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Clarify Technical Services - Tip #7

How To Back Up Your Email Data From Outlook Express or Outlook

Applies to: Microsoft Windows2000, WIndows XP (all), Windows Vista (all).
Last updated: Monday March 14, 2009

SUMMARY!

Email has become an ever increasing form of not just communication, but record keeping, and digital memory. People often rely on saved email to lookup names, addresses, phone numbers, directions, etc that is stored in their email inbox. It is extremely important to be able to backup this email data so all is not lost in the event of a hard drive or computer failure. Unfortunately most people use either Microsoft Outlook Express for their personal email at home, or Microsoft Outlook if they have the Microsoft Office Suite installed. Microsoft does not make it easy to back up the data files from either of these programs. There is no "back up your data" option, or simple free utility to accomplish the task.

The first thing we need to do is to figure out where Microsoft stores these files. Next, we need a simple way to save these data files in a safe place in case we need them in the future. Finally, backing up data is useless unless there is a way to get the backed up data restored to a usable state. Luckily, restoring the data is actually quite simple.


PROCEDURES

  • GETTING READY

  • BACKING UP MICROSOFT OUTLOOK EXPRESS.

  • BACKING UP MICROSOFT OUTLOOK

  • BURNING A COPY OF YOU EMAIL TO A CD/DVD

  • RESTORING MICROSOFT OUTLOOK EXPRESS

  • RESTORING MICROSOFT OUTLOOK




  • GETTING READY.

    Since Microsoft released Windows 2000, the have stored all user specific data and settings in a single folder. The folders for all users are located in a folder named "Documents and Settings" on the primary hard drive. Unfortunately windows hides many of the system files and folders located within the user's folder so before we can go looking for the email data we need to make sure we can see these hidden folders. To accomplish this follow these simple steps.

    Folder

    1. Double click on "My Computer"

    2. From the menu at the top of the "My Computer window" select "Tools" "Folder Options"

    3. At the top of the "Folder Options" window select the "View" tab.

    4. In the "Advanced Settings:" section you will see several options that control the display of files and folders

    5. Just below the :Hidden files and folders" option, make sure the option "Show hidden files and folders" has a green button beside it.

    6. Make sure the box beside the "Hide extensions for known file types" is UNCHECKED

    7. Above the "Advanced Settings:" section, click the "Apply to All Folders" button.

    8. The "Folder Options" window should look like the one to the right.

    9. CLick the "OK" button at the bottom to close this window.

    Now we will be able to see all the hidden and system files and folders in the user account folder under the "Documents and Settings" folder.


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    BACKING UP MICROSOFT OUTLOOK EXPRESS.

    Now when we go into the "Documents and Settings" folder we will see several user account files. The ones named "All Users", "Default User", "Local Service", and "NetworkService" are windows system folders. There should be at least one other one with your login name. On this computer it is "Cliff Robertson". As we drill down into my user account folder we will be able to find the folder containing the Outlook Express data files. We can then simply copy this folder to another hard drive, thumbdrive, or to the desktop for burning to a CD or DVD. To do this use the folowing steps.

    File

    1. Double click on "My Computer".

    2. Double click on the primary hard drive. Usually called "Local Disk (C:)".

    3. Double click on the "Documents and Settings" folder.

    4. Double click on your "User Account" folder.

    5. Double click on the "Local Settings" folder.

    6. Double click on the "Identities" folder.

    7. Here you will find a folder with a very strange name that is something like {9A6D501A-1A58-46B1-9AAF-F3E7960D488E}. Double click on it.

    8. Double click on the "Microsoft" folder.

    9. You will now see a folder called "Outlook Express". This is the folder that contains all of your email data files. All that is left to do is copy it to somewhere else.

    10. Right click on the "Outlook Express" folder and select "Copy" from the sub menu that opens.

    11. Now you can browse to your thumb drive or other external hard drive and select that device or simply click on the desktop.

    12. Let's assume you have chosen your desktop. Right click on your desktop and select "Paste" from the submenu.

    13. You can now use your CD burning software to save this "Outlook Express" folder to a CD or DVD.

    14. You can also copy this folder from your desktop to a thumb drive or other removable media such as an external usb hard drive.

    NOTE: Do not leave this folder on the desktop or somewhere else on the primary hard drive. If this drive fails, your backed up data will be lost along with the original data. The whole idea behind backing up your email data is to put it in a safe place away from the hard drive in your computer. Make sure you either burn it to a CD/DVD, copy it to a thumb drive, copy it to an external removable hard drive, or any combination of the previous three.

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    BACKING UP MICROSOFT OUTLOOK (Part of The Microsoft Office Suite).

    Now when we go into the "Documents and Settings" folder we will see several user account files. The ones named "All Users", "Default User", "Local Service", and "NetworkService" are windows system folders. There should be at least one other one with your login name. On this computer it is "Cliff Robertson". As we drill down into my user account folder we will be able to find the folder containing the Microsoft Outlook data files. We can then simply copy this folder to another hard drive, thumbdrive, or to the desktop for burning to a CD or DVD. To do this use the folowing steps.

    File
    1. Double click on "My Computer".

    2. Double click on the primary hard drive. Usually called "Local Disk (C:)".

    3. Double click on the "Documents and Settings" folder.

    4. Double click on your "User Account" folder.

    5. Double click on the "Local Settings" folder.

    6. Double click on the "Application Data" folder.

    7. Double click on the "Microsoft" folder.

    8. You will now see a folder called "Outlook". This is the folder that contains two files named Outlook.pst and Archive.pst. These are where Outlook saves all of your email data files. All that is left to do is copy it to somewhere else.

    9. Right click on the "Outlook" folder and select "Copy" from the sub menu that opens.

    10. Now you can browse to your thumb drive or other external hard drive and select that device or simply click on the desktop.

    11. Let's assume you have chosen your desktop. Right click on your desktop and select "Paste" from the submenu.

    12. You can now use your CD burning software to save this "Outlook" folder to a CD or DVD.

    13. You can also copy this folder from your desktop to a thumb drive or other removable media such as an external usb hard drive.

    NOTE: Do not leave this folder on the desktop or somewhere else on the primary hard drive. If this drive fails, your backed up data will be lost along with the original data. The whole idea behind backing up your email data is to put it in a safe place away from the hard drive in your computer. Make sure you either burn it to a CD/DVD, copy it to a thumb drive, copy it to an external removable hard drive, or any combination of the previous three.

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    BURNING A COPY OF YOU EMAIL TO A CD/DVD

    The first thing we need to do is make sure the data will fit onto a blank CD or DVD. Right click on the folder you saved and select "Properties" from the menu. As long as the "Size on disk" is less than 700 MB, the data will fit onto a blank CD. If it is between 700 MB and 4.2 GB, it will fit onto a blank DVD.

    If you are experienced at writing CD's with CD creation software such as Nero simply make a data CD containing the email folder you saved to the desktop.

    Alternately you can use Windows XP's built in CD Writing software as follows. Insert a blank disk into your CD / DVD recorder or optical drive. Right click on the folder you want to save to the disk and select "Send to" "CD Drive". You will see a popup balloon down by the clock that says you have files waiting to be written to a disk. Click the balloon. This will open the CD Drive showing the folder in it. On the left, select "Write these files to CD". This will launch "CD Writing Wizard". Click the "Next" button at the bottom. After the disk is complete, click the "Finish" button.

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    RESTORING MICROSOFT OUTLOOK EXPRESS EMAIL.

    Outlook Express has an import utility for just this purpose. The task is basically to tell Outlook Express what we are importing from, point it to the folder containing the data files, and tell Outlook Express where to put the data. It's just that easy!

    1. Launch Outlook Express.

    2. From the menu select "File" "Import" "Messages".

    3. In the Outlook Express Import window select "Microsoft Outlook Express 6" and click "Next>".

    4. In the "Import From OE6" window click the button beside "Import mail from an OE6 store directory" and then click "OK".

    5. In the Outlook Express Import window click the "Browse..." button. Here is where you point the program to the "Outlook Express" folder you backed up earlier. Once you select the "Outlook Express" folder you will notice the "OK" button will no longer be greyed out. Now click the "OK" button.

    6. Now back at the Outlook Express Import window, the path to the files is filled in beside the "Browse..." button. Click "Next".

    7. In the next "Selected Folders window you will see your backed up email folders. Leave "All Folders" checked and click "Next>".

    8. You will see a progress bar showing all your email being imported>

    9. You will now get the "Import Comlplete" window. Click "Finish".

    10. Now check Outlook Express to make sure all you email is as it should be.

    11. Congradulations. You have successfully restored email from a backup.

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    RESTORING MICROSOFT OUTLOOK EMAIL(Part of The Microsoft Office Suite)

    Microsoft Outlook has an import utility just for this purpose. The task is basically to tell Microsoft Outlook what we are importing from, point it to the data files, and tell Microsoft Outlook where to put the data. It's just that easy!

    1. Launch Microsoft Outlook.

    2. From the menu select "File" "Import and Export...".

    3. In the Import and Export Wizard select "Import from another program or file" and click "Next >"

    4. In the Import a File window scroll down to select "Personal Folder File (.pst)" and click "Next >".

    5. In the Import Personal Folders window click the "Browse..." button.

    6. In the Open Personal Folders window browse to the folder you backed up and double click on it. Inside the folder you will find a file named Outlook.pst. Select this file and click the "Open" button at the bottom.

    7. Now back at the Import Personal File window the field beside the "Browse..." button is populated with the file you backed up. Now click the "Next >" button.

    8. In the Import Personal Folders window simply click "Finish".

    9. You will see a progress bar showing your data being imported.

    10. Now check Microsoft Outlook to make sure all you email, contacts, and calendar are as they should be.

    11. Congradulations. You have successfully restored Microsoft Outlook from a backup.

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