3 Effective Methods to Backup Contacts from Outlook | 2024 Update

We all get it, the importance of backups in our digital world is huge. No matter what kind of data you've got, backing up is key to protect against unexpected data loss. Now, the contacts in Outlook are extra important because they usually have crucial stuff like phone numbers and email addresses of our family, friends, coworkers, and more. Losing those contacts would be a nightmare. So, it's always smart to regularly back up your Outlook contacts.

There are multiple methods to backup your Outlook contacts, and this article will outline the three most common and efficient approaches for both automatic and manual backup of your Outlook contacts.

3 Effective Methods to Backup Outlook Contacts

Translate into English

Method 1: Automatically Backup Outlook Contacts with Todo Backup Tools

Applicable to Outlook 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019

Todo Backup is a professional backup software that can back up Outlook, files, folders, partitions, and even the entire system. It supports full backup, incremental backup, and differential backup.

Don't wish to back up manually? This program offers scheduled backup options. You can configure it to automatically back up your Outlook contacts daily, weekly, or monthly.

Furthermore, this software also enables file/folder synchronization. Consequently, you can utilize it to synchronize your Outlook contacts to another location, like an external hard drive or a USB flash drive. This feature can be highly beneficial if you wish to maintain a backup of your Outlook contacts on a different computer.

With this backup software, you can effortlessly create a backup of your Outlook contacts and restore them as needed. In addition to backup, it also offers other functionalities, such as cloning, recovery, encrypted backup, and more.

Alright, let's explore how to back up your contacts from Outlook using Todo Backup step by step.

Step 1. Launch Todo Backup on your computer, and click Create Backup on the home screen. Then, hit the big question mark to select backup contents.

Step 2. Among the four backup options, click "Apps Data".

Step 3. Next, you'll see a list of all the apps that can be backed up. Look for and check the "Microsoft Outlook" option. Choose the mailbox addresses from which you wish to back up emails, contacts, or calendars, then click "OK".

Step 4. Next, you'll need to select a location to save the Outlook backup by clicking on the depicted area.

Step 5. The backup location can be another local drive on your computer, an external hard drive, network, cloud, or NAS. Generally, we recommend using an external physical drive or cloud to store the backup files.

Step 6. If interested, you can access customization settings such as setting an automatic backup schedule for daily, weekly, monthly, or event-based backups, and creating differential and incremental backups by clicking on the Options button. Press "Backup Now" to initiate the Outlook backup process. Once complete, the finished backup task will be displayed on the left side in a card format.

Using the software Todo Backup, you can create backups of your contacts from Outlook 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019. Todo Backup simplifies the process of automatically backing up your Outlook contacts. Simply follow these steps to backup your contacts:

Method 2: Manually Backup Outlook Contacts using the Import and Export Wizard

Applies to: Outlook 2013, 2016, and 2019

Outlook has an integrated Import and Export Wizard that allows you to back up your contacts from within the application. This wizard enables you to export all your Outlook contacts or just specific ones to a .csv or .pst file format. Once the contacts are exported, you can then proceed to back up the file to an external hard drive, a USB flash drive, or any other preferred location for safekeeping.

Please follow the steps outlined below:

Step 1. Launch the desktop version of Outlook on your PC and sign in using your account and password.

Step 2. Click File in the top-left corner > Open & Export > Import/Export.

Step 3. In the Import and Export Wizard pop-up window, select Export to a file, then click Next.

Step 4. In the Export to a file window, you can select to export your contacts as a CSV or a PST file. Then click Next.

This is an image showing the process of backing up Outlook emails using the Import/Export Wizard, with a caption that reads, "Backup Outlook emails with Import/Export Wizard - 2." The image likely depicts the steps or interface of the wizard for saving emails to a hard drive.

(If you wish to create a CSV file, click on "Comma Separated Values," otherwise, select "Outlook Data file (.pst)").

Step 5. Select the Contacts folder, then tap Next.

Step 6. Click on Browser to select a location to save your backup file and give it a name, such as "Outlook Contacts Backup." Then, tap the Next button.

Step 7. Click Finish to initiate the export of Outlook Contacts and wait for the process to complete.

However, using the Import and Export Wizard to manually back up contacts from Outlook has its drawbacks and limitations:

• Backup PST files do not update automatically, and you need to manually perform the operation each time your contact lists change.
• PST files are vulnerable to computer crashes, hard drive failures, and malware. If damaged, they cannot be recovered.
• The backup process involves multiple steps, and an error in any one step can result in the entire process failing.
• The backup file is accessible only on the computer where it was created and cannot be viewed or used on other devices.
• When backing up contacts with Outlook, if the account used for backup is accidentally deleted, your backup file will also be lost and cannot be retrieved.

Method 3: Manually Copy PST File to Backup Outlook Contacts

Applies to Outlook 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019

If you're familiar with Outlook and its backup types, you can manually copy the backup PST files and then paste them to the desired save location. This is also the quickest way to back up contacts from Outlook.

Here's the specific path to locate the PST file for each version of Outlook: 1. Outlook 2002/2003 (XP): - For Personal Folders (.PST): `C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook` 2. Outlook 2007: - For Personal Folders (.PST): `C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook` 3. Outlook 2010: - For Personal Folders (.PST): `C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook` - For Data Files (.OST) if using Exchange or Outlook.com: `C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook` 4. Outlook 2013, 2016, 2019, and Office 365: - For Personal Folders (.PST): `C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook` - For Data Files (.OST) if using Exchange or Outlook.com: `C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Outlook` Please note that `` should be replaced with your actual user account name, and these paths may vary depending on the default settings or if you have manually moved the PST files.

For Outlook 2007 and older versions

For Outlook 2010:

For Outlook 2013, 2016, and 2019:

Just like using the Import and Export Wizard, you need to run it manually each time, and it won't update automatically.

You may also be interested in:

Summary

The article has outlined three methods to back up contacts from Outlook, which include utilizing backup software like Todo Backup, employing the Import and Export Wizard, and copying PST files.

If you wish to backup contacts from Outlook without any restrictions and easily retrieve them whenever needed, we recommend giving Todo Backup a try. It's user-friendly and doesn't necessitate any professional expertise. Additionally, it automatically backs up all your Outlook data and updates the backup files whenever the original files are modified.

If you wish to back up contacts from Outlook manually, we recommend using the Import and Export Wizard or copying PST backup files. However, please be aware that both methods have their drawbacks, which might result in backup failure or data loss.

Don't forget to select a secure location to store your backup file and regularly verify it to prevent backup failures or data loss.

Hope this article proves useful if you're looking to back up your contacts from Outlook. If you have any further inquiries, don't hesitate to reach out to us.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Backing Up Contacts from Outlook

1. Does Outlook automatically back up contacts?

If you wish to automatically backup Outlook contacts, you can utilize the AutoArchive feature in Outlook. To access it, follow these steps: File > Options > Advanced > AutoArchive > AutoArchive Settings.

1. How can I move my Outlook contacts to a different computer? To transfer your Outlook contacts to another computer, follow these steps: 2. Export Contacts from the Original Computer: - Open Microsoft Outlook on your current computer. - Click on "File" in the top-left corner. - Select "Options" from the menu that appears. - In the Options window, choose "Advanced" from the left sidebar. - Under the "Export" section, click on "Export." - Choose "Contacts" as the file type to export and select a location to save the file (e.g., your desktop). - Follow the prompts to complete the export process. 3. Import Contacts to the New Computer: - Install Microsoft Outlook on the new computer if it's not already installed. - Open Outlook. - Click on "File" and then "Open & Export." - Choose "Import/Export" from the options. - Select "Import from another program or file" and click "Next." - Choose "Outlook Data File (.pst)" and click "Next." - Browse for the contacts file you exported earlier, select it, and click "Finish." - Follow the prompts to import the contacts into your new Outlook account. Now, your Outlook contacts should be available on the new computer. Make sure to sync your email accounts on the new computer as well to ensure access to any additional or updated contacts.

Transferring Outlook contacts to another computer typically involves two main steps: exporting and importing the contacts. This process should be carried out using an email client. Here's a brief overview of the steps: 1. **Export Contacts from the Source Computer:** - Open Microsoft Outlook on the computer where your contacts are currently stored. - Go to the "File" tab and select "Options." - In the Outlook Options window, choose "Advanced." - In the Advanced options, click on "Export." - Select "Contacts" as the file type to export and choose a location to save the file. Typically, you'll save it as a .csv (Comma Separated Values) or .vcf (VCard) file, which is compatible with most email clients. - Follow the prompts to complete the export process. 2. **Import Contacts to the Target Computer:** - Install Microsoft Outlook on the new computer if it's not already installed. - Open Outlook and go to the "File" tab again. - Choose "Open & Export" and then "Import/Export." - Select "Import from another program or file" and click "Next." - Choose the file type you exported earlier (.csv or .vcf), and browse to locate the exported file on the new computer. - Follow the prompts to map the fields correctly and import the contacts into Outlook on the new computer. - Complete the import process by clicking "Finish." Remember that these steps might vary slightly depending on the version of Outlook you're using. Make sure to have a backup of your data before performing any transfers.

To export contacts, follow these steps in Outlook: 1. Click on the 'People' icon. 2. Select 'All Contacts.' 3. Navigate to 'Manage.' 4. Choose 'Export Contacts.' 5. Select 'Export as CSV format.'

To import contacts, follow these steps: 1. Open Outlook on another computer. 2. Click on the 'People' icon. 3. Select 'Manage'. 4. Choose 'Import contacts'. 5. Click on 'Browse'. 6. Locate and select the CSV format file. 7. Click 'Open'. 8. Proceed with the upload process.

1. How can I export my contacts from Outlook to a CSV file? 2. What steps are involved in creating a CSV file of contacts from Outlook? 3. Can you guide me on how to make a CSV file of my Outlook contacts?

To export your contacts as CSV, follow these steps: 1. Launch Outlook. 2. Go to "File." 3. Select "Open & Export." 4. Choose "Import/Export." 5. Click "Next." 6. Select "Comma Separated Values (.csv)" and click "Next." 7. Choose "Contacts" and click "Next." 8. Browse to select a location where you want to save the file. 9. Click "OK." This will save your Outlook contacts in CSV format.