How can I back up my Outlook Express or Outlook e-mail?
E-mail is typically stored on a user's PC, and often not backed up at all. Outlook Express stores each e-mail folder in a separate file, and you can back up the entire directory. To find out where these files are stored, click on Start/Search and search for "inbox.dbx" on your C: drive. If more than one shows up, the one(s) with a recent date are being used. Right click the file and select "Open Containing Folder." Copy everything in that folder to another location such as CD-RW or a flash drive, or backup tape.
Outlook stores its data in one or more .pst files, usually named Outlook.pst. Click on Start/Search and search for "*.pst" on your C: drive, and back up any with recent dates. Note: if you have Windows Vista or Outlook 2007 and Windows Desktop Search appears, click the "click here to use Search Companion" link to get back to the default search dialog box. Windows Desktop Search does not index large sections of your hard drive, and though it indexes the contents of your Outlook e-mail, it will not find the *.pst files. Copy all recently used .pst files to another location such as CD-RW or a flash drive, or backup tape.
May 2007
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