Import a .pst file into Outlook for Mac from Outlook for Windows

To help you transfer messages and other items from a Windows-based computer to a Mac, Outlook 2016 for Mac can import Outlook Data Files (.pst) that are created in Outlook for Windows.

1. Transfer the .pst file from your Windows computer to your Mac.

2. On the Outlook for Mac File menu, click Import.

3. Click Outlook for Windows archive file (.pst), and then click Continue.

4. Locate the data file on your computer, and then click Import.

5. When the import process is complete, click Finish.

   The imported items appear in the navigation pane under On My Computer.

Related information

Create an Outlook Data File (.pst) to save your information

2016 2011



To help you transfer messages and other items from a Windows-based computer to a Mac, Outlook 2016 for Mac can import Outlook Data Files (.pst) that are created in Outlook for Windows.

1. Transfer the .pst file from your Windows computer to your Mac.

2. On the Outlook for Mac File menu, click Import.

3. Click Outlook for Windows archive file (.pst), and then click Continue.

4. Locate the data file on your computer, and then click Import.

5. When the import process is complete, click Finish.

   The imported items appear in the navigation pane under On My Computer.

Related information

Create an Outlook Data File (.pst) to save your information

Import a .pst file from Outlook for Windows

To help you transfer messages and other items from a Windows-based computer to a Macintosh computer, Outlook for Mac can import Outlook Data Files (.pst) that are created in Outlook for Windows.

1. Transfer the .pst file to your Macintosh computer.

2. On the Outlook for Mac File menu, click Import.

3. Click Outlook Data File, and then click the right arrow.

4. Select Outlook for Windows Data File, and then click the right arrow.

5. Locate the data file on your computer, and then click Import.

6. When the import process is complete, click Done.

   The imported items appear in the navigation pane under On My Computer.

Note: Outlook for Mac can only import Unicode-based .pst files which are the standard format for Personal Folders files for Outlook (for Windows) 2003 and later versions. ANSI-formatted .pst files, also known as Outlook 97-2002 Personal Folders Files, were the standard personal folder format for saving data in Outlook for Windows in versions 97-2002. This file format can't be imported into Outlook for Mac. If you have the older version of ANSI-formatted .pst file, there is no automated procedure to convert that file to the newer file format. However, you can create a new Outlook Data File (.pst) in Microsoft Outlook for Windows 2003 or later, and then import items from the older file into the new file. You can then import the new .pst file into Outlook for Mac. For more information about how to create .pst files and importing items, see Help for your version of Outlook for Windows.

Open an Outlook Data File (.pst or .olm)

You can import an Outlook for Windows Data File (.pst) or an Outlook for Mac Data File (.olm). These data files can contain large amounts of data of multiple item types. Outlook Data Files are frequently used as an archive or to transfer data between computers.

1. On the Outlook for Mac File menu, click Import.

2. Click Outlook Data File, and then click the right arrow.

3. Select a data file type, and then click the right arrow.

4. Locate the data file on your computer, and then click Import.

5. When the import process is complete, click Done.

   The imported items appear in the navigation pane under On My Computer.

   Note: Outlook for Mac can only import Unicode-based .pst files which are the standard format for Personal Folders files for Outlook (for Windows) 2003 and later versions. ANSI-formatted .pst files, also known as Outlook 97-2002 Personal Folders Files, were the standard personal folder format for saving data in Outlook for Windows in versions 97-2002. This file format can't be imported into Outlook for Mac. If you have the older version of ANSI-formatted .pst file, there is no automated procedure to convert that file to the newer file format. However, you can create a new Outlook Data File (.pst) in Microsoft Outlook for Windows 2003 or later, and then import items from the older file into the new file. You can then import the new .pst file into Outlook for Mac. For more information about how to create .pst files and importing items, see Help for your version of Outlook for Windows.

Open Entourage items from an archive or an earlier version

You can import items such as e-mail messages, contacts, and events from Entourage 2004, Entourage 2008, or Entourage 2008, Web Services Edition. You can also import from an Entourage archive, which has an .rge extension.

1. On the Outlook for Mac File menu, click Import.

2. Click Entourage information from an archive or earlier version, click the right arrow, and then follow the instructions.

   Notes: 

   • If you used a Microsoft Exchange account with Entourage, all items in the Exchange account are downloaded from the Exchange server after the import process is complete. Any rules or schedules related to the Exchange account will need to be reconfigured in Outlook.

   • If you import items from Entourage 2004 or Entourage 2008, category information for items in an Exchange account aren't imported to Outlook. However, with Entourage 2008, Web Services Edition, category information will be downloaded from the Exchange server.

   • Outlook doesn't include Project Center. If you used the Project Center in Entourage and then import your Entourage information into Outlook, Project Center associations are converted to categories. For example, if you added items to a project that was titled "Research Paper" in Entourage, these items are assigned a category that is called "Research Paper" in Outlook. To learn about features in Outlook that you can use to organize projects, see Project Center is not available in Outlook.

   • Custom views, search settings, and event travel time information from Entourage aren't imported into Outlook. Outlook events don't include any travel time information.

Move an item from an archive folder to another folder in Outlook

1. Select the item that you want to move.

2. On the Home tab, click Move, and then click Choose Folder.

3. In the search box, enter the name of the folder that you want to move the item to, and click Move.

   Tip: To copy an item from an archive folder to another folder in Outlook, you can simply drag the item to the folder where you want to place the copy.

See also

Import information into Outlook

Import iCal or Address Book items into Outlook

Export or manually archive Outlook items

Automatically archive or back up Outlook items