You receive a "Properties for this information service must be defined prior to use" error message when you try to import a personal folders file (.pst file) from Outlook 2003 into an earlier version of Outlook

Consider the following scenario. You try to import a personal folders file (.pst file) into Microsoft Outlook. If the version of Outlook is earlier than Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, the .pst file is not imported. Additionally, you receive an error message that is similar to the following error message: When you click OK, you receive the following error message:

This issue may occur when the .pst file that you are trying to import is an Outlook 2003 .pst file. Outlook 2003 .pst files are in Unicode format and support multilingual data. The .pst files in earlier versions of Outlook are not in Unicode format and do not support multilingual data.

To resolve this issue so that you can import a .pst file from Outlook 2003 into an earlier version of Outlook, first save your Outlook 2003 personal folders file as an Outlook 97-2002 Personal Folders File (*.pst) file. Then, export your Outlook 2003 .pst file to the new .pst file that is compatible with an earlier version of Outlook. Then, import the new .pst file into the earlier version of Outlook.

To save your Outlook 2003 personal folders file as an Outlook 97-2002 Personal Folders File (*.pst) file and export your Outlook 2003 .pst file to the new .pst file, follow these steps:

1. In Outlook 2003, point to New on the File menu, and then click Outlook Data File.
2. In the New Outlook Data File dialog box, click Outlook 97-2002 Personal Folders File (*.pst), and then click OK.
3. In the Create or Open Outlook Data File dialog box, name your new .pst file. Then, save the new .pst file to a location such as the Windows Desktop.
4. Click OK to close the Create Microsoft Personal Folders dialog box.
   
   Note A new Personal Folders appears in the Navigation Pane in Outlook 2003.
5. Select the new Personal Folders in the Navigation Pane. Then, click Import and Export on the File menu.
6. Click Import from another program or file, and then click Next.
7. Click Personal Folder File (.pst), and then click Next.
8. Click Browse to select the .pst file that you want to export to an earlier version of Outlook. Then, click Open.
9. Click Next.
10. Under Select the folder to import from, click Personal Folders.
11. Click to select the Include subfolders check box.
12. In the Import items into the same folder in box, click the .pst file that you saved in step 3.
13. Click Finish.
14. Click OK when you receive the following message:
    You are importing data to a location that does not fully support Unicode. To avoid loss of multilingual data, it is recommended that you choose a location that supports Unicode, such as a Microsoft Office Outlook Personal Folders File.
    
    Click OK to continue with the chosen location.

To import the new .pst file into an earlier version of Outlook, follow these steps:

1. In the earlier version of Microsoft Outlook, click Import and Export on the File menu.
2. Click Import from another program or file, and then click Next.
3. Click Personal Folder File (.pst), and then click Next.
4. Click Browse to locate and open the .pst file that you saved from Outlook 2003. Then, click Next.
5. Under Select the folder to import from, click Personal Folders.
6. Click to select the Include subfolders check box.
7. In the Import items into the same folder in box, click the .pst file that you are importing.
8. Click Finish.