▷ How to backup Outlook 2016, 2013, 2010

Emails are the center of communication between representatives of the organization. Users who spend most of their working day emailing and hosting meetings can attest to the importance of keeping a secure copy of their email communications.. If your work revolves around Microsoft Outlook, you may want to backup your application files (emails, contacts, calendars, etc.) in a safe place.

With regular backups, moving to a new PC or a new Outlook account will have no problem. What's more, having an Outlook backup will eliminate the risk of data loss and allow you to keep a reliable archive of email offline.

Fortunately for your users, backing up data from Outlook applications has become much easier from Office 2010. Instead of having tons of folders to worry about, the backup will be stored in a file. This will allow you to import the PST file with minimal hassle on another computer.

To further streamline the process, we have created a comprehensive guide on how to backup all your emails, contacts, calendars, tasks and some app settings. If you are migrating to a new PC, be sure to check out the second guide on importing Outlook backups.

Note: The following guides are compatible with Outlook 2010, Outlook 2013 y Outlook 2016.

How to export an Outlook backup file

1. To back up your files in Outlook 2016, 2013, go to the File menu and then click Open and Export (in the menu on the left). Now, click Import / To export.

   Note: And Outlook 2010, go to File> Choices> Advanced> To export.

   

2. Click Export a file to highlight it and then click Next.

   

3. Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next again.

   

4. On this screen, you will need to select the folders and files you want to backup. Unless you already have a backup, it is good practice to create a full backup of all your files. To do this, click on the email address associated with your account to highlight it and make sure the box next to Include subfolders is checked. Click Next to continue.

   Note: If you want to backup specific data, choose the specific folder and hit Next, but make sure to leave the Include subfolders box checked. If you want to apply even more filters to your backup, you can use the Filter button. You can perform a selective word-based backup, places or time zones.

   

5. Use the Browse button to set the path where you want your backup to be created. You can also give it a custom name. If you want to avoid duplicates, select Replace duplicates with exported items and click Finish.

   

6. If you have confidential information in your backup, it is better to set a password at this time.
   

7. Depending on the amount of information you have, the process may take longer than 5 minutes to complete.

   

   That is! You have successfully backed up your Outlook data.

How to import a PST backup file

Please note that the backup PST file has the same properties as any other file. This means that you can freely move it on your computer or copy it to an external disk and move it to another PC.. Another thing to note is that this PST file is not an active file. This means that it will not be updated with new emails., contacts and calendar information after creation. Outlook keeps an up-to-date PST file in Documents> Outlook files. But how is it stored locally, can break due to various factors.

Now that you have backed up your Outlook, here we show you how to import it to a new computer.

Note: The following guide will work in Outlook 2016, Outlook 2013 y Outlook 2010.

1. In the main Outlook window, expand the File tab and choose Open & Export from the right menu.

   Note: and Outlook 2010, go to File> To open> to import.

   

2. Select Import from another program or file, then click Next.

   

3. Then select Outlook Data File and click Next.

   

4. In the next window, click the Browse button to navigate to the backup file. Once loaded, you can use the Options menu to prohibit duplicates or replace them with existing items. Click Next to continue.

   Note: If the backup you are importing is more recent than the emails you currently have, it is better to replace duplicates. If it is older, use the Do not import duplicates option.

   

5. Now you need to specify which folders you need and where you want to import them. If you want to import the full backup, select Outlook Data File and click Finish.

   Note: You can also select and import individual folders like we did in the first guide. What's more, you can choose to Import items in the same folder in: and use the drop down menu to select a custom folder.

That is! You have successfully imported an Outlook backup.