How to backup email in Outlook

I’ve now published several articles where I discuss the importance of backing up data on your computer (see Backing up your files – a vital step to securing your data). Part of that process should also include backing up your email in Outlook.

Whether you use Microsoft Outlook for personal or business use, your email often contains important correspondence, attachments, photos and information that should be backed up and kept safe. I know if I lost my email content I would be devastated but also be impacted within my business.

Microsoft Exchange vs IMAP vs POP

How you backup email in Outlook will depend on the type of email server, or protocol, you use. The most common options include Microsoft Exchange, IMAP or POP servers.

• Microsoft Exchange is a server-based email system mostly used in business. Email content is stored on the Exchange server and therefore backed up by the IT administrator of your organisation. Exchange allows access across multiple devices and is synchronised between devices.
• IMAP is a server type commonly used for personal and business email. Emails are stored on the server allowing access via multiple devices and the accounts synchronise across devices.
• POP is a server type commonly used where server space is limited. Email is downloaded from the server to a single device which then deletes the content from the server. This is less common practice in modern set ups.

You can check your account configuration within Outlook to see which type of email server you are using. Access this via the File tab and then choose Info. You will see the server type listed under your email account details.

This will determine if you need to back up email yourself, or if your IT administrator has this covered for you. If in doubt, speak with your IT department or email provider for clarification.

If you are using a POP server based email account, your email content is downloaded to your local device or computer. This means you are responsible for backing up the data. If you are using POP as part of a business, speak with your IT department about moving to an IMAP or Exchange based system.

Backup a POP email account

Whenever you perform a backup of your computer you should always ensure your email content. When using a POP email account, content is downloaded to a local file called a PST file. This PST file sits on your local computer hard drive so it is a good idea to know it’s location so you can ensure you include it in your regular backup schedule.

To back up your PST file, follow these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Outlook.
2. Click the File tab and choose Account Settings > Account Settings:

3. From the Account Settings dialog box, click the Data Files tab.
4. You will now see a list of the Data Files (or .pst files) being used as part of your Outlook profile.
5. The file marked with the tick icon will identify the default Data File where any new email is being delivered and stored:

6. In the Location column, note the file path on a piece of paper for each of the files being used within your email profile.
7. Often you will find that Outlook has created the file in an obscure location or the default location for your version of Microsoft Windows.
8. Now you will need to open File Explorer, press Windows Key + E on the keyboard:

9. Navigate to the file location as noted above and locate the file which should have a .pst file extension:

10. If you cannot find the folder which is referenced in the file path, it may be a hidden system folder. To adjust your Windows settings so that hidden files and folders are displayed, follow these steps: Open File Explorer, click the View tab and then click Options.
11. From the Folder Options dialog box click the View tab and now make sure Show hidden files, folders, and drives is selected from the Advanced settings list.

Tip: If you cannot see the file extension for any of the files on your computer, you can change this setting through the same area however untick the box for Hide extensions of known file types

12. Click OK  to save the change and you should now be able to navigate to locate a folder which was previously hidden.
13. You should be able to see your Outlook .pst file within File Explorer.

Add your Data File to your backup routine

Now that you have identified where your email file(s) is located on your computer, you have two options to back up:

1. Add the file path of your Data File (PST) to your normal backup routine so that the file is included in future backup schedules.
2. Close Outlook and manually copy the .PST file from the location specified into a folder which is already included in your regular backup schedule such as the Documents folder. You can also directly paste the file onto an external drive or storage option – this is not ideal as it relies on you doing this manually, much better to have this process automated where possible.
3. You could also manually make a copy of the file and upload it to a cloud storage account such as Microsoft OneDrive or Google Drive.

Backing up your PST file is easy once you are able to identify the file path and location. If you require assistance on how to backup your computer, check out my blog post. Comment below if you have any questions.