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Exporting Email Items to a PST in Outlook

Note: Exporting and importing a mailbox using a .pst file isn't supported in new Outlook at this time.
If you're already using new Outlook, you'll need turn off the New Outlook toggle and switch back to classic Outlook.

Before you begin

Before you start your export, there's a few things you should do to make sure your export goes smoothly.

  • Do a mailbox cleanup: i.e delete junk email before beginning.

  • By default, Outlook is set to download email for the past 1 year. If you want to export all your emails, please ensure you open Outlook, select Account settings > Account Name and Sync Settings and move the slider to All. After changing this slider, please allow an hour for all emails to be downloaded before continuing.

    Move slider to All to download all Outlook email when you export email

 

A video of the below guide can be found on the Microsoft website.

Begin exporting email, contacts, and calendar items from Outlook to a .pst file

  1. At the top of the ribbon in classic Outlook, choose File.

    This is what the ribbon looks like in Outlook 2016.

  2. Choose Open & Export > Import/Export.

  3. Choose Export to a file > Next.

  4. Click Outlook Data File (.pst) > Next.

  5. Select the name of the email account to export, as shown in the picture below. Only information for one account can be exported at a time.

    Make sure that the Include subfolders check box is selected. This ensures that everything in the account will be exported: Inbox, Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks. Choose Next.

  6. Click Browse to select where to save the Outlook Data File (.pst). Enter a file name, and choose OK to continue.

    Note: If you’ve used export before, the previous folder location and file name appear. Type a different file name before choosing OK.

  7. If you are exporting to an existing Outlook Data File (.pst), under Options, specify what to do when exporting items that already exist in the file.

  8. Choose Finish.

  9. Outlook begins the export immediately unless a new Outlook Data File (.pst) is created or a password-protected file is used.

    • If you’re creating an Outlook Data File (.pst), an optional password can help protect the file. When the Create Outlook Data File dialog box appears, enter the password in the Password and Verify Password boxes, and choose OK. In the Outlook Data File Password dialog box, enter the password, and choose OK.

    • If you’re exporting to an existing Outlook Data File (.pst) that is password protected, in the Outlook Data File Password dialog box, enter the password, then choose OK.

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