What Is a PST File?

In computing, a Personal Storage Table (PST) is a proprietary file format developed by Microsoft for storing copies of emails, calendar entries, and other items in their software, primarily used with Microsoft Outlook, but not limited to it.

A PST file is a common email storage format used by Microsoft email solutions. For instance, Outlook saves its data in the PST file format. Outlook data files (.pst) are stored in an Outlook file folder located within the Documents folder on your computer.

However, an Outlook user can lose all their data if this file becomes damaged for any reason. Hence, understanding how to safeguard and manage PST files is crucial to prevent data loss or attacks exploiting archived email data. If you have backups of your PST file, you can utilize them in such circumstances.

Related Reading: How to Backup Outlook PST Files

Three Methods to Backup Outlook PST File

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  1. Solution 1. Backup PST File with Powerful Outlook Backup Software
  2. Solution 2. Backup PST File Using Personal Folders Backup
  3. Solution 3. Straightforward PST File Backup: Copying It Manually

It's crucial to understand how to backup a file using the correct methods, but not everyone actually follows through with it. There are numerous ways or approaches to backing up an Outlook PST file. I'll share with you three methods to backup your PST files.

Solution 1. Backup PST File with Powerful Outlook Backup Software Solution 2. Create Manual Backup of Outlook PST File

Todo Backup is an all-encompassing and professional backup software. It enables you to automatically create system backups, disk backups, file backups, mail backups, and more. Furthermore, you can utilize it to back up various types of files, such as images, videos, documents, audio, and so on.

Even if you don't know how to use a computer, you can still create Outlook PST file backups easily because the backup process can be completed with just a few clicks. Additionally, it offers numerous useful features:

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  • High compatibility. It is compatible with Windows 11/10/8/7 and Windows Vista.
  • Wide range of functionalities. It can assist you in creating backups of everything on your computer, including the operating system (OS), applications, files, partitions, etc.
  • Diverse backup modes. You can use it to create different types of backups, such as full, incremental, and differential backups.
  • Multiple storage options. You can save the backups to local drives, NAS devices, secure zone, and cloud storage.

Guide: How to Use Mail Backup Tools

You can follow the guide to learn how to back up PST files with tools Todo Backup.

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.

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

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

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

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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.

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Step 6. If you're interested, you can customize settings like setting an automatic backup schedule for daily, weekly, monthly, or on specific events, and creating differential and incremental backups by clicking the Options button. Press "Backup Now" to start the Outlook backup process. Once complete, the backup task will be displayed on the left side in a card format.

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Solution 2: Create PST File Backup Using Personal Folders Backup

Personal Folders Backup is an excellent and free tool for backing up your PST file. It is an add-on utility installed within Microsoft Outlook, designed to automate the backup process. However, the Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders Backup tool is limited to backing up files in the PST format only.

Guide: How to use Personal Folders Backup This is an instruction guide on how to utilize the Personal Folders Backup feature. 1. **Download and Install**: First, download the Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders Backup tool, also known as "Scanpst.exe". This tool comes with Microsoft Office or can be downloaded from the official Microsoft website. 2. **Location**: Once downloaded, locate the "Scanpst.exe" file. It's usually found in the installation folder of Microsoft Office, under the 'Program Files' directory. 3. **Run the Tool**: Double-click on "Scanpst.exe" to launch the Personal Folders Backup utility. 4. **Select the PST File**: In the utility window, you'll be prompted to select the Outlook data file (PST) that you want to back up. Navigate to the location where your Outlook data is stored and choose the relevant PST file. 5. **Start Backup**: Click on 'Backup' or 'Begin Backup' to start the process. The tool will create a copy of your selected PST file and save it to a location of your choice. 6. **Choose Backup Location**: You'll be asked to specify where you want to save the backup file. Choose a safe location, preferably an external drive or cloud storage for added security. 7. **Naming Backup**: You may also give your backup file a distinctive name to easily identify it later. 8. **Schedule Backups**: If desired, set up a schedule for automatic backups. This can be done by going to 'Tools' > 'Options' > 'Advanced' > 'AutoArchive'. Here, you can specify how often you want the backup to occur. 9. **Confirm Backup**: After the backup is complete, a confirmation message will appear. Make sure to verify the backup file to ensure it was successful. 10. **Regularly Check**: Remember to regularly check your backup files and update them as needed to keep your important data secure. By following these steps, you can effectively use Personal Folders Backup to protect your Outlook data.

Here are the steps to use Microsoft Outlook Personal Folders Backup to back up Outlook PST files:

Step 1. Launch Microsoft Outlook and sign in with your account and password.

Step 2. Click on 'File' in the top-left corner, and then click 'Options.'

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Step 3. Click on the 'Add-ins' tab in the toolbar at the top.

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Step 4. Click on Add-in Options. Then, in the popup window, select the file you wish to back up.

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Step 5: Click Finish, and your files will back up automatically.

Solution 3. Backup PST File the Simple Way: Manual Copying

Among various methods to back up PST files, manually copying the file is one option. However, this approach has inherent limitations despite its simplicity and ease of use. These drawbacks include the need for intricate configuration checks to ensure a flawless backup, the lack of automatic backup, and the high likelihood of users forgetting to create a backup of their Outlook PST files.

Guide: How to Manually Copy PST File

Here are the steps for manually copying files:

Step 1: Select the file by navigating to it through the toolbar at the top > Open > Outlook Data file.

Step 2. Open the location: Access the location where the PST file is saved.

Step 3: In the folder, click on the items you want to copy.

Step 4. After selecting the items, left-click on them and hold; while holding them, drag the items to the folder where you wish to copy them to.

The Best Method for Creating PST File Backup

All three methods mentioned above can assist in backing up Outlook PST files. We recommend using Outlook PST backup software, such as Todo Backup, to safeguard your Outlook PST files. This tool makes it effortless to create PST file backups, ensuring that you can recover your Outlook account's content if the original PST file is lost or corrupted.

Aside from the advantages previously mentioned, this dependable backup utility can effortlessly backup SSD to an image with just a few clicks. It also aids in automatically backing up SSD to an HDD. It is capable of backing up your files in safe mode. Most significantly, it provides 250 GB of free cloud storage, catering to the needs of various users, including home users, free users, and business users.

In short, Todo Backup is a more user-friendly alternative for PST file backup. This backup utility enables you to carry out various tasks.

FAQs

< strong >1. Why are PST files not supported in OneDrive?

OneDrive will continuously sync the local folder. However, it won't be able to sync the PST file because Outlook has it locked, which might lead to the PST file becoming corrupted and resulting in data loss.

< strong >2. What is the difference between OST and PST files? Translation: < strong >2. What is the distinction between OST and PST files?

PST files can be moved to the local computer, whereas OST files need to be synchronized individually with a server. PST files allow for uploads to other email services, but OST files cannot be transferred to other services without first being converted.

3. How many PST files can I have in Outlook?

There isn't a documented limit on the number of PST files that can be attached to a profile, nor is there any official documentation about the impacts of having multiple PST files.

< strong > 4. Does Outlook automatically create PST files?

A PST file is a file where Microsoft Outlook stores all your Outlook items, such as emails, calendar events, contacts, tasks, and more. Once you set up your account in Microsoft Outlook, it will automatically create a PST file and link it to the account you've created.