Custom categories are not transferred from Outlook 2000 to Outlook 2002

When you copy an Outlook personal folders (.pst) file from a computer that is running Outlook 2000 to a computer that is running Outlook 2002, your custom categories are not transferred.

This behavior occurs because the master category list that contains all your custom categories is not maintained in the .pst file. The data exists in the Microsoft Windows Registry.

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To resolve this behavior, copy the MASTER CATEGORIES LIST entries in the Outlook registry to a text file on the computer that is running Outlook 2000. Transfer the file to the computer that is running Outlook 2002, and paste the text of the categories from the file to the MASTER CATEGORIES LIST in Outlook 2002. Following these steps to copy the information from the registry on the computer that is running Outlook 2000.

How to Save the MasterList Registry Value As a Text file

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type regedit.
3. Click to select the following registry subkey:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Outlook\Categories
4. Click the Categories folder, and then click the MasterList value.
5. Click the Registry menu, and then click Export Registry File.
6. In the Export Registry File dialog box, click the Save as Type box, click All Files (*.*), and then type a file name with a .TXT extension, such as "MasterList.txt" (without quotation marks).
7. In Save In drop down box, point to drive A, and then click the Save button.
8. Close Registry Editor.

How to Paste the Text of the MasterList Key to the Outlook 2002 MASTER CATEGORIS LIST

1. On the computer that is running Outlook 2002, open the MasterList.txt file that is on the floppy disk. The following is an example of the information that your file will display:

   Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
   
   [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\9.0\Outlook\Categories] "MasterList"="Friends;Important People;High-Volume Customers;Family Contacts;Company Presidents;"
   					

2. Copy all the text inside the quotation marks that follow the "MasterList"=, these are your custom categories. The semicolons (;) are the delimiters and must be included.
3. Open Outlook 2002, open a contact, and then click the Categories button at the lower right corner of the contact.
4. In the Categories dialog box, click the MASTER CATEGORIES LIST button
5. Paste your copied text to the New Category line by pressing Ctrl+V on your keyboard, and then click Add. Your custom categories are added to the list.
   
   NOTE: You can only paste 255 characters into the New Category line. If you paste more than 255 characters into the field your entry is truncated.
6. Click OK, and then close the contact.