How (and why) to back up Microsoft Outlook emails
We here at Sync are thrilled with the comments and discussion generated by the “How to retrieve deleted files” post, so we hope you like this handy mini-tutorial just as much. This time around, we explain how to best back up your Microsoft Outlook email in case you need to refer to it at a later date.
It’s always a good idea to make a backup of your personal or professional email for future reference. After all, you never know when you’ll need it, be it a salary promise by the boss you want to dig up a year later or keeping sentimental exchanges — be they love notes or correspondence with an aging grandmother.
Backing up email in Microsoft Outlook can be done in a number of ways. Here are two options, both of which work for all recent versions of the software:
Backup Option No. 1: If you only want to back up a couple of mail folders, such as Inbox or Deleted Items, the easiest way is to simply open up Outlook and click on the left side of the screen on the folder you want backed up. Once a folder is highlighted, click the File tab at the top of the screen, followed by Import and Export. The last step is to select Export to a File and choose the option for Personal Folder File (.pst). You’ll be prompted to name the file (e.g., Deleted.pst) and choose where to save it on your hard drive (e.g., C:\Documents). You can do this for multiple folders within Microsoft Outlook, including Contacts, Calendar, Notes and Tasks.
Backup Option No. 2: If you’d like to back up all your information in Outlook, open Windows Explorer on your PC and do a search in the Microsoft Outlook folder (usually in C:\Program Files) for files ending in .pst. Highlight all the relevant files — including “outlook.pst” and “archive.pst” — and copy (don’t cut) these files into another folder on your hard drive, external hard drive or USB flash drive.
Note: My lovely Sync colleague Rhonda Callow reminded me the process is a bit different in Microsoft Outlook 2010. If you’d like to back-up specific mail (or calendar, contacts, notes or tasks) folders, highlight the tab on the left-hand side of the screen (e.g. Deleted Items), then click, File > Options > Advanced > Export. Thanks Rhonda!
Now, when you want to import the saved files back into Outlook — on the same computer or a new one — click on the folder (e.g., Inbox), then select File, followed by Import and Export. This time, however, choose the option Import From Another Program or File and select the file you want to import (e.g., Inbox.pst).
Readers, have you ever needed to recover old emails?
You rock, Marc!
I can’t tell you how much information on this topic is just plain WRONG on the Interweb or a company tries to sell you software that does this. I used your tip no 1 and it worked like a charm. I was able to then import it all on a second laptop for safe keeping.
Keep up the good work,
/KB/
I wish your advice had come out a few weeks ago! The hard drive on my laptop was failing and needed to be replaced. I tried a lot of different web sites to figure out how to back up my Outlook info before I lost it all, and couldn’t find an easy enough way (most sites had me purchasing software). As a result I lost everything, including contacts I had stored up over the last couple years. Now that I know what to do, I’ll be backing stuff up every couple weeks from now on. THANKS!!!
Buy Carbonite. It’s a remote over-the-web backup system for about USD60 per year. You can tag the files and folders you want backed up, including your main PST file, thus elminating the need for manual backups (which, let’s face it, most people are likely to do once per month at best.)
Hey Marc, will this backup contacts, calendar events and notes too, or is there another procedure for these types of Outlook info?
Thank you for the info,I was wondering how it could be done!
but i have the same question as Simon Cohen regarding the contacts file
Hi Simon,
Yep!
You’d follow the same exact steps and it works great. For example, highlight the Contacts or Calendar or Notes tab, then click File, Export, and then select PST as it’s the best option (in emails, it retains attachments perfectly).
Marc
If you are using Outlook 2002 – 2007 the following backup utility from Microsoft will back up all Outlook data (Calendar, Notes, Journals the whole shebang) into the one .pst file.
Install the backup tool, name your back up and where you’d like to store it, and voila, done. This quick and easy utility has been around for years but few know about it. It can be found at the following MS website.
The page says that the backup utility is for 2002 and 2003 but I am using it with 2007 and it works perfectly.
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/using-the-microsoft-outlook-personal-folders-backup-tool-HA001087532.aspx?CTT=3
Additionally one should backup or make a copy of the .ost (if your on a server), and the .wab (address book) as well.
Just for fun stats: Outlook 2002 (.pst) has a max size of ANSI 2GB, while 2003 – 2007 is Unicode in formatted with a capacity of 20GB.
Hi gang,
My trusty Sync colleague Rhonda Callow reminded me the mail export process is a bit different for MS Outlook 2010. See the bolded addition to the post if you own this new software.
Best,
Marc
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Useful post. Thank you.
I use and recommend Handy Backup, it’s easy and reliable software for Outlook backup.
Best,
MikeGeek
Hi Folks
You might want to check out “Outlook 2007/2003/2002 Add-in: Personal Folders Backup” at the Microsoft Download center.
This Microsoft utility makes backup a one (1) click operation and it can auto schedule backups for Outlook. It is free from Microsoft at thier download site, just seach on the above.
There is also a new feature in Outlook 2010, at least it is for me, that uses One Note. When I have an email I want to save and organize a simple click lets me place it in a notes folder. So I now have a section for important emails, reciepts, humor etc in my notes (it came with Office 2010).
Hey,
I read the post. Thanks for given some useful tips.
Keep up the good work.