How to Backup Your Whole Mailbox (.pst)¶

Introduction¶

In this guide, you will learn how to back up your entire mailbox in the .pst format. We will cover the steps to export your mailbox data from different email clients and store it as a backup file on your local machine. This backup will help you safeguard your important emails, contacts, and other mailbox items.

Prerequisites¶

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

1. An email client that supports exporting mailbox data to .pst format.

2. A local machine or storage device with sufficient storage capacity to store the backup file.

3. Basic understanding of using the command line (for some email clients).

Table of Contents¶

1. Microsoft Outlook

2. Mozilla Thunderbird

3. MacMail

Microsoft Outlook¶

Microsoft Outlook is a widely used email client that provides a straightforward way to export your mailbox as a .pst file. Follow the steps below:

1. Launch Microsoft Outlook on your computer.

2. Click on the “File” tab at the top left corner.

3. In the File menu, click on “Open & Export” and then select “Import/Export”.

4. In the Import and Export Wizard, choose the “Export to a file” option and click “Next”.

5. Select “Outlook Data File (.pst)” and click “Next”.

6. Choose the mailbox or specific folders you want to back up. You can select the top-level mailbox to include everything.

7. Select the destination where you want to save the .pst file. You can choose a local folder or an external storage device.

8. Provide a name for the backup file and click “Finish”. Outlook will start exporting your mailbox to the specified location.

Mozilla Thunderbird¶

Mozilla Thunderbird is another popular email client that allows you to export your mailbox data as a .pst file. The process involves using a third-party tool called “ImportExportTools”. Follow the steps below:

1. Launch Thunderbird on your computer.

2. Click on the “Menu” button at the top right corner and go to “Add-ons”.

3. In the Add-ons Manager, search for “ImportExportTools” and click “Install” to add the extension.

4. Restart Thunderbird to activate the extension.

5. Once Thunderbird is restarted, go to the folder containing the mailbox you want to back up.

6. Right-click on the folder and choose “ImportExportTools > Export all messages in the folder > EML format”.

7. Save the exported EML files to a local folder on your machine.

8. To convert the EML files to the .pst format, you can use a third-party tool like “SysTools EML to PST Converter” or “PCVARE EML to PST Converter”. These tools allow you to import the EML files and save them as .pst files.

MacMail¶

1. Open the Mail application on your Mac.

2. Select the mailbox or specific folders you want to back up. You can hold down the Command key and click on multiple mailboxes or folders to select them.

3. From the menu bar at the top, click on “Mail” and then choose “Mailbox” from the dropdown menu.

4. In the Mailbox menu, select “Export Mailbox…” (or “Export Selected Mailboxes…” if you selected multiple mailboxes/folders).

5. Choose a location on your local machine or external storage device where you want to save the exported mailbox.

6. Provide a name for the backup file and click “Choose” or “Save” to start the export process.

7. MacMail will create an .mbox file that contains your selected mailbox/folders and save it to the specified location.

Please note that the exported .mbox file will contain the entire mailbox or folder structure, including all emails, attachments, and subfolders. To restore this backup, you can import the .mbox file back into MacMail or another email client that supports .mbox format.

Remember to regularly perform backups to ensure your email data remains safe and secure.

Conclusion¶

By following the instructions in this guide, you can easily back up your entire mailbox as a .pst file. Remember to regularly perform backups to ensure your important email data remains safe. Storing your backups in secure locations, such as external hard drives or cloud storage services, is also recommended.

Please note that the steps provided in this guide are accurate at the time of writing. If you encounter any differences or issues with your specific email client version, refer to the official documentation or consult the support resources provided by the email client’s developers.