outlook backup

How do I archive or backup my e-mail messages or folders?

Back up Outlook data with the Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders Backup tool.

Export Outlook items to a Personal Folders file (.pst)


  • Each .pst file contains all of your Outlook folders, including the Inbox, Calendar, and Contacts.
  • Unless you are using a Microsoft Exchange account or an HTTP account, such as Windows Live Mail, all of your Outlook data is saved in a Personal Folders file (.pst). Even when you have an Exchange or Windows Live Mail account, you can back up data to a .pst file, which is saved locally on your computer rather than on the e-mail server.
  • We can have a single .pst file (usually called Personal Folders in our Folder List), but we can also have an additional .pst file that we use for archiving. Using the Personal Folders Backup tool, we can back up any or all of these .pst files.
  • There are three ways to back up your Outlook e-mail messages, contacts, appointments, tasks, notes, and journal entries — the Personal Folders Backup tool, exporting, and archiving.
  1. Personal Folders Backup tool     is used to copy your entire .pst file or files to your hard disk or to a network server or share.
Download the tool from the Microsoft Office Online site by clicking the Download link and following the instructions in the dialog boxes.
To start the setup program, double-click the Pfbackup.exe program file on your hard disk.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.
Start Outlook.

Back up your Personal Folders

The Personal Folders file (.pst) that you want to back up must be open. If the file is visible in Folder List, it is open.
  1. On the File menu, click Backup.
ShowThe Backup command is missing
Specify what information to back up
Callout 1 Lists Personal Folders files (.pst) that will be included in the backup.
Callout 2 Displays the last time a backup was completed.
Callout 3 The Options button is where you can set reminders for the backup, which Personal Folders files are included, and the file location where the backup is saved.
Callout 4 You can open previously created backups.
  1. Click Options.
Options for backups
Callout 1 Selecting the check box specifies that reminders are to be used. You can specify any number between 1 and 999 days.
Callout 2 Select the check box for each Personal Folders file you want to back up.
Callout 3 The file location is where your data will be copied to. Your original data will not be moved and changed. Once a backup is complete, you can use Windows Explorer to go to this location and see the backup file or copy it to removable media such as a CD, DVD, portable hard drive, or portable memory device.
  1. In the Backup these personal folders files list, select the check box for each item you want to back up.
  2. Change the .pst file name shown. Or, to select a different folder, click Browse, navigate to the location you want, and then click Open.
 NOTE   The default file name and location where the .pst file is saved is shown in the File location box.
  1. To have Microsoft Outlook automatically remind you to make a backup copy of this file, select the Remind me to backup every n days check box, and then type the number of days between 1 and 999.
  2. Click OK.
  3. Click Save Backup.
 NOTE   The items selected will not be backed up until you exit Outlook.

Turn on or off a backup reminder

  1. On the File menu, click Backup.
  2. Click Options.
  3. Do one of the following:
    • To turn on a backup reminder, select the Remind me to backup every n days check box, and then type the number of days between 1 and 999.
    • To turn off a backup reminder, clear the Remind me to backup every n days check box.
  4. Click OK.

Change the backup location for a personal folders file

  1. On the File menu, click Backup.
  2. Click Options.
  3. In the Backup these personal folders files list, click the file you want to change the backup location for, and then change the location in the Backup the file selected above to this location box.
  4. Click OK.
  5. Click Save Backup.

Remove the PST Backup tool

  1. Exit Outlook.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • Windows Vista    
      1. In Control Panel, under Programs, click Uninstall a program.
      2. Select Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders Backup, and then click Remove.
      3. Confirm that you want to uninstall this software by clicking Yes.
      4.  NOTE   If you are using Classic View, double-click Programs, double-click Installed Programs, selectMicrosoft Outlook Personal Folders Backup, and then click Remove. Confirm that you want to uninstall this software by clicking Yes.
    • Microsoft Windows Server 2003 or Windows XP    
  1. In Control Panel, click Add or Remove Programs.
 NOTE   If you are using Classic view, double-click Add or Remove Programs.
  1. In the list of programs on the Install/Uninstall tab, find Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders Backup, and then select it.
  2. Click Change/Remove.
  3. Confirm that you want to uninstall this software by clicking Yes.

View personal folders backup status

  • On the File menu, click Backup. In the Personal Folders Backup dialog box, you can see which personal folders files are currently set to be backed up and the date of the last backup.

Restore items from a backup

Open a backup copy of a Personal Folders file

  1. On the File menu, click Backup.
  2. Click Open Backup.
  3. Click the personal folders file you want to open, and then click Open.
 NOTE   You can also open a .pst file without using the Personal Folders Backup tool. In Outlook, you can open Outlook data files on the File menu.

Where .pst files are saved

When you create a .pst file, it is saved to the Outlook local settings folder.
  • Windows Vista    
c:\users\user name\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
You may need to modify the default view in Windows Explorer to see hidden folders.
ShowHow?
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Microsoft Windows XP    
c:\Documents and Settings\Profiles\user name\Local Settings\Application Data
You may need to modify the default view in Windows Explorer to see hidden folders.
ShowHow?

Restore data

The amount of information you want to recover will determine the way you restore your backup data. If you want to recover:
  • If you want to recover a few items that were accidentally deleted or changed, open the file and then move or copy the items from the backup file into your original file.
    1. On the File menu, point to Open, and then click Outlook Data File.
    2. Click the .pst file you want to open, and then click OK.
The name of the folder associated with the data file appears in the Folder List. To view the Folder List, on the Gomenu, click Folder List. By default, the folder will be called Personal Folders.
  • Close the backup file by right-clicking it, and then click Close.
  • If you want to recover a large number of items or an entire folder, import the backup copy of the file. If you don't need to replace the entire folder, you can filter items to obtain the ones you want. Or you can import the entire folder and specify whether or not to replace duplicate items.
  1. On the File menu, click Import and Export.
  2. Click Import from another program or file, and then click Next.
  3. Click Personal Folder File (.pst), and then click Next.
  4. In the File to import box, specify the path and file name of the .pst file you want to import.
  1. Archive    is used to move the items that you want to back up out of your folders.

  1. Export    is used to create a file containing Outlook information, but still keep the original data in your folders. You can only export one folder at a time.
Information in Outlook can be exported to a Personal Folders file (.pst). This provides a way transfer Outlook items to another computer or to make a backup.
Folder properties such as permissions and views are not preserved when you export to a Personal Folders file (.pst). Only the content itself is exported.
  1. On the File menu, click Import and Export.
  2. Click Export to a file, and then click Next.
  3. Click Personal Folders File (.pst), and then click Next.
  4. Select the account — a top level folder — that you want to export. This enables exporting all mail, calendar, contacts, tasks, and notes if available for that account.
 NOTE    You can only export information for one account at a time.
Make sure that the Include subfolders check box is selected.
  1. Click Next.
  2. Click Browse to select where you want to save the Personal Folders file (.pst) and to enter a file name.
  3. If you are exporting to an existing Personal Folders file (.pst), under Options, specify what to do when exporting items that already exist in the file.
  4. Click Finish.
If you have multiple accounts, you must repeat these steps for each account.