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In classic Outlook for Windows, export the account or folders you need to an Outlook Data File (.pst) from File > Open & Export > Import/Export. A PST is a copy of selected mail, contacts, calendars, attachments, and folder contents; it does not capture every Outlook setting. Export rules separately, verify that the required date range has synchronized, and store the finished PST somewhere outside a OneDrive-synced folder.
This procedure applies to classic Outlook versions covered by Microsoft’s current guidance, including Outlook for Microsoft 365, Outlook 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016. Menu labels and available features can vary with the Outlook build, account type, and whether you are using classic or new Outlook.
What a classic Outlook backup actually is
Classic Outlook’s built-in backup is an export operation. It creates a separate Outlook Data File with a .pst extension and leaves the original items in the mailbox or existing data file. Microsoft describes the export as a copy of email, contacts, and calendar information; message attachments are included. The export can cover one folder, an account, or an account’s entire folder tree when you select Include subfolders. See Microsoft’s PST export instructions.
That distinction matters when the title says “settings and data.” A PST preserves mailbox content, not a complete image of Outlook’s configuration. Microsoft specifically says that Outlook does not export metadata such as folder views, permissions, and AutoArchive settings, and it also excludes message rules and blocked-sender lists. The exact limitation is documented in the same export article.
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- Data copied: email, attachments, contacts, calendar items, and the folders and subfolders you include.
- Data left in place: the source mailbox items are not deleted by exporting.
- Not included in the PST: folder views, permissions, AutoArchive settings, message rules, and blocked-sender lists.
- Separate settings path: rules can be exported to a
.rwzfile, and some classic-to-new Outlook preferences can be imported through a separate cloud-settings feature.
Before exporting: choose the right account and date range
Confirm you are in classic Outlook
The instructions below are for the desktop application known as classic Outlook for Windows. Microsoft’s support pages also describe new Outlook, but its PST support and import behavior are different and continue to change. If the window, menus, or account controls do not match the paths in this article, identify which Outlook client is installed before proceeding.
Check the account you intend to export
Classic Outlook exports one account at a time. Open Outlook and verify the account name and folders in the navigation pane before starting the wizard. If several Microsoft 365, Exchange, IMAP, Outlook.com, or POP accounts are configured, repeat the export for each account that requires an independent copy. Microsoft recommends checking the account first because exporting the wrong mailbox produces a valid PST that simply contains the wrong data.
Make sure the required messages are synchronized
For server-backed accounts in Cached Exchange Mode, Outlook exports what has been downloaded into the local cache. Microsoft says the default cache commonly contains the past 12 months and advises moving the synchronization setting to All when the export must include older mail. Microsoft also documents turning off Cached Exchange Mode when an export needs content beyond the current cache. These controls are configuration-sensitive, so allow synchronization to finish and recheck the oldest required message before you export.
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Do not assume that seeing a folder name means every item is local. Search for an older message, sort by date, or open the oldest item you need. If it cannot be found while Outlook is online, the PST cannot include it. Resolve the mailbox or synchronization issue first.
Prepare a destination with enough space
A PST can be large, particularly when it includes attachments and several years of mail. Select a stable local or removable destination with sufficient free space, but do not use a OneDrive-synchronized folder. Microsoft warns that OneDrive blocks automatic synchronization for Outlook PST files. The export itself is only one file; protection against a failed computer or drive requires a second copy stored separately.
Export mail, contacts, and calendar items to a PST
Use this sequence in classic Outlook. The wizard’s wording can vary slightly by release, but the choices are the same.
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- Open the export wizard. Select File > Open & Export > Import/Export.
- Choose an export operation. Select Export to a file, then choose Outlook Data File (.pst).
- Select the source. Choose the intended account or its top-level mailbox folder. If you only need a subset, select a specific folder instead.
- Include the hierarchy when needed. Tick Include subfolders to carry the selected folder tree and its contents into the export. Without it, only the selected folder is included.
- Choose the file and collision behavior. Browse to a non-OneDrive location, enter a descriptive filename such as
outlook-mailbox-2026-10-16.pst, and choose the wizard’s handling for duplicate items if Outlook asks. - Finish the export. Confirm the account, folder scope, destination, and date coverage, then select Finish. Outlook may ask for a PST password.
Use a filename that records the account or mailbox, scope, and export date. That makes it possible to identify the correct file months later without opening several large archives.
Should you set a PST password?
The export wizard can protect the PST with a password. The password is required to open the file, so store it in a password manager or another safe location. A PST password protects access to that file; it is not a complete backup-security system. Anyone who obtains an unprotected copy, a password, or access to the computer holding the file may still be able to read the data. Treat the password and the PST as a pair that must both remain recoverable.
Export Outlook rules separately
Rules are not part of a normal PST export. In classic Outlook, open File > Manage Rules & Alerts > Options > Export Rules, choose a destination, and save the rules file with the .rwz extension. Microsoft identifies this import-and-export feature as available for classic Outlook only in its rules guidance.
Keep the .rwz file with the matching PST only if the rules apply to the same mailbox and folder structure. Rules can refer to folders, accounts, or addresses that do not exist on a replacement computer, so review the imported rules after restoring them rather than assuming every action will work unchanged.
What the PST includes—and what it cannot restore
| Item | Included in a normal PST export? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Email and attachments | Yes, for synchronized items in the selected scope | Confirm synchronization and include the required folders. |
| Contacts | Yes, when the Contacts folder is included | Export the account or the Contacts folder with subfolders as appropriate. |
| Calendar items | Yes, when the Calendar folder is included | Check the date range and the selected calendar. |
| Folder hierarchy and items | Yes, when Include subfolders is selected | Select the mailbox root or the required parent folder. |
| Folder views | No | Recreate views on the destination computer. |
| Folder permissions | No | Record and reapply permissions in the mailbox or service. |
| AutoArchive settings | No | Configure AutoArchive again if the organization still uses it. |
| Message rules | No | Export rules separately to a .rwz file. |
| Blocked-sender list | No | Recreate or migrate the list separately. |
The missing metadata is not a minor technicality if you are replacing a computer or rebuilding a profile. The PST restores messages and related items, but it does not recreate the way Outlook displayed folders, the permissions assigned to them, or the automated processing rules.
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Store the PST as a usable backup
Keep it outside OneDrive’s synchronized folders
Save the working export in a normal local folder, an external USB hard drive, or a portable SSD that is not being synchronized by OneDrive. Microsoft’s warning is specific to PST handling: OneDrive does not automatically synchronize Outlook PST files. A OneDrive folder therefore should not be treated as the primary destination for an active PST.
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Maintain a second copy
The export wizard creates one file. To protect against a failed internal drive, copy the completed PST to a separate storage device or another controlled location after Outlook has finished writing it. A USB external hard drive or portable SSD is an optional storage medium; no particular model, capacity, reliability level, or automatic Outlook-backup behavior is established by Microsoft’s export instructions.
Use a simple rotation that you can actually maintain: keep one copy available for quick restoration and another disconnected or stored separately when it is not being updated. Label each copy with the mailbox and export date. Before relying on a copy, verify that the file exists, has a plausible size, and can be opened in Outlook.
Do not copy an actively used PST as your only method
Microsoft’s supported workflow is to export through Outlook. Avoid treating a PST that Outlook is actively using as a complete backup merely because the file is visible in File Explorer. Export a deliberate, dated copy, close or finish the operation, and then make your additional storage copy. This gives you a known export scope and date to document.
PST and OST are different files
A PST is intended for export, archive, and backup of selected Outlook items. An OST is normally an offline synchronized copy used by Microsoft 365, Exchange, IMAP, and Outlook.com accounts. Microsoft says POP accounts use PST files, while the other account types commonly use OST files. Because an OST can be recreated by configuring the account and synchronizing again from the server, Microsoft says it is generally unnecessary to back up that OST separately. See Microsoft’s Outlook Data File explanation.
| Characteristic | PST | OST |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Export, archive, or independent copy of selected items | Offline synchronized working copy of a server-backed account |
| Can it be exported deliberately? | Yes, through the Import/Export wizard | It is not the normal export target |
| Recovery model | Open or import the file on a configured Outlook profile | Recreate the account connection and synchronize from the server |
| Should you back up the file itself? | Keep a separate copy when its contents are important | Microsoft says a separate backup is generally unnecessary for server-backed accounts |
A PST can still be valuable for an independent copy of selected mailbox content even when the account uses an OST. It is not a replacement for a functioning server account, and an OST is not a substitute for a deliberate PST export when you need an archive you can carry to another profile.
Open a PST or restore its contents
Open the PST without mixing it into the mailbox
To browse an export as a separate data file in classic Outlook, select File > Open & Export > Open Outlook Data File, choose the .pst, and open it. The PST appears as its own folder tree, allowing you to inspect messages, contacts, and calendar items without immediately copying them into the active mailbox. Microsoft documents this method in Open and find items in an Outlook Data File.
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Import items into a mailbox or folder
When you need the exported items back in a mailbox, use the import workflow, select the PST, choose the folders and subfolders to import, and select the destination mailbox or folder. Microsoft says importing copies selected items into that destination. If you want the archive to remain separate for reference, open it as a data file instead of importing it. The detailed path and options are in Microsoft’s PST import instructions.
Choose the destination deliberately. Importing into the wrong mailbox can create duplicate or misplaced messages, and importing the same PST more than once can create another set of duplicates. If you only need a few items, open the PST and copy those items manually rather than importing the entire file.
Restore rules after the data import
Import the matching .rwz file through File > Manage Rules & Alerts > Options > Import Rules in classic Outlook. Review every rule, especially actions that move messages to folders whose names or paths changed. A successful rules import does not guarantee that references to unavailable folders, accounts, or addresses will work.
Moving from classic Outlook to new Outlook
New Outlook’s PST support is not identical to classic Outlook’s. Microsoft’s current support pages describe opening and exporting PST data in some circumstances, but state that calendar and contacts in PSTs are not available there and that bulk importing PST contents into a mailbox is not currently supported in that guidance. Check the current Microsoft PST guidance, PST opening guidance, and PST import guidance for the exact client, account, and architecture requirements that apply to your installation.
Microsoft also documents a separate classic-to-new Outlook setup import. It can bring over items such as signatures, Quick Steps, the default font, display and calendar preferences, and other mail preferences when Store my Outlook settings in the cloud is enabled in classic Outlook. This is a bounded migration feature, not a general-purpose archive of every Outlook setting. Details and the supported setting list are in Import settings and install add-ins on new Outlook for Windows.
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Older messages are missing
Check the account’s synchronization range and Cached Exchange Mode settings. If Outlook only downloaded the recent cache, move the sync control to All, allow the mailbox to finish synchronizing, and verify an old message before exporting again. If the required message is absent from the server or cannot be synchronized, changing the PST wizard will not recover it.
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The PST contains the wrong folders
Open the PST separately and inspect its top-level folder name, account identity, and oldest and newest items. If the wrong account was selected, repeat the export after confirming the mailbox in Outlook’s navigation pane. For a complete account copy, select the mailbox root and Include subfolders; selecting an individual folder without that option intentionally limits the export.
Rules are missing
This is expected when only the PST was exported. Create the separate .rwz export from File > Manage Rules & Alerts > Options > Export Rules, then import it on the destination classic Outlook profile.
The PST will not open
Confirm that you selected the correct file and enter the PST password exactly as saved. If the file was copied while Outlook was still using it, return to the original export and make a fresh, completed copy. Keep the original export unchanged while testing the duplicate.
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Move the working PST out of the OneDrive folder. Microsoft warns that OneDrive blocks automatic synchronization for Outlook PST files, so use a local or separately managed destination and maintain another copy through an explicit copy operation.
You cannot import into new Outlook
Do not assume that classic Outlook’s import wizard exists in new Outlook. Microsoft’s current guidance limits some PST operations there, including the stated lack of bulk mailbox import and unavailable calendar and contacts in PSTs. Use classic Outlook for the documented import workflow, or follow the current new Outlook support page for the account and build you have.
Quick Recap
Pre-export and post-export checklist
- Confirm that you are using classic Outlook for Windows.
- Verify the account and mailbox you intend to export.
- Set synchronization to cover the entire required date range and wait for it to finish.
- Select the mailbox or folder scope and enable Include subfolders when a complete folder tree is required.
- Save the PST outside OneDrive-synchronized folders.
- Record the filename, account, scope, and export date.
- Store the PST password safely if you set one.
- Export rules separately to a
.rwzfile if rules matter. - Open the PST as a separate data file and inspect representative old and recent items.
- Make a second copy on separate storage and test that copy before depending on it.
- For restoration, choose between opening the PST separately and importing selected items into a mailbox.
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