MikeD. wrote:

I got it working thanks to your hint. I didn't realize that Outlook
can use more than one .pst at a time, and these files show up as
folders on that folder "tree". It seems that if these files are
opened once, Outlook is very tenacious in trying to find them every
time Outlook is started thereafter.

Of course, unless you close them first. Right-click on the PST root and
choose Close. They will be removed from Outlook's display. You can then
close Outlook and manipulate them in Windows as you see fit.

I only figured it out by experimenting with moving and hiding the
various .pst files outside the default directory.

This is certainly the wrong approach. You could easily damage your Outlook
profile that way.

May I ask, do you think most people
even know how to properly back-up these deeply buried files?

Fairly easy.
http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm
--
Brian Tillman