Top Ways to Convert Lotus Notes archive to Outlook PST

Lotus Notes although being one of the popular and controversial email clients of IBM is certainly used by many companies but when Microsoft came with the MS Outlook, many companies started shifting to it. So in this article, we will get a complete overview of the Importance of Outlook PST over Lotus Notes NSF. Moreover, we will cover the top ways to Convert Lotus Notes archive to Outlook PST.

Before starting, It is important to reiterate that archive files are generally composed of multiple single files and documents for easier portability and better storage space. So these files are not very much different from normal files. For example, an archive file with extension NSF will contain all important data(files and documents) that are stored on your PC. 

Importance of Outlook PST over Lotus Notes NSF

1. Lotus Notes files and folder, in general, get corrupted very easily due to virus attack, malware, or abrupt system shutdown.
2. Microsoft Outlook files can be accessible even in offline mode.
3. The Outlook is more user friendly as compared to IBM Lotus Notes.
4. Outlook gives you more configuration options with various applications of Microsoft Office Suite(like MS Word, Powerpoint or Excel, etc.) as compared to Lotus Notes.
5. MS Outlook has Slightly better email management with cost-effectiveness.
6. Security benefit-Having a backup of your important files in PST would be very beneficial for every company and even job seekers as well.

Although Lotus Notes has its benefits and Outlook has its benefits, If we look at the practicality, It’s always good to have an email client with a user-friendly GUI and with more customization options.

Ways to Convert Lotus Notes archive to Outlook PST

There are 3 Top methods to convert Lotus Notes to Outlook:-

1. Export Lotus Notes mailbox to CSV file
2. Import the same  Lotus Notes CSV file to Outlook
3. Using a Lotus Notes to Outlook Converter

Method 1

To export Lotus notes files to CSV format follow these instructions:-

1. Open the Lotus notes and then click on the file menu.
2. Browse for a file/mail that you want to convert and click on the Export option.
3. Now you will see Export wizard gets opened, give the file name, and select the location for the resultant file.
4. Choose the type of files as Comma-separated Value(CSV) and click on the export button.

Note: A dialog box will appear which requires you to gives different preferences like converting singlet or multiple documents etc. After all this process you will be able to see CSV files at the location assigned by you.

Method 2

To import the same NSF files to Outlook follow these steps:-

1. Open MS Outlook on your Laptop/PC, Go to the files tab and click on the Import/export option.
2. In the Import/Export Wizard tab select Import from another program option, click Next.
3. Choose Comma separated value in the next tab.
4. In the next window, browse for the CSV file which you saved at the desired path.
5. Give an option if you want to replace the duplicate items in the CSV file.
6. Select the folder in the Outlook tab where you want to save the file
7. Now you will see a check box, select that check box to import the file to the desired destination
8. After finishing the process you can see the imported Outlook file.

Note: To convert the Calenders follow the same process but when you will be choosing the file type choose iCalendar(.ics)

For converting your important contacts you need to follow the same steps -First, export your NSF files to CSV and then importing the contact files to Outlook.

Disadvantages of these methods:-

1. You will have to convert every file individually to Outlook PST which can take time.
2. Data can get lost or you can forget to add/convert any filer or folder. These problems can occur as the process is repetitive and long.
3. Double work is needed as 2 methods are interlinked.

Method 3

Using a Lotus Notes to Outlook Converter can be another great option as the process will get automated and you will be able to convert multiple NSF files at a time without any technical expertise.

Benefits of using a Lotus Notes to Outlook converter:-

1. Migrates calendars, contacts, and email at the same time.
2. A date range filter to remove unnecessary files.
3. You can also convert any file or folder even when it is encrypted.

Conclusion

Conversion of  Lotus Notes archive to Outlook PST would be the best bet for everyone as Outlook offers more customization and better data management features. As far as the conversion is concerned, Go for the method which is more beneficial and takes less time. If you want to convert some files you can go for any method that you can sustain.