How Do I Backup Outlook Express

How Do I Backup Outlook Express
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Why Back Up?

Software failures, power failures, hard drive failures, viruses, and other threats can destroy the data on your computer including documents, emails, photographs, and more.

The importance of backing up emails, attachments, and address book data within Outlook Express cannot be ignored. Unfortunately, many users only consider a backup once they lose their data.

This article explains how you can create a copy of your data, which includes the address book, messages, news accounts, and mail accounts stored on the Outlook Express. Although Outlook Express is simple to use and easy to understand, the backing up process is slightly complicated.

If using multiple identities on Outlook Express, each will have to be backed up individually.

How do I backup Outlook Express?

The steps are divided among four major steps with sub-steps mentioned.

First Step: Make a new folder called Backup folder and copy all the message files to a backup folder.

Step 1a: To locate the Store folder, follow the steps:

  • Open the email client.
  • Click on Tools.
  • Select Options.
  • On the Maintenance tab, select Store Folder.
  • In the Store Location, copy the store location by:
    • Putting the mouse at one end of the box under the Your personal message store is located in the folder box. Press and hold the left click on the mouse. Next, drag the mouse printer across the Your personal message store is located in the folder box. Finally, press CTRL+C and copy the location.
  • Click Cancel and re-click Cancel to close the dialog box.

Step 1b: Copy the contents of the Store Folder. For this, follow the steps:

  • Click Start.
  • Click Run.
  • Press CTRL+V.
  • Click OK.
  • On the Edit menu, click on Select All.
  • Click Copy.
  • Finally close the window.

Step 1c: Create the backup folder. To do so:

  • Right click and empty area anywhere in the desktop.
  • Select New from the drop down menu and select Folder.
  • Name the folder Mail Backup and press Enter.

Step 1d: Paste contents of the Store Folder into the backup folder.

  • Double click the folder that was named Mail Backup.
  • Once the folder is open, right click and Paste the contents.

Second Step: Export the contents of the address book into a .csv file. The data for each identity is stored in a folder within the .wab file. To separate the data for different identities, export the data to a .csv file. This must be done while the user is logged in as a specific identity. Another reason for exporting the .wab file to a .csv file is that if the .wab file is shared, the addresses are stored in the .pst file. Thus, to export the Address Book to a .csv file, follow these steps:

  • On the menu bar, click File.
  • Click Export.
  • Click Address Book.
  • Click Text File.
  • Click Export.
  • Click Browse.
  • Select the Mail Backup folder.
  • In the File Name, type the address book backup.
  • Click Save.
  • Click Next.
  • Click to select the check box for the contents that need to be exported.
  • Click Finish.
  • Click OK.
  • Click Close.

Third Step: Export the mail account to a file. To do so:

  • On the menu bar, click Tools.
  • Click Accounts.
  • On the Mail tab, click the mail account that needs to be exported.
  • Once chosen, click Export.
  • Repeat steps for each mail account.
  • Click Close.

Fourth Step: Export the newsgroup account to a file. To do so:

  • On the menu bar, click Tools.
  • Click Accounts.
  • On the News tab, click the news account that needs to be exported.
  • Click Export.
  • In the Save In box, select Mail Backup folder.
  • Click Save.
  • Repeat steps for each news account.
  • Click Close.

Now that you know the answer to the question, “How do I backup Outlook Express?” learn more about working with Outlook Express. Read How to Configure Outlook Express for Maximum Security and Moving Emails in Outlook Express to a New Computer.