How to Make a PST File

An important part of backing up the files on your computer is backing up all of your emails, both sent and received. Microsoft's Outlook, a common email client, uses .pst files to archive and export its files.

Instructions

1. Open Outlook. From the "File" menu, choose "Import and Export."

2. Select "Export to a file" and click "Next."

3. Select "Personal Folder File (.pst)" and click "Next."

4. Choose which folder you would like to export. If you would like to back up all of your emails, select "Personal Folders" and make sure that the box next to "Include subfolders" underneath the window is checked. This will export all folders in your mailbox.

5. Choose a save location for your backup. The default location, "...\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\backup.pst" may be hard to locate later. Clicking the "Browse" button allows you to choose another location, such as the Desktop or an external drive.

6. Once you've chosen a name and location, click "Finish" and Outlook will create the file for you.

Tips & Warnings

• It's a good idea to name the file with a date: "backup_Apr_29_09.pst", for example. Later, if you create another backup, you can delete the older of the files.

References

• Microsoft Outlook Support