How to Backup Outlook 2010

Although a hard drive crash can have disastrous repercussions for most users, its effect is most often felt the hardest by users who keep their email on their computer by using programs like Microsoft Outlook 2010. Users will often go years without backing up their electronic correspondence, and are left with no way to restore the irreplaceable data that is lost when their computer crashes.

Fortunately, backing up Microsoft Outlook 2010 is a relatively quick and pain-free process. By following these helpful instructions, users can ensure that their important business documents are always available for back up.

Creating An Outlook Data File

The step in backing up Outlook 2010 is to compile all the user’s data into an Outlook Data File, or a .pst file for short. This process will allow users to transfer Outlook 2010 information to a different computer, an external hard drive, or even a backup service like Carbonite (Editor Rating: , Unlimited GB for 59.99 $/year).

Before getting started, it is worth noting that any custom folder properties are not preserved when exporting to a .pst file. Things such as user permissions and view options will not carry over when importing this backup file.

To start with, click on the File tab located in the upper-left hand corner of the Outlook 2010.

Under this menu, click on the Options button followed by the Advanced button in the proceeding screen.

In the advanced settings screen, look for the tab labeled ‘Export’ and click on the Export button.

Using The Import And Export Wizard

The Import and Export Wizard should now appear on the screen. Select the option labeled ‘Export to a file’ and then click the Next button.

The next screen will ask the user to select from several options, pick the one labeled ‘Outlook Data File (.pst)’ and then click the Next button.

Selecting An Account For Backup

It will now be necessary to select which accounts the user wants to be backed up. It’s possible to see all of the accounts that are on a computer by looking for the top-most folders in the directory structure. It is important to note that only one account can be selected for backup at a time, so it may be necessary to repeat this step multiple times for systems with multiple accounts. Once the user has selected an account, all of the email, calender entries, contacts, notes and tasks associated with the account will be ready for backup.

The user will now be prompted to select a location where they would like to save the .pst file as well as a file name. Be aware that if this is not the first time you are using the export feature, then the last file name and location will be entered by default. If you are looking to make discrete backup files, be sure to specify a separate name or location each time the export process is performed.

Password Protecting The Backup File

Each time the user creates a new .pst file, they have the option of adding a password to protect the file. This can be done by going to the Data File dialogue box and entering in the desired password. After the password is entered, the user will be prompted to repeat the password back to the program to ensure they entered it correctly the first time.

In the event that the user is updating an existing .pst file that is password protected, the Import and Export wizard should automatically prompt them to enter the password they entered when the original file was created. Once this is done, the user will need to navigate to the Outlook Data File Password button located in the upper-right corner of the screen and then click the OK button.

We have a more in-depth guide on how to backup email which covers both Gmail and Outlook users.