Save Emails from Outlook: An Easy & Quick Guide

PDF download Download Article
The easiest ways to save and back up your Outlook messages
PDF download Download Article

Outlook desktop applications can archive and save your email data. This allows you to back up your emails for safekeeping or transfer them to another computer. You can save one email at a time or entire folders at once. This wikiHow article teaches you how to download emails in Outlook using the desktop client or web application.

Quick Steps

  1. Open Outlook.
  2. Go to the email you want to download.
  3. Click "•••" or "File".
  4. Click Save as .
  5. Save the email.
Method 1
Method 1 of 6:

Saving an Email via New Outlook & Web

PDF download Download Article
  1. It has a blue icon with an "O" over an envelope. You'll know you're using New Outlook if you see Home , View , and Help in the ribbon instead of the File tab. [1]
    • These steps work for Outlook on the web and the New Outlook desktop client for Windows.
    • If you open Task Manager (press Ctrl + Shift + Esc ), you'll see that the Outlook program is called "Outlook (new)".
  2. You can single-click it to open the email in the reading pane or double-click it to open it in a new window.
    Advertisement
  3. This three-dot menu icon says "More actions" when your mouse hovers over it. It's in the top-right corner of the reading pane or email window.
  4. Alternatively, right-click the email in the list of emails and select Save as .
  5. By default, the email saves as a ".eml" file, but you can save it as a PDF by clicking the three-dot menu and selecting Print > Print > Microsoft Print to PDF > Print . [2]
    6. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 6:

Saving an Email via Classic Outlook

PDF download Download Article
  1. It has a blue icon with an "O" over an envelope. You'll know you're using Classic Outlook if you see a File tab in the ribbon.
    • If you are not automatically signed in, sign in with the Email address and password associated with your Microsoft account.
  2. Select an email folder in the sidebar to the left and then double-click the email you want to save.
  3. It's the first menu in the menu bar at the top of Outlook.
  4. It's the third option in the File menu. [3]
  5. You can click a folder in the Quick Access bar to the left or double-click a folder in the File Explorer window.
  6. Type the name for the file next to "File Name" in the File Explorer window.
  7. Use the drop-down menu next to "Save as Type" to select a file type to save the email. You can save the email as an Outlook file, an HTML, or a text file. [4]
  8. This saves the email to the folder you selected.
    • Alternatively, you can drag and drop the emails from Outlook to the folder where you want to save them. [5]
    9. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 6:

Exporting An Email Folder Using Classic Outlook

PDF download Download Article
  1. It has a blue icon with an "O" over an envelope. This only works for Classic Outlook and is not currently supported in New Outlook. [6]
    • Revert from New Outlook to Classic Outlook by clicking the Help tab and selecting Switch to Classic Outlook .
    • If you are not automatically signed in, sign in with the Email address and password associated with your Microsoft account.
  2. It's the first menu in the menu bar at the top of Outlook.
  3. It's the second option in the File menu.
  4. It's the third option in the "Open & Export" menu.
  5. Use this option to export your email messages to a local file on your computer. [7]
  6. This option exports your email folders as a .pst file that can be imported into Outlook. [8]
  7. Click the email folder you want to export. This is the folder that will be exported as a .pst file. [9]
    • To select all emails, click your root email address at the top of your list of email folders. [10]
  8. It's to the left of the "Save exported file as" field. This allows you to select a location to save the file to.
  9. Use the File Browser window to select a location where you want to save the file to. Select a Quick Access folder to the left, or click a folder in the menu. Click Ok to select a location.
  10. It's at the bottom of the "Export Outlook Data File" window.
  11. If you want to password protect the file to prevent others from accessing the file, enter the password in the fields that say "Password" and "Verify Password". If you do not wish to create a password, leave these fields blank. Click Ok when you are done. This saves your emails as a .pst file. It may save quickly, or it may take a while depending on how many emails you want to save. [11]
    12. Advertisement


Method 4
Method 4 of 6:

Saving an Email Using Outlook 2003 or 2007

PDF download Download Article
  1. You may have an Outlook shortcut on your desktop or in your taskbar, or you can find it in the Start menu.
    • If you are not signed in automatically, enter your Outlook account's email address and password.
  2. In both versions, double-click the email you want to download and open it.
    • If you want to download more than one email, hold the "Ctrl" key on your keyboard and click each email you want to download.
  3. It's in the menu bar at the top of Outlook.
  4. It's in the File menu.
  5. Use the drop-down menu next to "Save as Type" to select a file type to save the file as. You can save the email(s) as an Outlook file, an HTML, or a text file. Choose the format you want to use from the drop-down menu.
    • The .html or .htm format will save a web page version of the email. The .txt format can be opened as a plain text file in WordPad or NotePad.
    • If you’re saving multiple emails in .txt format, each email in the file will begin with the word “From.”
  6. Using the file explorer in the Save As window, navigate to the folder where you want to save the email(s) and click Ok .
  7. In the 2003 version of Outlook, the subject of the email becomes the filename when you download a single email. For 2007, enter the filename into the Filename field.
  8. The email will be saved in your selected location under the filename you entered (for the 2007 version).
    9. Advertisement
Method 5
Method 5 of 6:

Exporting an Email Folder in Outlook 2003 or 2007

PDF download Download Article
  1. You may have an Outlook shortcut on your desktop or in your taskbar, or you can find it in the Start menu.
    • If you are not signed in automatically, enter the email address and password associated with your Outlook account.
  2. Use the sidebar to the left to select an email folder.
  3. It's in the menu bar at the top of Outlook.
  4. It's in the File menu.
  5. It's in the "Import and Export" menu.
  6. You will be given a set of options to select from.
  7. You can use the drop-down menu next to "Save as Type" to select a file type.
  8. Use the File Explorer window to select where to save your file.
  9. Use the field next to "Filename" to give the backup file a name.
  10. This saves the email folder as a backup file.
    11. Advertisement
Method 6
Method 6 of 6:

Using Outlook Express

PDF download Download Article
  1. If you have Outlook Express on your computer, you can use it to download your email messages. Double-click its icon on the desktop or find it in the Programs menu.
  2. After opening Outlook Express, use the following steps to add an account.
    • Click the Tools menu.
    • Select the Accounts option. A pop-up window showing “Internet Accounts” will appear.
    • Click Add under "All".
    • Select Mail .
  3. Use the following steps to enter the required information:
    • Enter a name for the account next to "Display Name".
    • Enter the email address that you want to download emails from and click Next .
  4. You will be directed to a new window asking for login details. Enter the respective ID and password associated with your account under the “Internet Mail server."
  5. Once you have added the email address, your account will be visible under the “All” list. Use the following steps to set the Advanced Settings
    • Select your email and click the Properties button in the side menu.
    • Select the “Advanced” settings, located between “Security” and “IMAP.”
    • Fill out your mail server information, which you can find on your mail service’s Support page.
  6. After completing the procedure, click the “Send/Receive” button beside “Create Mail” at the top of the screen. This will download the emails from your account to your Outlook Express inbox.
    7. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      You Might Also Like

      Unsend a Message in Outlook: Easily Recall & Replace Email
      5 Easy Ways to Sign Out of the Outlook App on Any Device
      How to
      Sign In to Outlook
      How to
      Make a Poll and Use the Voting Buttons in Outlook
      How to
      Set Up Email in Outlook
      How to
      Open Winmail.dat
      How to
      Edit Received Emails in Outlook
      Sync Outlook 365 Signatures to Mobile, Web, & Other Computers
      Creating an Automatic Vacation Reply in Microsoft Outlook
      How to
      Create an Outlook Email Account: Web, Mobile, & Desktop
      How to
      See Unread Outlook Messages on Windows & Mac
      How to
      Enable & Disable Out of Office Replies in Outlook
      How to
      Access Archived Emails in Outlook
      How to
      Change the Time Zone in Outlook
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/what-version-of-outlook-do-i-have-b3a9568c-edb5-42b9-9825-d48d82b2257c
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/save-an-outlook-message-as-a-eml-file-a-pdf-file-or-as-a-draft-4821bcd4-7687-4d6d-a486-b89a291a56e2?ui=en-us&rs=en-us&ad=us#PickTab=New_Outlook
      3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/office/save-a-message-as-a-file-4821bcd4-7687-4d6d-a486-b89a291a56e2
      4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/office/save-a-message-as-a-file-4821bcd4-7687-4d6d-a486-b89a291a56e2
      5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgUF5lqaXGI
      6. ↑ https://support.office.com/en-us/article/back-up-your-email-e5845b0b-1aeb-424f-924c-aa1c33b18833
      7. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/back-up-your-email-e5845b0b-1aeb-424f-924c-aa1c33b18833
      8. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/export-or-backup-email-contacts-and-calendar-to-an-outlook-pst-file-14252b52-3075-4e9b-be4e-ff9ef1068f91
      9. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/export-or-backup-email-contacts-and-calendar-to-an-outlook-pst-file-14252b52-3075-4e9b-be4e-ff9ef1068f91
      1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7SPkeiRWIM
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/set-a-password-to-help-protect-your-outlook-information-f60fb0e7-f0ad-4d7c-858b-9619d1b9f0b6

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open Outlook.
      2. Double-click an email.
      3. Click File .
      4. Click Save as .
      5. Select a folder.
      6. Type a file name for the file.
      7. Select a file type.
      8. Click Save .

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 325,568 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement