Outlook 365 set-up on new Windows 11 laptop

I am setting up a new Windows 11 laptop that has 365 installed from existing subscription.

I have the my email PST file backed up from Windows 10 and I have transferred it over to the new Windows 11 laptop.

But where do I put it, and how do I insert it into Outlook 365 ?

I also used File>Options>General>Store my Outlook settings in the cloud. (On the Win 10 laptop).

Where do I find this online and how do I apply it to the new Outlook 365 ?

The new windows seems to want me to use the new Outlook app rather than Outlook 365.

How do I ensure I am opening the app I want to use, which is Outlook 365 ?

Thanks for any advice.

This is not a short explanation.

Outlook.PST files by default live in Documents\Outlook Files\
But then you need to setup the account. I would advise not doing this using the Outlook app, but via Control Panel.

I am looking to see if I have an existing tutorial here that you can use, as I am not in a position to create a new one at the moment.

Please see if you can discriminate between the instructions that are relevant for “Dave” and the instructions you need to complete setting up your email account.


In the end, I connected to Dave remotely and setup Outlook for him. As you can read toward the end of that thread. There is another member who can also do this who I wont take it upon myself to volunteer.
It is morning here and I am not at my best. So hopefully the above page will help.

antspants said:

This is not a short explanation.

Outlook.PST files by default live in Documents\Outlook Files\
But then you need to setup the account. I would advise not doing this using the Outlook app, but via Control Panel.

I am looking to see if I have an existing tutorial here that you can use, as I am not in a position to create a new one at the moment.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your replies. I hope you are feeling better after your last post.

I thought the PST file, which I have transferred and put in Docs/Outlook Files, contained everything to set up Outlook with my account on the new laptop.
Didn't realise I would have to set up the account manually again - which I do know how to do.
I was hoping to save time but now I'm raising more doubts :-
(1) If I'm setting up the account anew, why do I need the old PST file? Won't it cock things up?
(2) Why set up via Control Panel? I have never needed to do that before.

For info, my main account is never recognised automatically by email clients, so I have to set up manually every time - within Outlook 365 has always been successful in the past.
I last did it 2 years ago on a second Windows 10 laptop without using an old PST file and without Control Panel.
I can do it again, of course, but I received advice from elsewhere to transfer the PST file - now I wish I hadn't.
I'm guessing that file does contain my old messages (if not my account) so if I import it to Outlook, I'm also guessing that when it firsts downloads from my provider's server I will end up with loads of duplicate messages.
I already have a simple way to transfer messages from one laptop to another.

rufford155 said:

If I'm setting up the account anew, why do I need the old PST file? Won't it cock things up?

Click to expand...

Your old PST file has all your old email, sent items, folders you created and calendar etc contained in it.
A PST file is like a filing cabinet for your email.

If those things are no longer on the server and you start a new PST file, you will lose everything, “If” your old emails are no longer on the server. PST files do not sync, just send and receive, stay locally on your PC.


POP3 accounts which use PST files operate very differently to IMAP accounts.

rufford155 said:

Why set up via Control Panel? I have never needed to do that before.

Click to expand...

Setting up via control panel makes it easier to associate your saved PST file to your email address when setting up again from scratch.

A PST file does not contain the email address passwords, server settings or anything else email related.
You can use the same PST file even if you’re just starting a new install and want to use a different email address.
hence step 15.

Alternatively, you could just setup as an IMAP account and not have to worry about PST files.

rufford155 said:

I'm guessing that file does contain my old messages (if not my account) so if I import it to Outlook, I'm also guessing that when it firsts downloads from my provider's server I will end up with loads of duplicate messages.
I already have a simple way to transfer messages from one laptop to another.

Click to expand...

I think you would be much better off using IMAP.
Syncing between computers isn’t necessary, because it’s synced server side, delete from one computer it deletes from all etc etc.

rufford155 said:

now I wish I hadn't.

Click to expand...

As for the PST file, Outlook doesn’t even know it exists unless you point the email address to it, so you haven’t done anything.
You could have 100 PST files in that folder but unless they’re associated with an email address, they’re just files. They will have no effect on Outlook until the association is made.

antspants said:

I think you would be much better off using IMAP.
Syncing between computers isn’t necessary, because it’s synced server side, delete from one computer it deletes from all etc etc.

Click to expand...

Thanks for all your advice again.

I checked a few years ago and determined that IMAP is not possible for my account and have no reason to believe that has changed.
The POP account doesn't delete from all devices, but does delete from the server so nothing unwanted arrives on any other.
I am only ever using one laptop at a time so everything works fine.

I have just transferred over my account in Thunderbird - one simple export (a zip file) and one simple import of that file and all my accounts and emails are there plus all my contacts, folder layout and settings.
I only needed to put in my account passwords.

Now why can't Microsoft do that with Outlook ????

rufford155 said:

I checked a few years ago and determined that IMAP is not possible for my account and have no reason to believe that has changed.

Click to expand...

IMAP is available for any email account, only server side denying IMAP can change that. I don’t know of a server that denies IMAP but allows POP3.

rufford155 said:

Now why can't Microsoft do that with Outlook

Click to expand...

Setting up a PST in Outlook isn’t hard. I do it in less than a couple of minutes, but I’ve been setting up POP3/PST accounts for nearly 2 decades. So in that example, one would expect the process to be simple.
The tutorials I make are for people with limited experience with eMail accounts/Outlook & Windows. So they are lengthy and often need to be created for a particular setup, like for “Dave In Houston”

I hope thunderbird serves you well. I’m glad you got is sorted

antspants said:

Setting up a PST in Outlook isn’t hard. I do it in less than a couple of minutes, but I’ve been setting up POP3/PST accounts for nearly 2 decades. So in that example, one would expect the process to be simple.
The tutorials I make are for people with limited experience with eMail accounts/Outlook & Windows. So they are lengthy and often need to be created for a particular setup, like for “Dave In Houston”

I hope thunderbird serves you well. I’m glad you got is sorted

Click to expand...

I realise it's probably not hard, but I'd not set up Outlook that way before so wanted to be sure I did it right.
Like - do I put the PST in Documents>Outlook Files or keep it separate until I have imported it ?

I didn't look at your tutorial 'cos I hoped I wouldn't need that level of detail.

I only keep Thunderbird as an emergency backup so I will still be setting up Outlook as I like it better.