Backup for Inbox -- Where Is It?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Chuck Hildebrandt
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Chuck Hildebrandt

I'm testing backing up my Outlook email messages for when I reformat my
machine. I don't want to blow away all the messages. Reading through F1,
it looked like I could do an Export to a .PST file and that would do that
trick. So I went through the process, and it appeared to say it was
creating a file called "backup.pst" in this folder:

c:/Documents and Settings/Chuck/Local Settings/Application
Data/Microsoft/Outlook

Then it appeared to go through the process of actually creating the file.
But when I went to the folder to locate the .pst file, it wasn't there.
When I did a search of the entire "Chuck" folder for any PST file, it
returned no results.

Did I do something wrong here? Please advise. Thanks.

Chuck
 
Chuck said:
I'm testing backing up my Outlook email messages for when I reformat
my machine. I don't want to blow away all the messages. Reading
through F1, it looked like I could do an Export to a .PST file and
that would do that trick. So I went through the process, and it
appeared to say it was creating a file called "backup.pst" in this
folder:

c:/Documents and Settings/Chuck/Local Settings/Application
Data/Microsoft/Outlook

Then it appeared to go through the process of actually creating the
file. But when I went to the folder to locate the .pst file, it
wasn't there. When I did a search of the entire "Chuck" folder for
any PST file, it returned no results.

Did I do something wrong here? Please advise. Thanks.

Chuck
Click to expand...

You need to view hidden/system folders in your Explorer view settings to see
the files in there.
However, exporting is *not* the way to back up your data - close Outlook,
find your PST file, and make a copy of it.
 
Chuck Hildebrandt said:
I'm testing backing up my Outlook email messages for when I reformat
my machine. I don't want to blow away all the messages. Reading
through F1, it looked like I could do an Export to a .PST file and
that would do that trick.
Click to expand...

That's not a good way to make a backup of your PST. With Outlook closed,
just copy it somewhere. See
http://www.howto-outlook.com/Howto/backupandrestore.htm
Then it appeared to go through the process of actually creating the
file. But when I went to the folder to locate the .pst file, it
wasn't there. When I did a search of the entire "Chuck" folder for
any PST file, it returned no results.
Click to expand...

Local Settings is a hidden folder. You have to enable the advanced search
options to include hidden files and folders.
 
"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
You need to view hidden/system folders in your Explorer view settings to see
the files in there.
However, exporting is *not* the way to back up your data - close Outlook,
find your PST file, and make a copy of it.
Click to expand...

OK, I closed Outlook, and now the file appears. Great. (FYI: I already did
have "show hidden files and folders" enabled, so that wasn't the issue.)

You mention exporting is not the way the back up the data -- by which I
assume you mean, not the way to transport Outlook contents like Inbox to
another machine, or same machine after reformatting. Would you please
advise the proper way, then?

Thanks so much for your quick help.

Chuck
 
Just find the pst and make a copy of it - if you export, you lose a lot of
hidden information.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Author, Google and Other Search Engines (Visual QuickStart Guide)



Join OneNote Tips mailing list: http://www.onenote-tips.net/


Chuck Hildebrandt said:
"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
message
You need to view hidden/system folders in your Explorer view settings to see
the files in there.
However, exporting is *not* the way to back up your data - close Outlook,
find your PST file, and make a copy of it.
Click to expand...

OK, I closed Outlook, and now the file appears. Great. (FYI: I already
did
have "show hidden files and folders" enabled, so that wasn't the issue.)

You mention exporting is not the way the back up the data -- by which I
assume you mean, not the way to transport Outlook contents like Inbox to
another machine, or same machine after reformatting. Would you please
advise the proper way, then?

Thanks so much for your quick help.

Chuck
Click to expand...
 
I apologize if I seem dense about this, but how do you differentiate between
"exporting" and "copying the pst"? I created the pst file by going to
Outlook and choosing File/Import and Export/Export to a file -- that's how I
created the pst in the first place. Is that not right? Or is it right and
you are in fact talking about a different sort of "export"?


Diane Poremsky said:
Just find the pst and make a copy of it - if you export, you lose a lot of
hidden information.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Author, Google and Other Search Engines (Visual QuickStart Guide)



Join OneNote Tips mailing list: http://www.onenote-tips.net/


Chuck Hildebrandt said:
"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
message
Chuck Hildebrandt wrote:
I'm testing backing up my Outlook email messages for when I reformat
my machine. I don't want to blow away all the messages. Reading
through F1, it looked like I could do an Export to a .PST file and
that would do that trick. So I went through the process, and it
appeared to say it was creating a file called "backup.pst" in this
folder:

c:/Documents and Settings/Chuck/Local Settings/Application
Data/Microsoft/Outlook

Then it appeared to go through the process of actually creating the
file. But when I went to the folder to locate the .pst file, it
wasn't there. When I did a search of the entire "Chuck" folder for
any PST file, it returned no results.

Did I do something wrong here? Please advise. Thanks.

Chuck

You need to view hidden/system folders in your Explorer view settings
Click to expand...
to
see
the files in there.
However, exporting is *not* the way to back up your data - close Outlook,
find your PST file, and make a copy of it.
Click to expand...

OK, I closed Outlook, and now the file appears. Great. (FYI: I already
did
have "show hidden files and folders" enabled, so that wasn't the issue.)

You mention exporting is not the way the back up the data -- by which I
assume you mean, not the way to transport Outlook contents like Inbox to
another machine, or same machine after reformatting. Would you please
advise the proper way, then?

Thanks so much for your quick help.

Chuck
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Chuck Hildebrandt said:
I apologize if I seem dense about this, but how do you differentiate
between "exporting" and "copying the pst"?
Click to expand...

Export is using Outlook's File>Import and Export wizard. Copying is using
Windows Explorer to copy the file to another folder.
I created the pst file by
going to Outlook and choosing File/Import and Export/Export to a file
-- that's how I created the pst in the first place. Is that not
right?
Click to expand...

Nope. Not right. http://www.howto-outlook.com/Howto/backupandrestore.htm .
Especially read the sentence there that says, "It's a general misconception
that an export of your mail is a good backup."
 
Brian Tillman said:
Export is using Outlook's File>Import and Export wizard. Copying is using
Windows Explorer to copy the file to another folder.


Nope. Not right. http://www.howto-outlook.com/Howto/backupandrestore.htm ..
Especially read the sentence there that says, "It's a general misconception
that an export of your mail is a good backup."
Click to expand...

OK, I see what they mean. Unfortunately, the only .pst file in that folder
is backup.pst. There are no other .pst files there.

Now, there IS a honking big (260mb) ost file there called "outlook.ost". Is
this what I should be copying to disk and dropping into the same folder
after I reinstall Outlook on a reformatted machine?
 
ost's are just copies of the exchange server mailbox - it doesn't get backed
up as the messages are stored on the mailbox too. It'll be rebuilt on a new
machine the first time it connects to the server.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Author, Google and Other Search Engines (Visual QuickStart Guide)



Join OneNote Tips mailing list: http://www.onenote-tips.net/
 
Diane Poremsky said:
ost's are just copies of the exchange server mailbox - it doesn't get backed
up as the messages are stored on the mailbox too. It'll be rebuilt on a new
machine the first time it connects to the server.
Click to expand...

OK in most cases. My special case is that I left the company 10 weeks ago,
so there is no way to reconnect to the exchange server. So, I assume that
all my subsequent new Outlook emails (which I am pulling in from my Yahoo
account via POP3), contacts and calendar items are adding to this .ost file,
since it updates itself every time I close the Outlook app. Is this
assumption correct? If so, then do I copy over the .ost file after I
reformat and reinstall Outlook?
 
If the profile is intact and you are working offline, yes, they may be in
the ost. if your old exchange mail is mixed with the pop mail it's a dead
giveaway that both are using the same message store. :) Look in the profile
or file, data file management to what is used for the default message store.

If it is an ost, you can convert the ost and all files to a pst one of two
ways - add a pst using File, New, outlook data file and copy.move everything
to the pst. If you drag folders, views will be preserved. You can also set
outlook to work offline and switch delivery to a pst and outlook will move
most of the stuff for you.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Author, Google and Other Search Engines (Visual QuickStart Guide)



Join OneNote Tips mailing list: http://www.onenote-tips.net/
 
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