Converting .pst contacts using only mac

Skigod · #1 October 8th, 2008, 05:40 PM

I have Outlook (XP) contacts saved as .pst files on a USB storage.

I do not have ready access to a PC and therefore the conversion methods I have seen are not applicable.

I'm sure you have seen this query before - how can I convert these contacts for use by either the standard Mail program, Entourage or Thunderbird?

I am now freelancing and need these contacts desperately.

I have a G4 Powerbook running 10.4.11. I have Office 2008; I also have an iMac G5 running 10.3.9 with Office X for Mac.

Help!

**Giaguara** · #2 October 9th, 2008, 09:41 AM

Thunderbird is the easiest way. Import your mails to that, and then use the standard mbox with mail.app.

libpst would do too, but ... well, Thunderbird is much simpler to use and does the job nicely.
This product also should work for this purpose but is not free http://www.littlemachines.com/

ElDiabloConCaca · #3 October 9th, 2008, 10:41 AM

O2M from LittleMachines requires a PC with the data you want to move, which the original poster does not have.

**fryke** · #4 October 9th, 2008, 11:01 AM

Thunderbird _just works_ with .pst-files? Really? Why isn't that a HOWTO, a STICKY-thread and a big-red-lettered thing all over every Mac-forum in the world? I didn't know that. Can anyone confirm?

ElDiabloConCaca · #5 October 9th, 2008, 11:19 AM

No, Thunderbird doesn't "just work" with PST files. There's a PST Import plug-in available, but most people have only had success with it under Linux and Windows, and even then, a lot of people trying to convert/import Outlook 2003 PST files are having major problems.

The short and skinny of it is that Microsoft's PST file format is proprietary and not very well supported outside of the Windows/Office universe. The easiest route would be to secure some time on a Windows machine with Office installed and convert the PST to something more usable on the Mac, like mboxes.

Here's the link to the PST Import plug-in for Thunderbird:

http://linux.softpedia.com/get/Commu...in-33014.shtml

Some people report success with emailchemy, but it ain't free:

http://www.weirdkid.com/products/emailchemy/

**fryke** · #6 October 9th, 2008, 11:20 AM

Oh. Too bad. And here I thought another problem had been solved. :/