Backing Up Outlook Data

It's important to back up your data, all data - any data. It's no different with Outlook.

Reasons to back up Outlook data:

• Computer hard drive crash
• Corruption that can't be repaired
• Accidental deletion
• Damage to your storage medium (USB, CD, partition on your HDD, etc.)
• Save a tree, you won't have to print everything.
• Clean up and organise.
• Play it safe.
• Keep your sanity.

Data loss can happen to anyone, even a seasoned professional.

Before you can back up your data, you need to know where to locate it. The first thing you need to do is unhide system files, and hidden files and folders using Windows Explorer.

Microsoft covers this in their knowledge base (they cover most everything and are a good resource):

HTTP://support.Microsoft.com/KB/141276

Now you can search for your Outlook data file, also called Personal Folders, and known as a PST for short.

For Outlook 2007 and previous on Windows XP the default location is;
C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\

For Outlook 2007 and previous on Windows Vista and Windows 7 the default location is;
C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\

For Outlook 2010 on Windows XP the default location is;
C:\Documents and Settings\%username%\My Documents\Outlook Files\

For Outlook 2010 on Windows Vista or Windows 7 the default location is;
C:\Users\%username%\Documents\Outlook Files\

You can also locate the file this way:

Right click the root folder (probably Outlook Today)-> Properties-> button Advanced-> field Filename

If you have multiple PST aka Data Files you can get an overview by clicking
  File-> Data File Management if you use Outlook 2007 or anything older
  File-> Account Settings-> Account Settings-> tab Data Files if you use Outlook 2010

NOTE: While making a copy of the PST-file will effectively backup your Outlook data, it will not include any mail account configuration settings (mail profile), templates or signatures.

Backing up the PST-file is quite easy; you just copy the PST-file to your safe location *while Outlook is closed.* A safe location can be one of the following;

• another physical hard drive in your machine
• another physical hard drive in another machine
• an external hard drive
• a USB memory stick
• a Flash memory card
• a CD-R(W)
• a DVD+/-R(W)
• a backup tape

I recommend running a backup whenever you make a significant change to the contents of your Outlook data file, or even daily.

For myself, I have written a small batch file that runs every evening after I close Outlook that copies my PST file to another drive on another computer.

The batch file reads like this: COPY %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Outlook\*.PST u:data\outlook /y

u:data\outlook is the location that my PST file is copied to. You can change it to suit your particular location.

It's written in Notepad, saved as a batch file. Then I use the Windows Scheduler to set it to run at my specified time. I have a copy of the batch file backed up in case I ever break it, delete it, do something stupid. I can wait for the scheduler to run at the appointed time but any time I close Outlook I can trigger a back up by simply double-clicking the batch file.

And as always, backing up Outlook will not work unless Outlook is CLOSED.

As always you can post questions on my blog if you want clarification or even help.