How to back up Outlook Express data

SUMMARY

This article describes how to backup and restore the following items in Microsoft Outlook Express:

Messages
The Address Book
Mail accounts
News accounts

If you use multiple identities in Outlook Express, repeat the steps in the "More Information" section for each identity, and separate the backup data accordingly. This process will make it easier to restore each identity.

This article is intended for a beginning to intermediate computer user. You may find it easier to follow the steps if you print this article first

Return to Top

MORE INFORMATION

How to back up Outlook Express items

Step 1: Copy message files to a backup folder

Step A: Locate the Store folder

Start Outlook Express
Click Tools
Click Options
On the Maintenance tab, click Store Folder.
In the Store Location dialog box, copy the store location. To do this, follow these steps:
1. Put the mouse pointer at one end of the box under Your personal message store is located in the following folder box.
2. Press and hold the left mouse button, and then drag the mouse pointer across the Your personal message store is located in the following folder box.
3. Press CTRL+C to copy the location.
Click Cancel
Click Cancel again

Step B: Copy the contents of the Store folder

Click Start
Click Run
Press CTRL+V
Click OK
On the Edit menu, click Copy
Close the window

Step C: Create a backup folder

1. Right-click any empty area on your desktop

2. Click New

3. Click Folder

4. Type Mail Backup for the folder name

5. Press Enter

Step D: Paste the contents of the Store folder into the backup folder

1. Double-click the Mail Backup folder to open it.

2. Right-click inside the Mail Backup folder window

3. Click Paste

Step 2: Export the Address Book to a .csv file

Important Make sure that you follow this step if you use multiple identities in Outlook Express.

Microsoft Outlook Express 5.x and Microsoft Outlook Express 6.0 use a Windows Address Book (.wab) file to store Address Book data. The individual data for each identity is stored in a folder by user name within the .wab file that is used.

The only way to separate the Address Book data for different identities is to export the data to a .csv file while you are logged in as a specific identity. If the .wab file becomes dissociated from the user identities, the data can be exported only as one total. In this case, the data cannot be exported folder by folder.

There is another reason to export the .wab file to a .csv file. If the .wab file not exported to a .csv file, but the .wab file is shared with Microsoft Outlook, the addresses are stored in the personal folders (.pst) file in Outlook. When you export the file to a .csv file by using the File menu in Outlook Express, the correct contacts are exported. However, if the Address Book is shared with Outlook, you cannot use the File menu option to export from the Address Book. This option is unavailable.

To export the Address Book to a .csv file, follow these steps:

1. On the File menu, click Export

2. Click Address Book

3. Click Text File (Comma Separated Values)

4. Click Export

5. Click Browse

6. Select the Mail Backup folder that you created.

7. In the File Name box, type address book backup

8. Click Save

9. Click Next

10. Click to select the check boxes for the fields that you want to export

11. Click Finish

12. Click OK

13. Click Close

Step 3: Export the mail account to a file

1. On the Tools menu, click Accounts

2. On the Mail tab, click the mail account that you want to export

3. Click Export

4. In the Save In box, select the Mail Backup folder

5. Click Save

6. Repeat these steps for each mail account that you want to export

7. Click Close

Step 4: Export the newsgroup account to a file

1. On the Tools menu, click Accounts.

2. On the News tab, click the news account that you want to export

3. Click Export

4. In the Save In box, select the Mail Backup folder

5. Click Save

6. Repeat these steps for each news account that you want to export

7. Click Close