Did you know that about ninety percent of computer users download email? Care to take a guess at how many bother to back up their emails? The answer is not a lot! Many people use Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express as their email client simply because it came with their computer. Now there are ways you can create an Outlook backup on your own. In fact, it is fairly easy to do. However, with an Outlook Express backup, for some reason, Microsoft made this more of a challenge.
In order to backup Outlook, it is fairly straightforward. Chances are that your Microsoft Outlook backup will work in a similar fashion whether you are trying an Outlook XP back up or even an Outlook 2003 backup. With your program open, you would go the File menu and then choose Import and Export. Your next option in your back up Outlook quest is to choose Export File. Then, you are prompted to choose a file type to export your data as. After choosing the file type, you are then prompted to choose which Outlook folder you want to backup. After you choose, then you would select your destination to save your backup of Outlook files. It can be on another part of your hard drive, a flash drive or even a CD.
With the process above for an Outlook backup, you would have to repeat it multiple times until you had all the folders you wanted backed up from your Inbox to your contacts list and address book. It is recommended that you save your Outlook backup files in two ways – a pst file and either a comma separated file or a tab separated file.
To backup Outlook Express, you almost need computer science degree! It is not nearly as easy as the step by step process of an Outlook backup. Therefore, it is recommended that you invest in Outlook Express backup software. You can find software to backup your Outlook Express files both as a shareware/freeware version and even as a paid download. This option is recommended unless you are confident in your technical capabilities to figure it out on your own.
When you choose an Outlook backup, both the do-it-yourself and the software methods are viable options. However, when in doubt it is always better to trust in software for your Microsoft Outlook backup as well as your Outlook Express back up. With software, you do not have to do each file folder and contact list separately. Plus it is a lot easier to backup your Outlook address book and backup Outlook email in this manner.