Microsoft Outlook is widely used in corporate and personal environments. It is a workhorse in handling email, notes, tasks, contacts, and appointments for most office workers. If a user needs to export folders for preservation, Outlook provides an easy method to create a file containing the items desired.

An Outlook Data File, commonly known as a “PST”, is a widely-accepted file that can be opened in Outlook or by many 3rd-party viewers. If you need to preserve a folder full of email messages or calendar items, creating a PST file is the best method to encapsulate the selected items.

Create the PST

1. While in the Outlook interface, navigate to the upper-left corner and click on ‘File’:

microsoft outlook Home Screen file button

2. Click on “Open & Export”:

3. Click on ‘Import/Export’:

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4. Click on “Export to a file”:

microsoft outlook click export to a file

5. Next, click on “Outlook Data File (.pst)”:

6. Highlight the folder you would like to backup to a PST file. As an example below, I want to create a PST file that contains the contents of the Quarterly Reports folder:

7. Pick the location where the created PST file will be stored. You can specify any location where you are allowed to save files. Remember this location. As an example below, I have created a folder named “PST Backups” under my “C:\” drive. I am going to save the PST file to this location and it will be named “MyBackup.pst”:

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The above options also show me selecting “Allow duplicate items to be created”. When creating a backup, I like to err on the side of no data loss. I do not know exactly how Outlook determines what items are duplicates and what items are not, so I choose to allow them. This option exists so you don’t create copies of the same email message (or other items) in multiple locations. I’m fine with that in this instance, as I want my export to look just like it did as it existed in my current Outlook folders.

8. You will be presented with a pop-up window that gives you the option of password-protecting the PST file. This is not required and you can just click on “OK” if you choose not to, by leaving the boxes blank. If you do create a password, don’t forget it.

Microsoft Outlook create pst add password

9. Your created PST file will be found at the location you specified in Step 7:

You now have a new-created PST file that can be transported and viewed in MS Outlook.

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