You can create a backup of an email account from Outlook by exporting a PST file. This PST file can then be saved among your backups, and, at a later date, opened into Outlook as-is or imported into another email account.
These are the steps for exporting a PST file from Outlook on Windows, and assume you are using IMAP or POP3 for your email. The instructions should work for most versions of Outlook, although the wording may be slightly different. If you use Microsoft 365 or another email provider, the main difference will be in how you ensure that all emails exist locally in Outlook.
Step 1: Ensure mail is downloaded locally
If you are using IMAP, check that your Outlook is configured to download all email to your local device. (If you are using POP3, this is the only way it can work.)
- Open Outlook
- Go to File → Account Settings → Account Settings
- Select your IMAP account → Change
- Check that Mail to keep offline is set to "All". If if not, change it to "All", then restart Outlook, and wait for all folders to fully sync before proceeding.
Step 2: Export to PST
- Go to File → Open & Export → Import/Export
- Select Export to a file → Next
- Choose Outlook Data File (.pst) → Next
- Select the top-level mailbox of the IMAP account (tick Include subfolders)
- Click Next
- Choose a save location and filename
- Click Finish
You can optionally set a password if you wish to password-protect the PST file. If you do this, be sure to store the password in your password manager for future reference.
You need to keep Outlook open until it has finished.
