How to backup Outlook emails
The standard way to backup Outlook emails is a .pst export: File → Open & Export → Import/Export → Export to a file in classic Outlook for Windows, which writes the whole mailbox to one file you can store anywhere. A .pst opens only in Outlook, so for emails you must be able to read in ten years, also keep the important ones as .msg files and PDFs. SaveMail makes the PDF from a .msg in your browser, with nothing uploaded.
What an Outlook email backup needs to cover
A backup is only good if you can restore from it later. For Outlook that means two questions: does the copy include everything, and will you have a program that opens it? The combinations below are the ones that work.
| Backup type | Includes | Restores with | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| .pst export | Mail, folders, calendar, contacts, attachments | Outlook for Windows | Full mailbox, moving to a new PC |
| .olm export | Same, Mac only | Outlook for Mac | Mac mailbox |
| .msg / .eml files | One message each, with attachments | Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, SaveMail | Selected folders, long-term keeping |
| PDF + attachments | Readable copy with headers | Anything | Records you hand to others |
| Microsoft's own retention | Deleted items for a limited window | Admin tools | Accidents, not backups |
Have the email as a file (EML, MSG, MBOX)? Convert it to PDF in your browser: nothing is uploaded.
Back up the whole mailbox to a .pst file (classic Outlook for Windows)
- Click File → Open & Export → Import/Export.
- Select Export to a file, then Outlook Data File (.pst).
- Click the account name at the top of the folder tree so every folder is included, and leave Include subfolders checked.
- Browse to a location outside the Outlook Files folder, for example an external drive, and give the file a dated name such as
mailbox-2026-10.pst. - Choose Replace duplicates with items exported and click Finish. Skip the password unless you need it; a forgotten .pst password cannot be reset.
Repeat on a schedule and keep at least two generations. A .pst from Microsoft 365 accounts contains only what has been synced to the PC: if the slider under File → Account Settings → Change is set to one year, older mail is not in the file. Move it to All and let Outlook sync before you export. More detail is in how to export Outlook emails.
Back up Outlook.com, new Outlook and Outlook for Mac
- Outlook.com, Hotmail, Live: gear → General → Privacy and data → Export mailbox. Microsoft builds a .pst on its side and shows a download link in the same place, usually within a few days.
- New Outlook for Windows with a work account: there is no export wizard. Switch to classic Outlook with the toggle in the top-right corner and run the steps above, or ask your administrator for a mailbox export.
- Outlook for Mac: File → Export, choose the item types, and save an .olm file. It restores through File → Import on another Mac.
Does Office 365 back up your email?
Microsoft keeps the service running and replicates data across its data centers, but that is availability, not a backup you can restore from. What exists for users is a recovery window: deleted items can be recovered for a limited period (30 days by default for items removed from Deleted Items), and administrators can set retention policies that hold mail longer. None of this protects against a closed account, a lost license, a ransomware-encrypted mailbox, or a sync that deleted mail on every device.
That is why "backup Office 365 email" is a real task rather than a worry. For an individual, a periodic .pst export covers it. For a company, administrators usually add a third-party backup service; the email backup software comparison lists the categories.
Keep the important emails as files you can read without Outlook
A .pst is a database in Outlook's format, which is why no browser, phone or non-Microsoft mail program opens it. If the point of the backup is to prove what was said, when, and with which attachment, keep those messages as ordinary files as well.
- In classic Outlook, drag the messages that matter (contracts, invoices, HR correspondence) into a folder on disk. Each becomes a .msg file with headers and attachments inside. On a Mac the same drag gives .eml.
- Drop each file on savemail.app. The message is parsed in the browser tab, no upload, no account; the page shows From, To, Cc, Date, Subject and Message-ID, the body, and the attachments with sizes.
- Press Save as PDF for a searchable PDF and download the attachments as a ZIP.
- Store the .msg, the PDF and the ZIP together. The .msg is the original evidence; the PDF is the copy you share.
SaveMail cannot open the .pst itself, renders one message at a time, and shows encrypted messages as encrypted. For large archives, keep the .pst as the complete backup and convert selectively.
Check the backup before you need it
Open the .pst once with File → Open & Export → Open Outlook Data File and browse a few folders, then close it with right-click → Close. Open one of the PDFs on a phone. Store one copy off the computer: an external drive or a cloud drive folder you control. A backup you have never restored from is a hope, not a plan; the email archiving guide has a checklist for yearly review.
Frequently asked questions
How can I back up Outlook?
Classic Outlook: File → Open & Export → Import/Export → Export to a file → Outlook Data File (.pst), select the account, choose a location and finish. Outlook.com: Settings → General → Privacy and data → Export mailbox.
Does Office 365 back up email?
Microsoft keeps the service available and recovers deleted items for a limited window, but does not provide a user-restorable backup. Export a .pst yourself or use a backup service.
Why back up Office 365 email?
Accounts get closed, licenses lapse, mailboxes get wiped by sync errors or ransomware, and retention windows expire. A .pst on a drive you own survives all of those.
How do I back up Outlook emails automatically?
Outlook has no scheduled export. AutoArchive moves old mail into a .pst on a schedule, which is a partial backup if that file is itself copied by your regular disk backup.
Can I back up Outlook emails as PDF?
Yes, for selected messages: save each as a .msg file and convert it in SaveMail with Save as PDF. The PDF keeps the headers and lists attachments. A whole mailbox is better kept as .pst plus PDFs of what matters.
Where should I keep the backup?
Outside the computer that runs Outlook: an external drive or a synced cloud folder, with at least two dated copies. Test that the .pst opens before relying on it.