author: Serdar Yegulalp is editor of the Windows Power Users Newsletter and a regular contributor to SearchExchange.com.

Check out PST2WEB.
—Duane J.

Related information from SearchExchange.com:

Please let others know how useful this tip is via the rating scale below. Do you have a useful Exchange Server or Microsoft Outlook tip, timesaver or workaround to share? Submit it to our tip contest and you could win a prize.

Rate this Tip To rate tips, you must be a member of SearchExchange.com. Register now to start rating these tips. Log in if you are already a member. DISCLAIMER: Our Tips Exchange is a forum for you to share technical advice and expertise with your peers and to learn from other enterprise IT professionals. TechTarget provides the infrastructure to facilitate this sharing of information. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or validity of the material submitted. You agree that your use of the Ask The Expert services and your reliance on any questions, answers, information or other materials received through this Web site is at your own risk.