The "File access is denied. Insufficient permission to import .pst files from external devices." error message is displayed when importing .pst files from external devices in Outlook 2010.
Insufficient permission to import .pst files from external devices.
This problem occurs when Windows 7 tries to import a .pst file that was exported to an external storage device by Windows XP. This problem occurs when the Windows XP account and the Windows 7 account are not compatible, or when the user account control settings are invalid.
These steps may increase security risks. They may also make the computer or the network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. Before you make these changes, we recommended that you evaluate the risks that are associated with implementing this process in your particular environment. If you choose to implement these steps, take any appropriate additional steps to help protect your system.
In Control Panel, click User Accounts and Family Safety.
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At the User Accounts and Family Safety screen, click User Accounts.
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At the User Accounts screen, click Change User Account Control Settings.
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At the Change User Account Control Settings screen, set the user account control to Never notify me, the lowest level, and then click OK.
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Provide the administrator password or click Yes when you are prompted with a User Account Control message.
Check whether the problem is fixed by restarting your computer and then importing the .pst file again.
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If the problem is fixed, restore the User Account Control Settings to the original level in order to prevent malicious programs from modifying your computer.
The following table lists each setting and describes how it affects security.
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Setting
Description
Impact on security
Always notify me
A notification is displayed before a program makes changes to your computer or Windows settings that require administrator privileges.
When the notification is displayed, the desktop will be dimmed, and you will not be able to perform any other tasks until you approve or decline the request from the UAC dialog box. This is called a secured desktop, because programs cannot perform any task while the desktop is dimmed.
It is the most secure setting.
When the notification is displayed, read each dialog box carefully before you approve changes to your computer.
Notify me only when programs try to make changes to my computer
A notification will be displayed before a program makes changes that require administrator permissions.
When the user tries to make changes to the computer that requires administrator permissions, no notification will be displayed.
A notification will be displayed when external programs try to change the Windows settings.
Generally, it is safe to change Windows settings without notification. However, commands or data can be delivered to certain programs that come with Windows, and harmful software may exploit this opportunity to install files to or change the settings of your computer. For this reason, you must be careful when allowing programs to be run on your computer.
Notify me only when programs try to make changes to my computer (do not dim my desktop)
A notification is displayed when programs try to make changes to your computer that requires administrator permissions.
However, you will not be notified when programs make changes that require administrator permissions to Windows settings.
A notification is displayed when external programs try to change Windows settings.
This setting is similar to the 'Notify me only when programs try to make changes to my computer' option, but notifications are not displayed in secure desktop.
Other programs may obscure the visibility of the UAC dialog box, because it is not on secure desktop. This security setting may leave your computer vulnerable to harmful programs that are already running on it.
Never notify me
No notification is displayed when changes are made to your computer. If you are logged in as the administrator, programs can make changes to your computer without your consent.
If you are logged in as a standard user, any changes that require administrator permissions will be automatically ignored.
If you select this setting, you must complete the process by restarting your computer to disable UAC. Once UAC is disabled, anyone who logs into your computer as the administrator has the administrator privileges.
This is the least secure setting. If you disable the UAC notifications, your computer may be at risk.
Please be careful when you disable the UAC notifications, because programs can access, read, and modify protected system areas, personal data, files and other items that are saved on your computer with the same privilege as the user. Programs can also connect to, communicate with, and transfer data to and from anything that is connected to the network, including the Internet.
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