Microsoft’s official Outlook Backup Tool

he Personal Folders Backup tool is designed for use in Outlook 2002 and later and the operating systems that support each respective Outlook version. The tool provides a quick and easy way to back up the Outlook information of your choice to your hard disk or network server or share.

After you back up your information, you can copy these duplicates of your Outlook data to a removable media such as a CD or DVD. The backup files are exact copies of the original files and are saved in the same file format. You can receive periodic reminders to back up your files.

Compare Personal Folders Backup, exporting, and archiving

There are three ways to back up your Outlook e-mail messages, contacts, appointments, tasks, notes, and journal entries — the Personal Folders Backup tool, exporting, and archiving.

Personal Folders Backup tool   is used to copy your entire .pst file or files to your hard disk or to a network server or share.

Export  is used to create a file containing Outlook information, but still keep the original data in your folders. You can only export one folder at a time.

Archive  is used to move the items that you want to back up out of your folders.

Using the PST Backup tool

Before you begin the backup process, you might want to check the size of your .pst file. If you have multiple folders in your .pst file, you must select the top-level folder to determine the total file size for all the folders.

 

To install the Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders Backup Tool

Quit Outlook.

Download the tool from the Microsoft Office Online site by clicking the Download link and following the instructions in the dialog boxes.

To change languages, select a language in the Change language list, click Go, and then click Download.

To start the setup program, double-click the Pfbackup.exe program file on your hard disk.

Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.

Start Outlook.

The Personal Folders file (.pst) that you want to back up must be open. If the file is visible in Folder List, it is open.

1. On the File menu, click Backup.
2. Click Options.
3. In the Backup these personal folders files list, select the check box for each item you want to back up.
4. Change the .pst file name shown. Or, to select a different folder, click Browse, navigate to the location you want, and then click Open.

The default file name and location where the .pst file is saved is shown in the File location box.

To have Microsoft Outlook automatically remind you to make a backup copy of this file, select the Remind me to backup every x days check box, and then type the number of days between 1 and 999.

Click OK.

Click Save Backup.

Lists Personal Folders files (.pst) that will be included in the backup.

Displays the last time a backup was completed.

The Options button is where you can set reminders for the backup, which Personal Folders files are included, and the file location where the backup is saved.

You can open previously created backups.

  Selecting the check box specifies that reminders are to be used. You can specify any number between 1 and 999 days.

  Select the check box for each Personal Folders file you want to back up.

  The file location is where your data will be copied to. Your original data will not be moved and changed. Once a backup is complete, you can use Windows Explorer to go to this location and see the backup file or copy it to removable media such as a CD, DVD, portable hard drive, or portable memory device.