[thelist] A Better Windows Email Client

carole guevin carole at pixeltable.com
Thu Aug 15 06:08:01 CDT 2002


:> Outlook stores all email into 1 single, huge, binary
:> folder that is well hidden somewhere deep in the
:> windows folder. This is a real horror to me. What if
:> that binary file gets damaged after three years?

There is a small .exe from Microsoft to *Personal folders backup* -  -
download - install - then make your first backup - and set it at a
convenient time (every week) - you need to close down outlook for the backup
to be made.

http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/2002/pfbackup.aspx

Don't forget to copy the program either on your slave (backup disk) or on a
cd if you have to reinstall Office.  You will need the program installed in
order to *open* your backup file.

The .pst file which the above *pfbackup1.exe* is called *outlook backup.pst*
which you will find in:

Local settings/Application data/Microsoft/Outlook/outlook backup. (you need
to turn on *hidden files* in your folder options).

What I do regularly (2 weeks) is copy this backup file to my slave disk or
burn a cd - I manage over 50mb of mails cumulated over 7 years of
exchange... so this is a very precious file for me.

If you need to reformat or change your workstation.  After reinstalling
office - re-install the .exe - and then you can open your backup file (make
sure you know its location on your machine) - then you copy and paste all
the directories to your *new* folder. Close the *old* file and before
exiting outlook, choose to make a new *backup* and you're ready to go.

Also make sure that in the outlook Tools/Options/Other/Autoarchive that it
is turn off so you don't compress any of your files.

hth.

.c

hth.







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