How to Import or Copy the Auto-Complete List to Another Computer

The Auto-Complete list shows the suggestions for email addresses and names as a user starts typing them. These recommendations are probable match results from a complete list of names or email addresses from the message that is to be sent.
The approach to copy the auto-complete list to another computer depends on the type of email account added to Microsoft Outlook. In case, a user has an Office 365 account, an IMAP account (the most common type of account), Exchange Server account, then the auto-complete list is saved in the system as the hidden file in Microsoft Outlook data file.
Suppose, a user has a POP account (this is the rarely used account, but used for the third-party email clients), the auto-complete list is saved on the local system.
If a user is confused about the type of account configured in Outlook, he/she can navigate to File >> Account Settings >> Account Settings. The type of account will be displayed here.

Pro Tip: If you want to convert PST to MSG, use PST Converter tool. The software will not only export Outlook emails to MSG file format but it also supports another file conversion also like EML, MBOX, and PDF.

Workaround Solution to Import or Copy the Auto-Complete List

The complete procedure to import the auto-complete list to another computer Windows 10 system is divided into a few major steps. These all steps are explained in detail here.

How to Copy the Auto-Complete List?
Step 1: Export Auto-Complete Mailbox
1.  Close Outlook application and OWA (Outlook Web App) on all the systems that are linked with the mailbox
2.  Go to the link http://mfcmapi.codeplex.com to download and install the MFCMAPI
3.  Run mfcmapi.exe
4.  Navigate to Session menu and click on Login
5.  If a window prompts on the screen asking for a profile, choose the desired profile and hit on OK
6.  In the top field, search for the line corresponding to your mailbox and then, double-click on it
7.  From the left-hand side navigation window, expand Root Container. Afterward, expand Top of Information Store or IPM_SUBTREE
8.  Right-click on the Inbox folder and then, click on Open Associated Content Table. By doing so, a new MFCMAPI window appears on the screen which consists of various properties
9.  From the Subject column, right-click on the element which has the subject as IPM.Configuration.Autocomplete. Then, click on the option of Export Message. This will open up the window of Save Message to File
10.  From the drop-down list, choose the option of MSG file (UNICODE), then select the option of OK
11. Choose a folder location to which messages are to be saved. Hit on Save and note this location for future reference

Step 2: Import Auto-Complete Mailbox to Import or Copy the Auto-Complete List
1. Exit from Outlook application. Close OWA and all the other workstations connected to the mailbox
2. Go to the link http://mfcmapi.codeplex.com to download and install the MFCMAPI
3. Run mfcmapi.exe
4. Navigate to Session menu and click on Login
5. If a window prompts on the screen asking for a profile, choose the desired profile and hit on OK
6. In the top field, search for the line corresponding to your mailbox and then, double-click on it
7. From the left-hand side navigation window, expand Root Container. Afterward, expand Top of Information Store or IPM_SUBTREE
8. Right-click on the Inbox folder and then, click on Open Associated Content Table. By doing so, a new MFCMAPI window appears on the screen which consists of various properties
9. To prevent duplicate entries, the already-existing duplicate message has to be deleted

Note: Before you delete the message corresponding to subject IPM.Configuration.Autocomplete, you should export the auto-complete mailbox message with the help of above-explained steps.

For deleting the already existing Auto-Complete message, follow the below-mentioned steps:
i. In the column named Subject, find the item which has the subject IPM.Configuration.Autocomplete
ii. Right-click on the desired item and click on Delete message. Doing this will open up the Delete Item dialog box
iii. From the drop-down menu, choose the option of Permanent deletion (deletes to deleted item retention if supported), and then, click on OK option
10. From the Folder menu, choose the option of Import, and then select From MSG to import or copy the auto-complete list to another computer Outlook 2016
11. Search the .msg file that is generated in Step 1 (Export Auto-Complete Mailbox), then, click on OK
12. The Load MSG dialog-box will appear on the screen. Choose the option of Load message into a current folder in the list of Load Style, and then, hit the option of OK
The information related to auto-complete is migrated from IPM.Configuration.Autocomplete_.msg, where represents a lengthy string of letters and numbers.

How to Copy and Import a .nk2 File?
Step 1: Copy Auto-Complete File from the Old System
1. Since, the default folder is a hidden folder, the simplest possible way to open the folder is by using command %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Outlook in the Search box of Windows.
Or, another way is to browse to C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook
2. In the next step, find your .nk2 file (Auto-Complete list) in MS Outlook folder
3. Copy the desired file to a new system. The file is smaller in size and can be saved on any removable media like USB memory stick.
Step 2: Copy Auto-Complete File to the New System
1. On the new system, move to Control Panel and then, double-click on Mail
2. Then, click on Show Profiles
3. Note the name of the profile. It will be required to modify the .nk2 file to match the name at the later stage to copy the auto-complete list to another computer
4. Copy the .nk2 file to the new system in the folder where Outlook configurations are stored. It is because default folder is the hidden folder and the simplified way is to use the command %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Outlook in the Search box of Windows. Or, browse to the location C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook
5. Once the file is copied to the new system, right-click on it and choose the option of Rename. Modify the name of the file so as to match it with the name in step 3.

Step 3: Import the Auto-Complete File
1. Now, you are ready to start MS Outlook and import the list. For this, Outlook should be started with a special one-time password
2. In the search box of Windows, type outlook/importnk2 and then hit on Enter
3. This way your new system will have the auto-complete list.

Wrapping Up

An auto-Complete file is an option when the suggestions are displayed automatically as a user types name or email address. This list can be copied and imported into another system. The post deals with the complete workaround solution to import or copy the auto-complete list to another computer.