Best way to backup your Outlook Email?

[IronFar]

What's the favorite program to back messages up on Outlook? I mean a COMPLETE backup of everything in Outlook 2003...

Thanks

 

[MrChad]

This should work:

Outlook 2003 Add-in: Personal Folders Backup

 

[Megatomic]

If you copy out your *.pst file and the extend.dat file that should be all your Outlook Email. Including the personal folders and settings.

 

[Caveman]

uhm... I always thought that just exporting out as a .pst file and then importing that same .pst file would do the trick... RIGHT?

 

[4dm]

Originally posted by: Caveman
uhm... I always thought that just exporting out as a .pst file and then importing that same .pst file would do the trick... RIGHT?

Not always. do a search for all *.pst files, and examine the last modified date. Backup all that have been used recently. This is expecially true for windows 2k, but I have seen problems in XP even.

 

[DJFuji]

Originally posted by: MrChad
This should work:

Outlook 2003 Add-in: Personal Folders Backup

This is what i use. The only problem i have with it is that it only backs up my outlook data when i exit outlook. And since my computer is on 24.7, i have to make a conscious effort to close outlook every few days so that the backup can run. My software mirroring backup, on the other hand, copies documents to second hard drive every night...

 

[Rottie]

I used Genie-Soft to backup my Outlook Express and it is great.

 

[MichaelD]

Hmm, I've never used the software linked in this thread, but what I do:

I run MS Backup three times a week...which is not really the easiest way to restore, but at least it's there.

AND

Once I week, I manually copy the entire "Identity" string to another HD. The one that has the Outlook Express folder in it. My addy book hasn't changed in months. I have a copy of that as well. When I wipe and reload, this is how I restore my email; it's worked flawlessly for years now. 🙂

 

[Caveman]

I'm getting ready to wipe and reload. Why can't I just "export" my emails, addy book, etc, and "import" as the software recommends to do. What am I missing here?

 

[Robor]

At work all I ever did is copy the .pst file(s) off the source system and import them on the target system. On very rare occasions I had .pst files that has size (say 500MB) but when I tried to import them or point a personal folder to them they showed up totally blank.

 

[Caveman]

Repeat... What's wrong with "exporting"?

 

[Caveman]

bump...

 

[pcmax]

Originally posted by: Caveman
Repeat... What's wrong with "exporting"?

Nothing, works just fine, have done it many times.

Thanks MrChad, exactly what I was looking for.