Moving e-mail to another computer

January 27, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

Q. This is probably elementary for most, but I want to copy all my e-mail addresses and saved messages to another computer. Can this be done?

A. You can do it, but the question is how. The answer differs from setup to setup, said Priscilla Alden of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill’s Information Technology Services.

If you store your e-mail and folders on a server, not the computer sitting in front of you, then you just need to configure your e-mail client on the new computer to get access to all of the files on your server.

This would generally be the situation at work. Your employer’s information technology support staff should be able to give you the appropriate parameters for setting up your e-mail client and getting access to all of your contacts and messages, she said.

If you store your mail and message folders on your computer, the process depends on which e-mail program you use. For instance, you would use the following method to export your e-mail and contacts in Microsoft Outlook.

Open Outlook and click on “file,” then “import and export...” Select “export to a file” and click “next.” Choose to create a personal folder file (.pst) and click “next.”

Click on your e-mail profile, check the box beside “include subfolders” to save all data associated with the profile and click “next.”

Click “browse” to specify a location and name for the .pst file. If you have exported a .pst file before, Outlook will ask whether you want to replace, allow or not export duplicates. You can choose one of those options, or use the browse function to rename the new file or save it in another location.

You’ll next have the option to encrypt and password-protect the file. It’s not mandatory, but you can do it if you’re concerned about the privacy of the information. Finally, click “OK” to create the .pst file.

Copy the new file to the new computer and follow a similar path to import the data. Going back to the “file” menu in Outlook and selecting “import and export...” again will give you the option to import a number of types of files, including .pst.

For more information about how to export files from your e-mail program, Alden suggests surfing the Web for importing and exporting advice or checking the Help tool for your specific client.

Q. I use fractions in several files that I have. I know the keyboard shortcuts for 1⁄2, 1⁄4, and 3⁄4. The trouble is that when I try to use the keyboard shortcuts for 1⁄3, 2⁄3, 1⁄8, 1⁄3, 5⁄8 and 7⁄8, I get everything but the fractions. For example, 1⁄3 is supposed to be Alt U+2153, but when I try this, I get everything from little blocks to letters. Could you please tell me what I’m doing wrong?

A. There’s a slightly different approach for the fractions you’re having trouble with, Alden said.

U+2153 is the Unicode character code for 1⁄3, she said. Unicode is a universal character set designed to encode all the world’s major languages, from our Roman alphabet to Hindi.

To use this in a Word document, first type the character code 2153, and then press “Alt” and “X.” No need for the U+, and no need to highlight the number before pressing “Alt” and “X.”

The codes for the other fractions you mention are U+2154 for 2⁄3, U+215b for 1⁄8, U+215c for 1⁄3, U+215d for 5⁄8 and U+215e for 7⁄8.

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