How To: Back Up Outlook and Yahoo Mail

Tue May 2, 2006 8:41PM EDT

See Comments (29)

I received a number of comments on my email syncing blog post from people who wanted information on backing up their mailbox instead of syncing it to another computer. No problem: Here's the scoop!

With Outlook (any recent version), first select the folder you'd like to back up. If you want all folders (recommended), select Personal Folders. Then click File > Import and Export. A dialog box (pictured) will pop up. Select Export to a file and click Next. Then click Personal Folder File (.pst) and click Next again.

If you're trying to back up all folders, put a check mark in the box that says "Include subfolders." Click Next again. We're almost done.

Finally, you'll be given a dialog asking you where you want to save the backup file. Put it somewhere convenient (like the My Documents folder), then click Finish. Depending on the size of your mail file, the backup will take up to an hour to complete (and you can't use Outlook while it's working) and the file will usually surpass a gigabyte in size, so be warned. (Once this file is done, don't forget that you'll need to copy it to an external device if you're worried about a hard drive crash!)

A number of other readers asked how to back up Yahoo! Mail accounts. Fair question. This is Yahoo! Tech, after all. The news is less good on this front. You can't back up mail using the standard Yahoo! Mail system, unfortunately. The only way to do it is to upgrade to the Yahoo! Mail Plus system, which costs $19.99 a year. (And no, I'm not trying to sell you anything, I'm just laying out the facts.)

Having trouble with these directions? Post a comment? Got a different question you need help with? Just send me an email! Off-topic issues can get lost in the shuffle of comments and you're more likely to get a quicker response. Happy computing.

Comments on How To: Back Up Outlook and Yahoo Mail

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  • 6 Posted by tse_aadhavun on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    Most of the time, in large corporations, when a role change happens, the successor of that role doesn't get to know about what happened earlier. The best way to understand the past would be to see the communications of the predecessor. This is almost impossible in most cases, as the mail box of the predecessor may not be accessible to the successor for some reasons. In earlier days, the communications were in hardcopy and I guess was easily accessible. Is there a better way of archival by corporates? Should the whole concept of e-mailing need a drastic change?

  • 7 Posted by elliott_faure on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    I had an Outlook crash and I switched to Thunderbird. Does anyone know how does one back up Thunderbird email?

  • 8 Posted by kysaorith on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:55PM EDT Report Abuse

    Dear Support, Good Morning! I am rith and right now i find in Option that provided by yahoo mail but i can't find any way for me to do back up email from my yahoo mail. So pls guide me the way la Thanks YOU Rith

  • 9 Posted by henchxyz on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    So how do you backup Yahoo Mail Plus. Seems like you forgot to say !!!

  • 10 Posted by barryfleming1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:02PM EDT Report Abuse

    The facts are there are free programs that will backup your yahoo email account.

  • 11 Posted by roskouy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have a yahoo mail plus. I need to know how to export yahoo mail sub folder (not inbox) to windows that I would later import to outlook subfolder. Can outlook import a sub folder of yahoo mail (not inbox)? Thanks you.

  • 12 Posted by lindad2208 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:52PM EDT Report Abuse

    Hi, I have not been able to get into my Yahoo mail for about 5 months, maybe longer. I am notified when I get mail and can use my IM. Very frustrated and have tried everything. Please Help. Lindad2208@yahoo.com Please send reply to ldavis2208@hotmail.com as I cannot get to yahoo mail Thank you. Linda

  • 13 Posted by sazzouni on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:06PM EDT Report Abuse

    So to backup Yahoo! email you need Yahoo! Mail Plus. Care to finish the instructions for someone that has Yahoo! Mail Plus? Thx,

  • 14 Posted by mjl7 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:23PM EDT Report Abuse

    Yes...so how do you backup Yahoo! Mail Plus? What's with all the mystery? This article from Yahoo! Tech has detailed step by step instructions on backing up Outlook, and no instructions on backing up Yahoo!Mail Plus. I personally think Yahoo Mail Plus is well worth the $20 a year...but just let us know if you're working on a program or add-on that isn't available yet. Or if you aren't planning to release one, then why not tell us which third party programs you'd recommend?

  • 15 Posted by caterina182 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:19PM EDT Report Abuse

    The only application to synch Yahoo on Outlook without paying is Yahoo! Pops.

  • 16 Posted by drhoades32 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    I would like to know how you get your Inbox and Personal Folders into Yahoo Mail. Searched the Web (with Yahoo ironically) and cannot find this anywhere.

  • 17 Posted by jameshmay on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:28PM EDT Report Abuse

    The hype over Yahoo Mail Plus is crap. Not a word on how to back it up on your own computer, in spite of the hype. I've seached everwhere, to no avail. Even Yahoo itself tells you how to back up Outlook but not its own product. What kind of crummy outfit is it? No wonder it's currently having financial troubles.

  • 20 Posted by stebruce2002 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:40PM EDT Report Abuse

    You can back up Yahoo email with a Yahoo Mail Plus account. I just did it an it was a breeze to do all of my folders. A Plus account is a very inexpensive way to manage email. I also made some disposable addresses to give to persons who insist on forwarding stupid emails containing a bazillion addresses that they simply refuse to remove before forwarding.

  • 21 Posted by stebruce2002 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:40PM EDT Report Abuse

    PS You go to Mail Options to access the mail downloading area.

  • 22 Posted by breesir on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:12PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'm probably a dinosaur, but I use Entourage for email. What's the best way to save it? I have tens of thousands of work-related emails I need to save (I'm self-employed and these form the basis of contracts and research).

  • 23 Posted by laurence_scotford on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:57PM EDT Report Abuse

    The Mail Plus backup is not great because you have to go back to the classic interface to access it. Beats me why Yahoo can't add it to the new mail interface. In the classic interface, click Options Mail Options Archive Messages.

  • 24 Posted by landersenn on Mon Jun 22, 2009 8:22AM EDT Report Abuse

    can i don't back up yahoo mail? will my mail be lost? $19.99 for mail plus. is it US Dollars?

  • 25 Posted by remodeler65 on Fri Jul 17, 2009 11:50AM EDT Report Abuse

    How do I get emails downloaded to outlook .pst back to the yahoo server. I need my emails in both places, not just one of the other? Thanks!

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