I have been strugggling with this (what I feel should be simple and probably is) problem for two days now and its driving me up the wall so could some kindly soul please help!!
I need to export all my saved e-mails (in various sub-folders within the INBOX) from Outlook 2003 to Outlook 2000 on my other computer (as this machine is being returned to its owner. Sob!).
I have currently exported the said e-mails to a .pst file with the relevant version 'type' for Outlook 2000. Then imported this .pst file backinto Outlook 2003 and then exported it again. However when I try to import the .pst file into Outlook 2000 I get the same error which ever way I try to import it (I.e. 'Import and Export' or 'Open - Personal Folders File .pst'). The error message is 'Properties for this information service must be defined prior to use'.
How do I do what I'm trying so hard to do (I've trawled through microsofts on-line help stuff but to no avail! :(

The error message sounds like you haven't set up your account in outlook 2K first. Try creating the same account setup as you had in 2003, then try importing the PST file.

Thanks for the reply ScottGem.
I have now set up all of my email accounts as they are on my Outlook 2003.
However I still get exactly the same problem when trying to import the .pst file into Outlook 2000.
Anything else I should do?
Cheers
Regards
Navarre

Howdy:

As per Microsoft..

"If your .pst file is the newer format and you want to open the .pst file on a computer by using Microsoft Outlook® 97, Outlook® 2000, or Outlook® 2002, you must import the items in your Outlook 2003 .pst file to the Outlook 97-2002 .pst format file."

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011190371033.aspx?Product=out2003

Murray

Thanks SESaskDFC but as per my original post ("I have currently exported the said e-mails to a .pst file with the relevant version 'type' for Outlook 2000.") I have already done this but it still won't import!
Thanks anyway.
Regards,
Navarre

I have been struggling with the same thing... Any answers yet??

Found the answer to my problems here

http://www.gossamer-threads.com/forum/General_C8/Chit_Chat_F26/MS_OUTLOOK_PROBLEMS_P207730/

The file I was trying to read was Read-Only and Outlook wouldn't read it!!

It works now :)

Oops, and here

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011190371033.aspx?Product=out2003

Hi Everyone, just thought id post that I fixed the problem just in case anybody was having the same problem. It wasn't a problem with either Outlooks in the end it was with 'file permissions' (tags allocated to various files and folders to identify which files can or can't be shared across a network). Because I was trying to read the .pst file from the cd that I had burnt it to the file had permissions of my user on the original machine and the machine I was trying to import it to didn't recognise that I had the right 'permissions' to read this file (see windows help file regarding changing folder/file permissions).
Thanks to everyone who posted.
Regards,
Navarre

Because I was trying to read the .pst file from the cd that I had burnt it to ...

Ahhh, you should have mentioned that in the beginning. If you had even mentioned that you had exported to CD it would have given is the clue. Whenever you burn any file to a CD/R they become read-only. Even if you copy then back to a hard drive, the Read-only attribute stays set. So if you had mentioned a CD was involved we would have quickly picked up on that potential cause of the problem.