Knowledgebase

You can import an Outlook for Windows Data File (.pst) or an Outlook for Mac Data File (.olm). These data files can contain large amounts of data of multiple item types. Outlook Data Files are frequently used as an archive or to transfer data between computers.

1. On the Outlook for Mac File menu, click Import.
2. Click Outlook Data File, and then click the right arrow.
3. Select a data file type, and then click the right arrow.
4. Locate the data file on your computer, and then click Import.
5. When the import process is complete, click Done.

The imported items appear in the navigation pane under On My Computer.

NOTE   
Outlook for Mac can only import Unicode-based .pst files which are the standard format for Personal Folders files for Outlook (for Windows) 2003 and later versions. ANSI-formatted .pst files, also known as Outlook 97-2002 Personal Folders Files, were the standard personal folder format for saving data in Outlook for Windows in versions 97-2002. This file format can't be imported into Outlook for Mac. If you have the older version of ANSI-formatted .pst file, there is no automated procedure to convert that file to the newer file format. However, you can create a new Outlook Data File (.pst) in Microsoft Outlook for Windows 2003 or later, and then import items from the older file into the new file. You can then import the new .pst file into Outlook for Mac. For more information about how to create .pst files and importing items, see Help for your version of Outlook for Windows.

You can import information such as e-mail messages, contacts, and events from Entourage 2004, Entourage 2008, or Entourage 2008, Web Services Edition. You can also import from an Entourage archive, which has an .rge extension.

1. On the Outlook for Mac File menu, click Import.
2. Click Entourage information from an archive or earlier version, click the right arrow, and then follow the instructions.

 NOTE   

• If you used a Microsoft Exchange account with Entourage, all items in the Exchange account are downloaded from the Exchange server after the import process is complete. Any rules or schedules related to the Exchange account will need to be reconfigured in Outlook.
• If you import items from Entourage 2004 or Entourage 2008, category information for items in an Exchange account aren't imported to Outlook. However, with Entourage 2008, Web Services Edition, category information will be downloaded from the Exchange server.
• Outlook doesn't include Project Center. If you used the Project Center in Entourage and then import your Entourage information into Outlook, Project Center associations are converted to categories. For example, if you added items to a project that was titled "Research Paper" in Entourage, these items are assigned a category that is called "Research Paper" in Outlook. 
• Custom views, search settings, and event travel time information from Entourage aren't imported into Outlook. Outlook events don't include any travel time information.

Outlook can import contacts that are saved in a special kind of text file, sometimes called a CSV file. A CSV file has items that are separated by commas or tabs. Many e-mail services and e-mail applications can export contact information into text files. To find how to export contacts to a text file, see the Help for your e-mail service or contacts application.

1. In the e-mail service or application that you want to export from, export the contacts as a text file, and then save the text file to your Mac.
2.  

 NOTE   If you export contacts that have a notes field, you can help prevent problems by removing the paragraph returns from notes.

1. On the Outlook for Mac File menu, click Import.
2. Click Contacts or messages from a text file, and then click the right arrow.
3. Click Import contacts from a tab- or comma-delimited text file, and then click the right arrow.
4. Locate the text file that you want to import, and then click Import.

On the Import Contacts screen, the Mapped fields box shows the fields that Outlook matched. The left column of the Mapped fields box shows the fields that are available in Outlook. The right column of the box shows the fields of the imported text file.

1. Drag fields from the Unmapped fields box to the right column of the Mapped fields box. For example, drag the "Business Phone" field to the right column of the Mapped fields box next to the "Work Phone 1" field.

You can also drag fields within the right column of the Mapped fields box.

1. To view other contact records and verify that the data is mapped correctly, click Next or Prev.

 TIP   To prevent data loss, select the Import unmapped fields to "Notes" check box.

1. When you have finished mapping fields, click Import.

You can export contacts from the Apple Address Book as a vCard, and then drag the vCard file into Outlook to import your contacts.

 TIP   As an alternative to importing contacts from the Apple Address Book, you can turn on Sync Services for your Outlook contacts. Turning on Sync Services syncs your Outlook contacts with the Apple Address Book, MobileMe, and other applications or devices that you set up in Apple iSync.

1. In the Apple Address Book, select the contacts that you want to export, and then drag the selection to the desktop.

The contacts are saved as a vCard file that contains all the contacts.

1. In Outlook for Mac, at the bottom of the navigation pane, click Contacts .
2. Drag the vCard file from the desktop to the Contacts item list.

 NOTE   Contact groups in the Apple Address Book are converted to categories in Outlook.

Source: http://office.microsoft.com/en-au/mac-outlook-help/import-information-into-outlook-HA102928320.aspx