How to Backup Outlook Emails to External Hard Drive | 2022 Updated
Outlook emails contain lots of our essential and private information. It is significant to back up Outlook emails in case of data loss caused by computer crashes or virus attacks. If you are looking for ways to back up Outlook emails to an external hard drive, you are in the right place. This page will show you how to backup outlook emails to external hard drive in two methods with detailed steps and screenshots.
Outlook is a personal information manager from Microsoft available as a part of the Microsoft Office suite. It can be used as an email application, calendar, task manager, contact manager, note taking, journal, and web browsing. Because of its versatility, many users rely on Outlook to manage their day-to-day tasks and important information.
However, like any other software, Outlook is not perfect, and data loss can happen. It's crucial to back up your Outlook files regularly to avoid losing important emails or other data. By backing up your emails, you can be sure that you won't lose any vital information in case of a software crash or virus attack, and those backups allow you to restore Outlook backup with ease.
The Benefits of Backing Up Emails to External Hard Drive
Backing up Outlook emails to an external hard drive is a great way to keep a backup of your emails in case your computer crashes or you accidentally delete an email. There are a few benefits of backing up your emails to an external hard drive, including:
- You can store a large number of Outlook emails on an external hard drive without taking up space on your computer's internal hard drive.
- Backing up to an external hard drive is an excellent way to protect your emails from a software crash or virus attack.
- The emails stored on external drives are easy for offline viewing. You can take your backup with you and access it on any computer by connecting the external hard drive.
- External hard drives are relatively inexpensive and easy to use. You can find a 1TB external hard drive for around $60.
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2 Detailed Guide to Backup Outlook Emails to External Hard Drive
Method 1. Back Up Outlook Emails with Free Backup Software (Suitable for Tech-Novice)
Method 2. Back Up Outlook Emails with Import/Export Wizard (Suitable for Tech-Savvy)
Here we will demonstrate two methods to back up Outlook to external hard drives in detail with screenshots. The first method is using free backup software, Qiling Backup, to easily back up Outlook emails, which is suitable for those who want to save time and effort. The second method is to export and save Outlook emails as .pst files to an external hard drive, which you need to operate manually each time you want to back up Outlook.
- Warning
- Before backing up, you need to connect the external hard drive to your computer.
Now let's look at how to operate with each method.
Method 1. Back Up Outlook Emails with Free Backup Software (Suitable for Tech-Novice)
Qiling Backup is a free Outlook backup software that can help you back up Outlook, files, folders, partitions, and create a complete system image. It allows you to back up Outlook emails in various formats, including .pst, .ost, and profile, without hassle. You can schedule automatic backups and choose to compress and encrypt your backup files.
Except for internal and external hard drives, it ensures you to backup files to NAS, Qiling Cloud(250GB of free Cloud storage), and encrypted zone. It's straightforward to use, and it supports full, incremental, and differential backups.
To back up Outlook emails to external hard drives with Qiling Backup, follow the steps:
Step 1. Launch Qiling Backup on your computer, and click File Backup on the home screen to begin the backup task.
Step 2. Your Microsoft Outlook database folder will appear. Select the mailbox addresses you want to make a backup of the mails, contacts or calendars.
Step 3. Next, you'll need to choose a location to save the Outlook backup by clicking the illustrated area.
Step 4. The backup location can be another local drive on your computer, an external hard drive, network, cloud or NAS. Generally, we recommend you use an external physical drive or cloud to preserve the backup files.
Step 5. Cusomiztion settings like setting an automatic backup schedule in daily, weekly, monthly, or upon an event, and making a differential and incremental backup are available in the Options button if you're interested. Click "Proceed", and the Outlook backup process will begin. The completed backup task will display on the left side in a card style.
Method 2. Back Up Outlook Emails with Import/Export Wizard (Suitable for Tech-Savvy)
The Import/Export Wizard is an Outlook built-in feature that can be used to export and save Outlook emails as PST files. You can use this tool to export all Outlook items or only selected items.
To back up your Outlook emails using the Import/Export Wizard, follow these steps:
Step 1. Open Microsoft Outlook and go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
Step 2. Choose "Export to a file" in the Import and Export Wizard window, and then click "Next".
Step 3. Select "Outlook Data File (.pst)" and tap "Next".
Step 4. Select the emails that you want to back up and click "Finish".
Step 5. Click "Browser" to select the connected external drive as the destination storage, then click "Finish".
Following the guide above, you will successfully back up your Outlook emails to the external hard drive. After the backup finishes, disconnect the external hard drive and keep it in a safe place.
FAQ about How to Backup Outlook Emails to External Hard Drive
1. How do I save Outlook emails to a hard drive without PST?
There are two methods that you can use to save Outlook emails without PST. The first method is to drag and drop the emails into a folder on your hard drive. The second method is to use the Export function in Outlook to export the emails as .msg files.
2. How do I save bulk emails from Outlook?
You can save bulk emails from Outlook by selecting them at the same time by long pressing the shift key and clicking them. Then click File > Print.
3. Can I save emails from Outlook to my computer?
Yes, the Export/Import Wizard allows you to save emails from Outlook to your computer. You can follow the second method we mentioned above, and then choose the computer as the destination storage place.
The Bottom Line
Backup Outlook emails to external hard drive can be easily achieved by the solutions we mentioned above. If you want to find a simple and automatic way, Qiling Backup is your best choice. On the contrary, if you are accustomed to using Export Wizard or don't mind spending some time on this issue, the Outlook Import/Export Wizard can be an alternative. You can have a try based on your actual needs.
Qiling Backup is highly recommended for its advanced features and user-friendly interface.
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