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Export to PST

bc1410
Level 5

Hello -

So I have a Clearwell v8.1.1 R1 case inwhich the source data that was processed appears to be Email *.txt files.  I think they might have been MSG files prior to processing (maybe) but for some reason they where processed as txt files. 

A loadable export (DAT file) was provided to the client as the client requested a loadable export to be reviewed in another review platform.  Well it comes to be that the review platform that the client is trying to use is Outlook.   So basiclly now they are looking for something to load into outlook preferably a PST file.   So how can I produce a clearwell export to PST in which txt email files where used in processing the case.   I dont think it can be done?  correct?   Clearwell cant produce a PST from txt.  

Does anybody have any suggestions to help a novice clearwell person.  This case was created and processed and exported by someone who no longer is around.  So its like inventing the wheel again. 

I was thinking if I maybe rename all the txt files to maybe MSG or EML files and reprocess.  But when reprocessing data within the case will wipe out all the existing tags etc.   correct.?

I guess I could maybe just do a native export with the current case the way it is and rename the txt to EML so they can import those files into outlook?

Any suggestions would be appriciated.  Thanks in advance. 

 

 

 

7 REPLIES 7

Daly
Level 5
Partner Employee Accredited Certified

Hello bc1410,

If you go to Manage Sources on the case and take a look at the sources processed, are they load files sources?

What you are saying might make sense with the text files as they may be the 'extracted text' for the e-mails and they may also have a native field mapped in the loadfile that points to an original e-mail, this would mean you could then export the e-mails by including the native option and do a native export.

On the export provided to the client, do you know how the export was configured? It may be that it didn't have the option to include natives selected.

Daly

 

Hello Daly - thanks for the reply...  

No they are not Load File Sources.   The data processed was as Case Folder Source.   The source data was TXT files in a email format sort of speak.   So maybe they were EML or MSG and processed as txt.

The export for client included the "Default.DAT" file and also the Native files in a folder and also the Txt files in a folder.  Within the DAT file I see the path for the native & text and it just points to the directory structure that was on the Disk that was sent to the client.   Doesnt point to original email.

The metadata export did have the natives included.

Any thoughts on the whole PST thing?   If I was to just do a native export its just going to give me txt files.   How could I bottle them up to load into outlook.. Is that even possible?

JimmyClearwell
Level 5
Employee Accredited Certified

Hello @bc1410,

I hope you had a wonderful holiday break and Happy New Year Robot Happy

You can use Native Export to export those email txt files if you want them in their native format. Because the emails are txt files when exported those files are going to be natives which in this case are in the txt format. In order for the emails to be exported as msg or eml format, they'd have to be ingested as such Robot Frustrated

While I cannot say whether or not the folder hierarchy will be retained (if this option is selected anyway) as it was when it was either a msg or eml file, I can say that any loose files will be listed in a directory structure that mirrors the original directory structure from which the files were crawled, with some character substitutions when necessary. This is according to the Export and Production Guide 8.2

I've got a few suggestions for you on how to get the desired results here:

  1. Open the case folder source using Outlook and save each of messages as an msg file.
    • As loose files - Depending on whether or not you need the ingested email txt files and any other data ingested in the case, either save the msg files to another separate folder to ingest or rediscover and ingest (process) the same case folder source. 
    • As a PST - Export the new msg files to a PST from Outlook.
  2. Perform a Native Export for all email txt files.
    • Open the resulting PST file in Outlook and save each message as an msg file. 
    • As loose filesDepending on whether or not you need the ingested email txt files and any other data ingested in the case, either copy the new PST to another separate folder to ingest or rediscover and ingest (process) the same case folder source. 
    • As a PST  - Export the msg files to a PST from Outlook.

Note: Before deciding on how to ingest the emails as either loose files msg files or a PST, if you can, either delete the case and recreate it or restore from a case backup from before you ingested the email txt files. This way you won't have fiddle with those pesky email txt files any longer Robot wink

Either of the two options should get you the native email files that you want ingested in eDiscovery Platform and available as the same for a Native Export. 

I hope that helps!

Best Regards,
James Harris
Business Critical Engineer Veritas eDiscovery Platform
Business Critical Services
Veritas Technologies LLC

Hi Jimmy - Happy New Year!

 I understand that since they are TXT files that were injested then the native export will export as Txt files. Im wondering if I could use the exported native txt files and rename all them to EML or MSG and then maybe have client import them into outlook for review.   We provided what was requested in regard to a load ready format to include a load file with metadata, natives and text  load file.  But didnt know they were going to use Outlook as their review tool.

Regarding your suggestions:

I thought about maybe renaming all case source txt files to MSG and reingest into a separte new case.  But it will take some time to figure out how the tags and folders were set/created for original case.  How the previous case creator came up with the search criteria that was used for the exports etc. 

regarding your option #1 - you are saying to open outlook and import the spource data.?  Didnt think I could import txt files in outlook.  Maybe Im not reading your suggestion correctly.

 

Option#2 -  I didnt think I can export native as a PST if the ingested files where Txt.   I guess Im a little confused on your options.   sorry Jimmy.  Been a long day..  I will read your post again to decipher.

Ultimately the client wants a PST file so they can import it in their outlook to review the emails since they dont have any ediscovery review tools. 

Thanks

BC

 

 

 

JimmyClearwell
Level 5
Employee Accredited Certified

Sorry for all of the misinformation when I suggested opening files/folders in Outlook and that txt files exported would go into a PST. 

Here's what doesn't work:

  • Native Export doesn't export txt files to a PST.
  • You cannot simply rename the txt files as msg files and open in Outlook. At least it doesn't work for me whether I did a rename or opened in an editor and saved as a msg file.

Here's what does work:

  • You can rename the txt files to eml files and open in Outlook whereby you could copy to a folder in Outlook to be exported to a PST. In order to Export in Outlook, you would go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export, choose Export to a file, choose Outlook Data File (.pst), choose the folder ...

With all of that said, you could either simply rename as eml files or go through the motions of renaming and exporting to a PST to give them. Also, if really needed, you could simply save the eml files as msg files after opening in Outlook.

Again, sorry for the misinformation. Keep me posted on how you make out. 

 

Best Regards,
James Harris
Business Critical Engineer Veritas eDiscovery Platform
Business Critical Services
Veritas Technologies LLC

Hi Jimmy - Thanks for reply.

Well if I use the exported files that the client needs and change the files to EML they do correctly as you stated open in Outlook.  Thing is that when using the exported clearwell files and I change them to EML files - Yes I can do a mass change to EML (over 2K files) and drop them in a outlook folder but the Thing is that when you do that, they show up as "Unknown" Emails with the clearwell native export file name convention.  Now if I open each individual (EML) email and do a "Move" to a folder within the outlook email then it comes up correctly as far as who the email was from and the time stamp etc.   But since there is over 2K files this is not to feesible..   Might have to check about a outlook tool or something.

It appears that these files are MIME file types.   I was assumming they were txt as when exporting natively from clearwell they have the txt extension.  And when I open a file (source) that was used to ingest I see that the file looks to be txt and opened with notepad as default.   But I did notice when opening one of the source files I see the following - MIME-Version: 1.0...  So Im wondering why if these are MIME in nature when Exporting Natively from clearwell it gives me a TXT extension.   Why wouldnt clearwell export these files as EML extensions?

 

Thanks

BC

 

 

JimmyClearwell
Level 5
Employee Accredited Certified

Hello @bc1410,

Sorry this is becoming a struggle Robot Sad

I didn't realize you had 2K worth of email txt files Robot surprised You may want to check out Aid4Mail http://www.aid4mail.com as a solution in addressing a bulk add of the eml files to PST and possibly retaining the original folder hierarchy. 

As I understand it, the mime type is included in all email headers to detect a standard. Whether this comes from the original email which might've been saved a a txt files, or in renaming to an eml file I cannot be sure. However, I do know that if the email txt files were ingested as txt files, they'll be exported in the same format regardless of the mime type.

I think the goal here should be to get the files in a format that can go into a PST. At least you'd have a PST of all the emails that opposing counsel needs to review in Outlook.

Wish I had more for you.  Hopefully somebody else might chime in here with more info than I have.

Best Regards,
James Harris
Business Critical Engineer Veritas eDiscovery Platform
Business Critical Services
Veritas Technologies LLC