Outlook Express 6 for Windows: Backing Up and Restoring Data

On this page: Overview | Backing up Email | Restoring Email | Backing Up Address Books | Restoring Address Books

Overview

This document outlines the process for backing up and restoring your Outlook Express email and address book. We strongly recommend you backup your Outlook data regularly to ensure no data is lost in case of hardware failures, viruses, or other errors.

For additional information, see: Microsoft's How to back up and recover Outlook Express data.

Tip: Be sure you store your backup data on a separate machine or removeable media. Storing an extra copy of your data on the same computer as your current version means both copies could be lost if that machine fails.

Backing Up Email

1. Open Outlook Express.
   
   
2. From the menu select Tools > Options
   Result: The Options window appears.
   
   
3. Select the Maintenance tab.
   Result: The Maintenance tab displays.
   
   
   
   
4. Click the Store Folder button.
   Result: A "Store Location" window appears listing your personal message store folder.
   
   
   
   
5. Select the folder location, and then press CTRL+C to copy the location.
   
   
6. Click Cancel, and then click Cancel again to close both dialog boxes.
   
   
7. Click Start, and then click Run.
   
   
8. In the Open box, press CTRL+V, and then click OK.
   
   
9. From the Edit menu, select Select All.
   
   
10. From the Edit menu, select Copy, and then close the window.
    
    
11. Right-click any empty space on your desktop, select New, and then Folder.
    
    
12. Type "Mail Backup" for the folder name, and then press ENTER.
    
    
13. Double-click the Mail Backup folder to open it.
    
    
14. From the Edit menu, select Paste.
    
    
15. Close the Mail Backup window.
    Result: The window closes and you are done.

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Restoring Email

To restore your previously backed-up Outlook Express mail:

1. From the Tools menu, select Accounts.
   
   
2. Select the Mail tab.
   
   
3. Click Import.
   
   
4. In the Look In box, locate the Mail Backup folder on your storage drive (location you previously backed up to).
   
   
5. Select the mail account that you want to import, and then click Open.
   
   
6. Repeat these steps for each mail account that you want to import.
   
   
7. Click Close.
   Result: Your backed-up mail has been restored.

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Backing Up Address Books

To export/copy your Outlook Express address book:

1. On the File menu, click Export, and then click Address Book.
   Result: The "Address Book Export Tool" window appears.
   
   
   
   
2. Click Text File (Comma Separated Values), and then click Export.
   
   
3. Click Browse.
   
   
4. Locate where you wish to store the backup (CD, USB drive) and click Next.
   Result: You are prompted to name your exported file.
   
   
   
   
5. In the File Name box, type "backup_addressbook", and then click Next.
   Result: The "CSV Export" window appears.
   
   
   
   
6. Click to select the check boxes for the fields that you want to export, and then click Finish.
   
   
7. Click OK and then click Close.
   Result: Your address book has been successfully exported to the specified location.

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Restoring Address Books

1. On the File menu, select Import.
   
   
2. Click Other Address Book.
   
   
3. Click Text File (Comma Separated Values), and then click Import.
   
   
4. Click Browse.
   
   
5. Locate the Mail Backup folder on your desktop, click the address book Backup.csv file, and then click Open.
   
   
6. Click Next, and then click Finish.
   
   
7. Click OK, and then click Close
   Result: Your address book has been restored from backup.

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