How do I back up Outlook?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jeff
  • Start date Start date
J

Jeff

What is the correct way to back up Outlook? I thought I
had been doing it correctly, but after testing it, I
might not have been.

I have been just copying the outlook.pst file
(c:\documents and settings\xxuserxx\local
settings\application data\microsoft\outlook) to CD each
month.

As a test, I tried to import this file into an Outlook
install on a different machine and it doesn't work. I
noticed that the file is named mailbox.pst on the other
computer, so I tried renaming this one to that and
copying it into the same folder on the "new" machine, and
then Outlook won't even open.

Apparently, I have been doing it wrong and I haven't been
as protected as I thought. How is it supposed to be done?

Thanks!
 
Jeff said:
What is the correct way to back up Outlook? I thought I
had been doing it correctly, but after testing it, I
might not have been.

I have been just copying the outlook.pst file
(c:\documents and settings\xxuserxx\local
settings\application data\microsoft\outlook) to CD each
month.
Click to expand...

This is the correct way.
As a test, I tried to import this file into an Outlook
install on a different machine and it doesn't work.
Click to expand...

Copy the file to your hard drive, right-click it, choose Properties, uncheck
"Read Only", click OK, then in Outlook, click File>Open>Personal Folders
File (or Outlook Data File, depending on your version of Outlook, which you
decided wasn't important enough to mention) and point to the PST file you
put on yor hard drive. It will open and you'll see everything in it.

I noticed that the file is named mailbox.pst on the other
computer, so I tried renaming this one to that and
copying it into the same folder on the "new" machine, and
then Outlook won't even open.
Click to expand...

Don't overwrite your existing PST. It can mess Outlook up.
 
In addition to what Patrick said, first make sure you copy the .PST from the
CD onto your hard drive and remove the read-only attribute before trying to
access it. Second, just open the file in Outlook using File | Open; there's
no need to import from it, and doing so will just mix the contents in with
the .PST file you're currently using, instead of keeping it separate.

--
Jocelyn Fiorello
MVP - Outlook

*** Messages sent to my e-mail address will NOT be answered -- please
reply only to the newsgroup to preserve the message thread. ***


In
 
Back
Top