what are duplicate items in this context?

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what are duplicate items in this context?

KUMAR, AMAN 40

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Answer 1

Killian-N 2,230 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi @KUMAR, AMAN,

Thank you for posting your question on Microsoft Q&A Community.

I wanted to provide some clarification regarding the “Replace duplicates with items exported” option in Classic Outlook for Windows.

In this context, duplicate items refer to identical copies of Outlook data such as emails, contacts, calendar events, or tasks, that appear more than once in your mailbox. These are exact duplicates, meaning the same item is present in multiple locations within Outlook.

When exporting data, Outlook checks for duplicates in the destination folder. If it detects a duplicate, the item being exported will replace (overwrite) the existing item in the PST file. This ensures that the most recent or relevant version of the item is retained.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns, I am happy to help.

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KUMAR, AMAN 40 Reputation points

2025-07-24T17:40:35.3466667+00:00

While exporting we're getting three options, so which one is the best option for exporting in which we can ensure that we're not going to lose any data.

If you have any KB article related to this topic then please try to share it.
KUMAR, AMAN 40 Reputation points

2025-07-24T17:42:18.8966667+00:00

If I sync the exported pst file over the SharePoint, then it'll be available or accessible by us after few years?
Killian-N 2,230 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-07-24T18:34:46.8066667+00:00
Hi @KUMAR, AMAN,

Thank you for your follow-up questions. I'm happy to help clarify.

When exporting data from Outlook to a PST file, you're presented with three options for handling duplicates:

Replace duplicates with items exported – If Outlook detects a duplicate item in the destination folder, the item being exported will overwrite the existing one.

Allow duplicates to be created – Both the existing item and the exported item will be kept, resulting in duplicates.

Do not export duplicate items – If a duplicate is found, Outlook will skip exporting that item.

If your goal is to ensure no data is lost, the safest option is usually “Allow duplicates to be created”. This ensures that every item is exported, even if it results in duplicates. You can always clean up duplicates later if needed. The other two options involve either skipping or overwriting items, which could potentially result in data loss if not used carefully.

As for your question about syncing the exported PST file to SharePoint: Yes, you can store a PST file on SharePoint for long-term access. However, PST files are not designed for multi-user access or live editing in cloud environments. For long-term archival, it's best to treat the PST as a static backup, download it locally when needed, and avoid opening it directly from SharePoint to prevent corruption or access issues.

For a detailed step-by-step guide on exporting Outlook data to a PST file, you can refer to this official Microsoft article: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/export-emails-contacts-and-calendar-items-to-outlook-using-a-pst-file-14252b52-3075-4e9b-be4e-ff9ef1068f91#picktab=classic_outlook

Please let me know if you’d like help choosing the best option for your specific scenario or if you have any other questions.

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Answer 2

Stefan Blom 310.3K MVP Volunteer Moderator

See if the support article at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/export-emails-contacts-and-calendar-items-to-outlook-using-a-pst-file-14252b52-3075-4e9b-be4e-ff9ef1068f91#picktab=classic_outlook provides the explanation you are looking for.

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what are duplicate items in this context?

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