How to Backup IMAP Emails Locally Using MS Outlook?

Why Backup IMAP Emails From Outlook?

As we told you earlier when you configure Outlook with an IMAP account, it stores a local copy of IMAP mailboxes in OST format, and with the help of this file, users can continue working on their mailboxes. However, if the OST file gets corrupt or removed unexpectedly, you wouldn’t be able to access the IMAP data without maintaining a connection with the mailing server. So, it’s essential to continuously backup your IMAP data.

Performing data backups can benefit the organization because losing data and having no backups available could result in business process failures. So in the next section, we have discussed some methods which you can use to backup IMAP mailboxes in Outlook.

Also Read: How to Migrate IMAP Email to New Server?

How to Backup IMAP Email Outlook 365 Manually

One of the quickest techniques to backup IMAP emails is to use the “Import/Export” option of Outlook 2013/2016/2019. With this import/export wizard, an OST file can easily be transformed to PST format. Follow the below-mentioned steps to know the process:

• Open Outlook 2013/2016/2019 and go to the File tab.
• Now, choose Open & Export and click Import/Export.

• The Import and Export Wizard will resemble on the screen. Select Export to a file and click Next.

• Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.

• After that choose the IMAP folder you want to backup and click Next.

Note: By using this method, you can save IMAP emails locally only one mailbox at a time

• Now pick the location where you want to save this file and click Finish.

With this approach, you can easily backup IMAP emails manually. But there are some complexities with the manual methods, such as you can lose your data if an error occurs. So, it is recommended to opt for an alternative way to backup IMAP mailboxes.

Limitations of Manual Solution

• Risks of data loss as a result of errors.
• Complex for naïve users.
• No facility for selective data export.
• Exports single mailbox at a time.
• Risk of incomplete backup.
• Require to check for IMAP configuration and OST access.

Best Way to Backup IMAP Emails 

Download and backing up IMAP mailboxes with Outlook is a safe and reliable approach. Nevertheless, if the method stops in-between due to any reasons or Outlook connection problem with Exchange or Outlook stops responding, then you might end up losing your data. For this reason, an automated solution is the best approach to back up IMAP mailboxes. So, even if your system shuts down inappropriately, the data will not be lost.

SysInfoTools IMAP Backup Tool – Best Approach

Simply use Sysinfo IMAP Backup Software if you don’t want to use MS Outlook to backup IMAP emails, which allows you to backup IMAP mailboxes without using any third application. This utility even allows you to set filters on IMAP mailboxes for selective data backup. You can download & backup IMAP into PST, MBOX, EML, OST, MSG, PDF, EMLX, PNG, TIFF, GIF, DOC, DOCM, etc. file formats. You can also export IMAP emails directly to Gmail, Yahoo, Thunderbird, Office 365, AOL, Live Exchange, etc. Here, take a look at the working process of this great utility.

• Install and launch the software on your system.

• Run the SysInfoTools IMAP Mail Backup Tool on your PC.

• Now sign in to your IMAP account using the correct credentials.

• Add IMAP emails and pick the IMAP files or folders to convert them into different formats and click on the Next button.

• After that choose a file saving option as per your choice. Then, press the date range filter feature to exclude unnecessary IMAP emails. Select the “path to save” option to save the resultant file on the selected path. Then, hit the “Convert” button to move the chosen IMAP files or folders on the desired path.

• After that, you can download the report by pressing the download report option. Close the tool by hitting yes on the confirmation message.

Conclusion

In this article, we covered how to backup IMAP emails and demonstrated a manual solution to backup IMAP OST data through the Import and Export feature. But some disadvantages are holding up in this solution which encourages users to follow the more straightforward and efficient path of using a professional solution for doing the same. SysInfoTools IMAP Backup Tool helps you create IMAP backups quickly without any hassle.