Locating the pst-file [Outlook's folder database file]
Before you can make a backup you'll need to know what to backup first. In
the case of Outlook in a home environment al data is stored in a single file
with a pst-extension. The pst-file is also known as Personal Folders and is
able to store several mail, contacts, journal, notes and calendar folders.
More about pst-files are located in:
C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Local Settings\Application
Data\Microsoft\Outlook.
You can locate your pst-file by using one of the following methods;
Search for it by typing *.pst as your query. Make sure you include hidden
and system files and folders when searching for your pst-file.
From within Outlook;
Right click the root folder (most likely Outlook Today)-> Properties->
button Advanced...-> field Filename
Relocating the pst-file (optional)
If you don’t have the data in a place where you prefer, then it can be
relocated.
To configure Outlook with a new pst-file location do the following;
Make sure Outlook is closed
Go the location of your pst-file
Copy it to the new location (for example, D:\My Documents\My Outlook)
Rename the file in the old location to .old
Start Outlook; after a warning message it will prompt you to locate the
pst-file. Use the Browse button to direct it to the location you've set in
step 3
You're done! If all is successful and desired you can delete the renamed
pst-file in the old location.
Backup pst-file
Backing up the pst-file is quite easy; you just ‘copy’ the pst-file to your
safe location when Outlook is closed. A safe location can be any one of the
following;
•another physical hard drive in your machine
•another physical hard drive in another machine on a home network
•an external hard drive
•a USB memory stick
•a Flash memory card
•optical disc – CD or DVD
•a backup tape
Restore pst-file
A backup is worthless if you can't restore it. So should also test the
back-up; testing the backup when knowing that the original still works is a
lot less stressful then as well.
To restore your pst-file copy the file to the location where you want to
work with it like D:\My Documents\My Outlook\Temp. If you restored from
CD/DVD make sure you uncheck the "Read Only" file attribute by right clicking
the file and choose Properties. Now open Outlook and connect to the file by
choosing File-> Open-> Outlook Data File... You can now check if the backup
was successful and you made sure you backed up the right file.
In the case of a real disaster the original pst-file would be missing or
beyond repair. When the pst-file is missing Outlook would have prompted you
for the pst-file location. You then need to close Outlook and restore the
file from backup to D:\My Documents\My Outlook as described above. Then start
Outlook again and if prompted browse to the location of the pst-file.
When the pst-file is beyond repair Outlook will start with the message that
it can't be opened and that you need to run the Inbox Repair Tool (or simply
click START> RUN> type in ‘scanpst.exe’ and the press the OK button). If
scanpst.exe can't fix the pst-file either rename the corrupted pst-file to
..old and you would now be in the situation that the pst-file went missing.
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