outlook backup and restore.

[lodore]

Hello,
There are multiple guides on how to backup and restore outlook.
I have backed up outlook 2003 (windows xp home SP3) by going to file,import and export. i backed up the data to a backup.pst file including sub folders.

I then exported the following registry key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows Messaging Subsystem\Profiles\Outlook. this is for the account settings.

I will be restoring the data to outlook 2010 on windows 7 professional.

im just thinking about what the best steps would be to ensure its the same as it on the other machine.

1. open outlook dont create any accounts and import the .pst file.
2. close outlook backup the registry.
3. restore the registry entry.
4. open outlook and re enter the passwords.

does the import take a huge amount of time like the backup does and if so is there a better way to restore the .pst file?

thanks in advance

I wish backing up outlook was as easy as outlook express /windows live mail. i dont understand why outlook doesnt have an option to export everything including account settings from within the program.

[BobF64]

i dont understand why outlook doesnt have an option to export everything including account settings from within the program.

Easy one, Outlook is a business mail client, intended for use primarily with Exchange, which means you dont need to do that sort of thing from the client end.

As far as the rest goes, you just copy the PST and point Outlook at it, obviously account settings are something else.

[kevpuk]

Totally brilliant program for Outlook backup here
I found this to be excellent, in that not only does it backup/restore PST files etc., but also all the email accounts I have (8 !) in my Outlook installation ! Think it didn't remember their passwords, mind, but still....

[DrATty]

I remember having trouble with exported PST files so I just save and restore them directly now. As said above, just point Outlook to the required files and you should be fine.
I store my mail on my IMAP server and that's all downloaded when I restore the accounts. I keep meaning to set up an Exchange server so that everything is online. I use gMail Exchange for trivial mail and it works well enough, but I haven't entrusted it with my calendar and contacts yet. It doesn't support tasks which is a problem too.

[lodore]

In the end i renamed backup.pst to outlook.pst and then imported it through the wizard.
I then closed outlook and imported the registry entry.
all the accounts appeared and i just had to reinput the passwords.
I had to backup archive.pst and restore it separately for some reason.

so all in all outlook backup and restore isnt to bad.

[Toby-W]

I guess that I would not ne able to backup my outlook in that way because my computer-experience is too bad.

Is there any other way to get a clear and complete backup of outlook, which can be easliy restored?
It would be no problem for me to pay for such a software if it is working properly.

Any suggestions?

Regards, Toby