Backup Outlook emails and settings

Summary

On this page:

How to configure a backup for Outlook in Backup4all
How to find the locations of MS Outlook files
Backup limitations for locked or open files

Details

MS Outlook emails are stored in .pst files. In order to have a complete backup of MS Outlook data, it is not enough to back up only the .pst files, but the following items too:

• MS Outlook shortcuts
• Personal Address Book
• Rules
• Signatures
• Stationery
• Menu or toolbar customizations
• Nicknames

Also, for MS Outlook 2003 and 2007, you need to backup some additional items:

• Navigation Pane settings (this file includes Shortcuts, Calendar, and Contact links).
• Dictionary
• Templates
• Send/Receive settings
• Print styles
• Custom forms
• Registered Microsoft Exchange extensions

How to configure a backup for Outlook in Backup4all

MS Outlook data is stored in “.pst” files. For each mail folder defined in MS Outlook a .pst file is assigned. These files get quite large if you exchange lot of emails, thus when a small change occurs in a file (e.g. a new email has been received), the entire .pst will be marked as “modified”. When running the backup, the whole file will be backed up as you cannot backup only the changes inside the .pst file. That's why it is recommended to do a full or mirror backup (and not differential or incremental ). Also, it is recommended to limit the number of backups in order to save disk space.

Steps needed to configure the backup:

MS Outlook 2003

• Outlook data files (.pst)

  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

  Note: <Current User> is your Windows name account.
            <drive> is the location where the OS is installed.

• Personal Address Book (.pab)
  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

• Command bar and menu customizations (.dat)
  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

• Navigation Pane settings (.xml).
  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\Outlook.xml

• Registered Microsoft Exchange extensions (.dat)
  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

• Outlook contacts nicknames (.nk2)
  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

• Rules (.rwz)
  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

• Print styles (Outlprnt with no extension)
  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

• Signatures (.rtf, .txt, .htm)
  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Signatures

• Stationary (.htm)
  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Stationary

• Custom forms
  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Forms

• Dictionary (.dic)
  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Proof

• Templates (.oft)
  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates

• Send/Receive settings (.srs)
  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

• Message (.msg, .htm, .rtf)
  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\My Documents
  

• Personal Folders file (.pst)

- Windows Vista
drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook

- Windows XP, Microsoft Windows Server 2003
drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

Note: <Current User> is your Windows name account.
          <drive> is the location where the OS is installed.

• Personal Address Book (.pab)

  - Windows Vista  
  drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
  
  - Windows XP, Windows Server 2003  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook
  

• Command bar and menu customizations (.dat)
  
  - Windows Vista  
  drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook\outcmd.dat
  
  - Windows XP, Windows Server 2003  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\outcmd.dat

• Navigation Pane settings (.xml).
  
  - Windows Vista  
  drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Roaming\Outlook\profile name.xml
  
  - Windows XP, Windows Server 2003  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\profile name.xml

• Registered Microsoft Exchange extensions (.dat)
  
  - Windows Vista  
  drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook
  
  - Windows XP, Windows Server 2003  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

• Outlook Contacts nicknames (.nk2)
  
  - Windows Vista  
  drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook
  
  - Windows XP, Windows Server 2003  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

• Rules (.rwz)
  
  - Windows Vista  
  drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook
  
  - Windows XP, Windows Server 2003  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

• Print styles (Outlprnt with no extension)
  
  - Windows Vista  
  drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook
  
  - Windows XP, Windows Server 2003  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

• Signatures (.rtf, .txt, .htm)
  
  - Windows Vista  
  drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Signatures
  
  - Windows XP, Windows Server 2003  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Signatures

• Stationery (.htm)
  
  - Windows Vista  
  drive:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Stationery
  
  - Windows XP, Windows Server 2003  
  drive:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Stationery

• Custom forms
  
  - Windows Vista  
  drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Forms
  
  - Windows XP, Windows Server 2003  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Forms

• Dictionary (.dic)
  
  - Windows Vista  
  drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\UProof
  
  - Windows XP, Windows Server 2003  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\UProof

• Templates (.oft)
  
  - Windows Vista  
  drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates
  
  - Windows XP, Windows Server 2003  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates

• Send/Receive settings (.srs)
  
  - Windows Vista  
  drive:\<Current User>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook
  
  - Windows XP, Windows Server 2003  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook

• Message (.msg, .htm, .rtf)
  
  - Windows Vista
  drive:\<Current User>\Documents
  
  - Windows XP, Windows Server 2003  
  drive:\Documents and Settings\<Current User>\My Documents

Backup limitations for locked or open files

Backup4all uses the Volume Shadow Copy service that allows you to back up local open files from NTFS partitions under Windows XP/2003 Server/Vista. Therefore you can back up Outlook without closing it if certain requirements are met:

• computer is running Windows XP, Windows 2003 Server or Windows Vista
• MS Outlook data is not being backed up via the network
• MS Outlook data is located on a NTFS formatted partition
• the VSS (Volume Shadow Service) is running and is properly configured

If any of the requirements above is not met, MS Outlook will need to be closed before backing up the data (otherwise files that are in use will be skipped).

Applies to:

• Backup4all 3 or above
• MS Outlook 2000
• MS Outlook 2003
• MS Outlook 2007
• Windows XP
• Windows Server 2003
• Windows Vista

Related searches: backup Outlook, backup pst, MS Outlook 2007 backup, backup Outlook Vista, backup Outlook email