Steps to Convert NSF Files to Outlook PST
Updated On - October 17, 2022
Email clients, a crucial part of the 21st century, make our lives even easier. The basic definition of email client has changed, and now it has a deep influence on all our lives. Email clients play an important role in communication, name it personal, social, formal, corporate, management, and more.
Microsoft’s Outlook is one of the best examples in this context. Due to various reasons, Outlook has earned a good reputation amongst businesses and has even outperformed the other desktop email clients – Lotus Notes – IBM Notes is one specific example from the list.
Microsoft Outlook holds more features over what other desktop email clients offer and the difference is visible both in terms of cost effectiveness and user-friendly features, below given are some reasons stating why Outlook is a better option over Lotus Notes – IBM Notes:
- Simple yet intuitive UI in comparison with Lotus Notes – IBM Notes.
- Allows installation of third-party plug-ins.Offers ability to manage multiple email accounts.
- Microsoft introduces new features almost with every Outlook update.
- Outlook requires low maintenance.
- Email management is quite easy in Outlook.
Because of the above reasons and more, the requisite of NSF file conversion to PST data file arises, and users search for steps to convert NSF files to Outlook PST.
The job of converting NSF files to PST data file is not the effect of Outlook features alone, but in some specific situations, it becomes a necessity. Let’s have a look on such compelling situations below:
- Change in job or office, compels the employee to migrate to a new email client as per their need.
- Some organizations use Microsoft Outlook only, so there rests no room for other options; rather it stands as the only option for the employee.
Coming forward to the main question, how would you migrate from Lotus Notes – IBM Notes to Microsoft Outlook? Without proper guidance, it’s quite easy for people to mess things up and this has the risk of data loss.
In this article, we’ll guide you through the steps to convert NSF files to Outlook PST with proper details necessary. Before we start walking you through the migration procedure, let’s discuss a little regarding the number of choices you have.
You can finish NSF file to Outlook PST file conversion/migration via two different methods; one is native, which requires usage of both Lotus Notes & Microsoft Outlook one after the other. It is quite common with native methods that they compromise with the task speed; also, the risk of data loss always stands, and there is no control over what you wish to convert/migrate.
With the other method, which suggest using an advanced tool for this very specific task, you can eliminate the chances of the above limitations from coming to existence. This we’ll discuss in detail on this latter part of this article, but before let’s go through the native approach of converting Lotus Notes NSF file to Microsoft Outlook PST data file:
- Open Lotus Notes – IBM Notes.
- Select the NSF database file (1) which you wish to convert to PST and click Open (2).
- Click on File (1) tab > select Export (2).
- Inside the Save As window, select a Save location/path.
- Select how much data you wish to export by clicking on one of the options given below,
Click Ok. - Open Microsoft Outlook.
- Click on File tab > Options > Import/Export.
- Select Import from another program or file (1) > click Next (2).
- Select Comma Separated Values (Windows) (1) > click Next (2).
- Click Browse (1) and select the CSV file we made in step-5 and click Next (2).
- Click Finish.
- Open Lotus Notes to Outlook tool.
- Select Local NSF file(s) option (1) and click Next (2).
- The File selection window will come up on-screen.
You can choose to convert and then migrate Single or Multiple NSF files (s). For this article we’ve selected Single NSF File option.
Click Browse to select the NSF database file (1) > click Next (2). - Once the file scan is complete, the tool’s UI will refresh and display all file content, as shown below. Check-mark selected or all file(s)/folder(s) (1) and click Next (2).
- We want to export the NSF file data to Outlook PST after conversion.
- Browse for a file saving path (1) and assign the new PST file with a name (2).
Click on the drop-down and select Low Speed, to maintain Rich Text Format (3) and click Ok (4). - Before the tool execute the NSF database file data conversion and export, it is important to exit all Outlook instances, click Ok.
- Wait for the process to complete.
- Click Ok.
Assign the file with a name, click on the drop-down and select Comma Separated Values (1)> click Export (2).
With the completion of this step, you’ve exported the NSF file data into a CSV format file; the next part of this method includes Microsoft Outlook in which we’ll import the CSV format file, let’s proceed:
Note: Select the required option under the Options section to deal with duplicate items.
Note: Before finalizing this step, you can map custom fields or change the destination by clicking on the respective buttons.
You’ve exported the NSF file data to Microsoft Outlook, which will now be available in a PST data file.
The second method to convert NSF file to Outlook PST is to use an advanced tool using which will help you eliminate issues such as the risk of data loss, improve conversion/migration speed, gain full control on what you want to convert and then export it to Outlook PST file, and more.
Recoveryfix for Lotus Notes to Outlook is the best find when we think of NSF file to PST conversion/migration.
Lotus Notes to Outlook – Recoveryfix, offers features such as Lotus Notes and Domino Mailbox conversion. It offers export it in one cycle, full support for UNICODE characters, export to PST and Exchange, maintenance of original text format, and more.
Below are detailed steps to convert NSF file to Outlook PST with ease using Recoveryfix for Lotus Notes to Outlook:
Note: If you want to select the NSF file from Domino Server, select the other option available above.
Note: To verify NSF database file items, get item(s) preview by clicking on them, the preview will be pop inside the Preview Pane.
Select PST file option (1) and click Next (2).
Note: Select Exchange Server in case if you want to export the NSF file data directly to Exchange.
Note: In case if you wish to change or correct something that went wrong, you can use the Stop button to halt the process.
You’ve successfully converted Lotus Notes – IBM Notes database file data and exported it to Outlook PST data file.
Conclusion
Recoveryfix for Lotus Notes to Outlook is the right tool to do NSF to PST file conversion and migration. It gives you full control over NSF file data and enables the user to convert only those items that hold some value.
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After converting the NSF file to PST will the arrangement of folder will change as per the Outlook?
Hi Alexis,
No. the tool protects the hierarchy of your NSF mailbox folder and they will remain in the same arrangement.