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Tuesday 22 August 2017
23:54 0

Export Novell GroupWise Emails & Contacts to Outlook with Manual Method

An Overview: Exporting GroupWise data to Outlook is fairly straightforward using the traditional, manual method. However, due to some drawbacks in this method, users prefer automated third-party tools like Stellar GroupWise to PST Converter.

When it comes to ace emailing platforms, Microsoft Outlook and Novell GroupWise are equally preferred by users. However, over the years, GroupWise users have been migrating to Microsoft Outlook owing to several factors. In this article, we’re highlighting a manual procedure that can be used to export GroupWise emails and contacts to Outlook. We’ll shed some light on the pros and cons of this method and also suggest a better alternative.

Let us start at the very beginning with the primary factors that prompt users to make the switch.

Why Microsoft Outlook is preferred over Novell GroupWise

There could be a number of reasons for an individual or an organization to make this move.
  • Compatibility: Microsoft Outlook is way more compatible with other applications than GroupWise will ever be.
  • Speed: Outlook offers speed; when users wish for high speed, they call it quits with the rather slow Novell GroupWise. 
  • Features: The feature set provided by Novell GroupWise is not as impressive as that offered by Outlook.
  • User-friendly: Microsoft is known for its user friendliness and intuitive interfaces.
  • Mobility: With Outlook, you know that you can access it from a number of other devices, whereas that is not the case with GroupWise.
While it is possible to export Novell GroupWise to Outlook PST by using one of the software programs available in the online market, there exists a manual method that will get you the same results without having to invest in a whole new application. But before using a manual method, you should be aware that such methods are often difficult to perform and involve risks like data loss and format change.

Export GroupWise Contacts to Outlook
Before you start migrating mailboxes from one application to another, ensure that all the mailbox folders have been exported. The Contacts folder is one of the most important folders in any email application. Perform the following procedure to migrate Contacts from Novell GroupWise to Outlook:

      1.    Launch GroupWise, and select Address Book.
2.    Select the address book that you wish to export.
3.    Click File -> Export.
4.    When the system displays a dialog box asking you if you want to export selected items or the entire address book, select Entire Address Book.
5.    In the Name field, type the name of the address book file.
6.    Select the location at which you want to save the address file.
7.    Click Save. The system saves the file with NAB extension.
8.    Launch Microsoft Excel or any other program that allows editing spreadsheets.
9.    Convert the NAB file to a CSV file as follows:
      a.    Select Open -> All Files.
b.    Select the NAB file and click on Open
c.    After verifying the data in the NAB file, select Save As -> Save as Type.
d.    Select the format as CSV.
e.    Click Save. The system will save the NAB file as a CSV file.
      10. Launch Microsoft Outlook.
11. From the File menu, click Import -> Import from another Program or File.
12. Click on Next.
13. Select the Comma Separated Values (Windows) option.
14. Click on Next, and browse to the location of the newly saved CSV file.
15. Click on OK, and then click on Next. The system imports all contacts to the Outlook Contacts folder.
16. After the import has completed successfully, click Finish.

Export GroupWise mails to Outlook
Exporting your emails from Novell GroupWise to Microsoft Outlook will require you to convert your mailbox items to a PST file. GroupWise provides an inbuilt utility designed exclusively for this purpose. The Import Export Wizard Utility can be used to export Novell GroupWise to Outlook PST file that can be read directly by Outlook.

Here are the steps:
     1.    Launch GroupWise and Outlook on your system. The system will connect your Outlook account to the GroupWise account that you are using.
2.    Exit from the GroupWise application.
3.    From Outlook, click File -> Import and Export.
4.    Select the Export to a file option and select PST file.
5.    After the export operation is completed successfully, click Finish.
6.    Click File -> Open -> Outlook Data File. The system will display all your email items exported from GroupWise.

Drawbacks of performing the manual migration method

As already mentioned above, the manual migration method has a few drawbacks:
  • Data loss: Unless performed by an expert, this process will require the user to maintain tabs on a lot of records and data. Therefore, the chances of losing emails or any other important information are very high.
  •  Time-consuming: However well the manual process is explained, it is quite time-consuming.The process of manually migrating emails and contacts from one platform to another is more tiresome than getting it done by a software program.
  •  Complexity: If you are a newbie to technology, the manual process can be quite a tricky one. If you even make a small mistake, it could generate complexities that might be irreparable.

Alternative Technique
To overcome the drawbacks of the manual method, many users prefer automated utilities to transfer GroupWise Contacts and export GroupWise mails to outlook. One of the best applications for the purpose is Stellar GroupWise to PST Converter. The program enables you to export all emails, attachments, address book contacts, documents, calendars, and other folders in GroupWise mailboxes to Outlook Personal Folders (PST) files. It is equipped with an interactive GUI which makes operating it quite simple and it offers many additional features like mailbox preview before conversion, multiple mailbox conversion, etc.

To sum it up

Manual methods have the obvious advantage of being free of cost. But when it comes to data safety, such methods often fall short. Thus, try to rely on trustworthy tools like Stellar GroupWise to PST Converter to perform complex tasks such as email migrations.

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