How to Back Up Microsoft Outlook

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

Computer experts recommend backing up important files regularly, but we often forget to back up email files. For many, email and contacts are among the most important data on the computer. Backing up your Outlook data is as simple as copying a single file.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Backing Up Outlook

PDF download Download Article
  1. All of your Outlook information, including emails, folders, contacts, calendars , and more, is stored in a single .pst or .ost file file on your computer. Copying this file will create a full backup of your Outlook information.
  2. You'll need to navigate to C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\ . There are a couple of ways that you can do this: [1]
    • You can open an Explorer window and navigate to this folder, but you'll need to display hidden files first. Click the "View" tab and select "Hidden items," or click the "View" menu, select "Folder options," and then check "Display hidden files and folders." This will allow you to see the "AppData" folder in your User folder.
    • You can press ⊞ Win , type %appdata% , and press ↵ Enter . This will open the "Roaming" folder. Go up one level so that you're in the "AppData" folder, then open "Local" → "Microsoft" → "Outlook."
    • In Windows XP, the location is C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\ .
    Advertisement
  3. These are the data files for that user's Outlook program. The files will be named after the email address they are associated with. Most users will have .pst files, while Exchange users will typically have an .ost file.
    • Copy the file by selecting it and then pressing Ctrl + C or right-click it and select "Copy."
  4. There are several ways that you can securely backup this data file, depending on your needs. Creating multiple backups will help ensure that your file stays safe in case something goes wrong.
    • You can copy the file to a USB drive. Most .pst files will be around 10-100 MB in size, which should fit on most USB drives.
    • You can burn the file to a disc. This allows you to file the disc away, but may not be the best use of a whole disc due to the relatively small file size. See How to Burn a DVD for more details.
    • You can upload the file to a cloud storage service such as Google Drive or OneDrive. This has the benefit of giving you access to the file anywhere you can connect to the internet. See How to Back Up Data for more details on uploading files to a cloud storage service.
    5. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Restoring Your Backup

PDF download Download Article
  1. If the backup file is on a USB drive, disc, or uploaded to cloud storage, you'll want to copy it onto the computer's local storage first. You can place the file anywhere, such as on your desktop or in your Documents folder.
  2. If you're using Outlook 2003, click the File menu.
  3. You'll see several options.
  4. This will open the file browser.
  5. Navigate to the data file that you copied back to your local storage. Select it and click "Open" to load the file.
  6. Outlook will load the backup data file, including all of the folders, messages, contacts, and calendar entries. [2]
    7. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    Since Hotmail changed to Outlook, I have been randomly losing folder contents. Also, some folders have been deleted. How can I recover the deleted folders?
    Community Answer
    You can check your recycle bin. If they are not there, you either accidentaly deleted them or they got outdated so your PC deleted them automatically.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0
  • Question
    I would like to put client emails (sent & received) in a folder, one for each client. Then I want to copy each folder onto a USB to store on my primary computer, which is not connected to the Internet. Any suggestions? Can Outlook or another email-handling program do this for me?
    Community Answer
    With Outlook, you can export out folders at will. Go to File -> Open/export -> Import/export -> Export to a file -> Outlook Data File (.PST) -> You can then expand out the inbox and select the folder you want to export. You could then import the .PST files into Outlook on the computer not connected to the Internet.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 1 Helpful 2
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!
      Advertisement

      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
      Sync Outlook 365 Signatures to Mobile, Web, & Other Computers
      How to
      Edit Received Emails in Outlook
      Save Emails from Outlook: An Easy & Quick Guide
      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
      Change the Time Zone in Outlook
      How to
      Access Archived Emails in Outlook
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ http://www.howto-outlook.com/howto/backupandrestore.htm
      2. ↑ http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-easy-ways-to-back-up-your-microsoft-outlook-data/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open File Explorer.
      2. Make sure "Display hidden files and folders" is enabled.
      3. Go to the Outlook data folder.
      4. Copy the .pst or .ost file to a backup drive.

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 507,858 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Nisar Ahmad Momand

        Mar 20, 2016

        "Thanks. This article and this information is very beneficial for me."
      More reader stories Hide reader stories
      Share your story

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement