How to Backup Outlook Emails & Mailboxes from Desktop & Mail Servers?
Summary: To backup Outlook emails, use the built-in Export to PST for single accounts. Use PowerShell with EWS or Graph API for Exchange Online bulk backup. For scheduled multi-account backups, use a dedicated Outlook backup tool. All methods preserve mail, attachments, calendars, and contacts.
Outlook stores years of mail, calendars, and contacts in PST and OST files. A power outage or ransomware attack can erase that data instantly. This guide covers how to backup Outlook emails from desktop clients, Exchange Server, and Microsoft 365.
This guide covers how to backup Outlook emails from desktop clients and Outlook for Web App. Choose the method that fits your account type.
You can use Outlook as a desktop app. Microsoft also offers Outlook.com (formerly Hotmail) as a free web email service. Office 365 users access Outlook through the Microsoft portal.
Microsoft Outlook is one of the most popular email clients for corporate users. It handles email, contacts, calendar, and tasks together.
Here is what you need to backup based on your Outlook setup:
- When using Desktop based Outlook, it stores complete information in its proprietary file called PST (or Personal Storage File) locally on a user’s System.
- In Microsoft Exchange Server, all the data items are delivered to and stored on the server in mailbox. In simple words, the Exchange mailbox is created on a server if you are using Microsoft Outlook with Exchange Server.
- Similarly, if you are an Online Outlook.com user, the data will be stored in Outlook.com Mail Server
Why You Need to Backup Mail from Outlook Offline & Online?
As we discussed earlier about , the storage of Outlook emails on both system & Mail servers. You might not be thinking about saving & backing your Outlook emails & mailboxes, but what tends to happen if you’ve lost access to your email account. All the emails & vital information that you have used in your lifetime would be gone. You don’t want this to happen if you use your Outlook business email address.
Check out few Reasons why exactly you need to take backup of Outlook emails :
- Most Common reasons is, often people forget their passwords. You might also have gone through this at least once in your lifetime. Right? But is there any solution for that? Yes, but it can be much time consuming that you actually think.
- Another reason might be you got hacked out of nowhere. It this happens, there absolutely no quick way to recover it. But if have a safe backup with you then you surely have a chance.
- Suddenly, your files got corrupt (Believe me it can happen anytime to you, without you being notified)
- Recover your data in case of hard drive crash
- While moving / shifting your data to entirely new computer.
All of these may happen to you or may not! Although if you cannot afford to lose all of it, you have a self responsibility for making backups.
Do not forget to individually back up your primary Outlook emails. Certain emails contain material that is important to the company: an agreement, a report or a budget plan. To ensure this you must have additional back-ups or additional precautions of all communications containing sensitive company information or conversations.
In the next steps, we will demonstrate you specifically how to do that.
Step 1: Export Outlook Desktop Emails to PST
This method uses an inbuilt facility provided by MS Outlook “Import & Export Wizard”. Now let’s learn how to create a backup of Outlook PST files manually.
- Begin by Clicking on File tab. Then Click the Open & Export option:
- The ImportExport Selection opens the wizard . Select the Import/Export option.
- Choose an Action to Perform : Choose “Export to a File ” for creating PST File.
- Click the Next > button at the bottom of the wizard.
- The Wizard prompts you to select a file type, Choose Outlook Data File (.pst file)
- Next, you’re prompted to select an Outlook folder that you want to export data from: Select desired folder as per your requirement.
- You can also choose to backup Outlook email, contacts, calendar information, notes, and tasks from this prompt.
- Finally choose from Destination Path Where You Wish to Store Your PST Backup. Browse to find a path to export the Outlook data file to. Or, you can save the file in the default path.
- Click the Finish button at the bottom of the prompt.
Alternative: Copy Emails via Drag-and-Drop
A safe and quick way to back-up a single Outlook email is to drop it into the File Explorer folder from your Outlook inbox.
- Launch & Open MS Outlook Folder with the message to be backed up.
- Then Select & Open File Explorer & Choose Location where you need to save the backup files
- Simply Drag & Copy Outlook emails to File Explorer from MS Outlook to create a backup copy.
Option 3: Save Emails as HTML, MHT, or TXT
- Click on the File tab at the top of the screen. Click on Save As option.
- Select the Save as Type : Text / HTML/ MHT within dropdown option
Option 4: Forward Emails to Another Account
- Open Outlook email that you want to back up.
- Tap on the Forward icon in the Ribbon.
- Finally type Email Address in To field to forward the desired email
2. How to Backup Outlook Emails (For Exchange Server Users )
If Microsoft Outlook is used for Exchange Server, you must be conscious that the Exchange Server mailbox is the default distribution and storage site for Outlook. In general, the primary responsibility for maintaining the Exchange mailbox backups rests with an Exchange Server administrator. But some users prefer to store Outlook data locally in a PST format. Follow the steps below to determine where Microsoft Outlook stores your mailbox data:
- Launch Microsoft Outlook and press on File tab.
- Select Info & Choose Account Settings > Account Settings
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Click on the Data Files tab under Account Settings Dialogue box.
Note : If you see Online or OST File beside the location , It conveys information that Outlook dats is store within exchange Server mailbox & You need to contact your administrator for taking backup. But if the File name has PST Extension, then the Outlook data is stored locally within your PC. To backup this PST, follow steps given in Method 1 (ImportExport)
Cloud Mailbox: Backup Outlook.com Emails
Method A: Backup via Web Interface
- In your web browser, navigate Outlook.com and Login to your account
- Choose “All Outlook Settings” now under “Gear” button.
- Go to General > Privacy and Data under Settings option.
- Press Export mailbox .In about four days Outlook.com prepares the backup copy and sends an e-mail for downloading the mailbox.
If you did not receive a download link email even after four days, Please check the same section (General > Privacy) you will receive a Download Link. To start the downloading of your mailbox containing emails, contacts and calendar items, click on the Download link now.
Method B: Backup via Outlook Desktop App
You can add a new account (Outlook.com) e-mail to store e-mails locally, if you’ve got Microsoft Outlook installed on your PC. For this you need to configure Outlook.com emails within desktop Outlook to backup emails.
- Launch Outlook (2016 or later version)
- Under File Tab, Choose Info > & Select Add Account
- Enter Your Email address & Click on Connect
- Type password you would like to add. Enter your password and choose Next.
- By checking on the connection and Outlook will automatically set up the account.
- When everything is fully setup, a message displayed saying : Account successfully Added.
- Then Proceed with Method 1 (Import Export Wizard) to backup Outlook.com
Tool-Based: Use a Dedicated Backup Program
Automated ways to save the emails are the perfect way to backup without concern. Since , all the manual ways have one or other shortcomings that , can increase risk chances of losing one or the other data without being noticed. So , it’s safe to use a reliable Outlook Email Backup Tool that enables you to backup all emails, selective emails all at once from Web Server.
It enables you to :
- Backup Emails from Outlook Server (Webmail) / Office 365 Outlook
- It enables to download all emails with attachments , Folders
- You can backup selective Data by Applying desired Filters
- Backup your data by Search , Filter by Date
- Extract Attachments Only & Phone Numbers Only from Emails
- Move your Data from Outlook to Any Other Server
Note : In alternative , you can also go for Email Converter , which will enable you to convert Desktop Outlook Application Data to Multiple Email Data Files , Desktop Email Clients Mail Server/ Webmail to PST, EML, MBOX , PDF , CSV, Gmail, 50+ IMAP Accounts
Concluding
By this blog we are seeking to address the most frequently encountered Outlook backup problems in various platforms. You should choose & execute the best possible technique to backup & save Outlook Emails from Desktop based Outlook . If you are an Outlook for Web user, various tricks are available to backup mailbox from Mail Server as well.
2. PST export fails at 90% with “data file integrity”: A corrupt message is blocking the export. Run scanpst.exe against the source first, then retry the export.
3. PowerShell EWS script returns “Throttled”: Microsoft 365 enforces strict throttling on bulk EWS. Lower concurrent threads to 2, add a 5-second sleep between mailboxes, and run during off-peak hours.
4. Backup tool reports “MAPI subsystem unavailable”: Outlook is not installed or is the wrong bitness. Install Outlook with matching architecture (32-bit Outlook needs 32-bit MAPI), then retry.
Microsoft replicates for availability, but does not provide a user-driven backup. You must export PST or use a third-party backup tool.
Q2. How often should I back up Outlook?
Daily for business mailboxes, weekly for personal use. Dedicated tools support automated incremental backups overnight.
Q3. What is the largest Outlook PST size?
Unicode PST supports up to 50 GB in Outlook 2010 and later. Older ANSI PST caps at 2 GB.
Q4. Can I back up shared mailboxes and public folders?
Yes. Add the shared mailbox as a secondary account in Outlook, then run Import/Export with that mailbox as the source. Public folders need separate PowerShell export.
Q5. Will the backup include calendar, contacts, and tasks?
Yes. PST export captures all mailbox folders. Select the root mailbox in the export wizard to include everything.