How to Save Outlook Emails to Hard Drive Without Using PST Files - PST Alternatives

What is PST? An Overview of PST PST, short for Personal Storage Table or Outlook Data File, is a file format developed by Microsoft for storing personal data in their email client, Microsoft Outlook. This file format allows users to save emails, contacts, calendar events, tasks, notes, and journal entries locally on their computers, enabling them to access their data even when not connected to the internet. The PST file is essentially a database that stores all the user's Outlook data in a single, portable file. It helps in offline archiving and provides an option for data backup. The size of a PST file can vary, but Microsoft has imposed limitations on its size in different versions of Outlook. For instance, in older versions, the limit was around 2 GB, while in newer versions, it can be extended up to 50 GB. There are two types of PST files: 1. ANSI PST: This format was used in older versions of Outlook (up to Outlook 2002). ANSI PST files have a size limit of 2 GB and are not compatible with the latest versions of Outlook. 2. Unicode PST: Introduced with Outlook 2003, this format supports larger file sizes and is compatible with newer versions of Outlook. The size limit depends on the version of Outlook being used. While PST files offer convenience, they also come with potential issues such as corruption, slow performance, and security risks. To prevent these problems, it's essential to regularly back up PST files, maintain a reasonable size, and use updated antivirus software. In summary, PST is a file format central to Microsoft Outlook for storing and managing personal data. It enables offline access and data backup, but proper management is crucial to avoid potential complications.

Outlook is one of the most widely-used email clients among Windows users. It enables you to manage your emails, contacts, and calendar seamlessly in a single platform. Outlook also boasts features not found in other email clients, such as the capability to create rules for organizing your emails efficiently.

If you're using Microsoft Outlook, it's likely that you're acquainted with the PST file format. PST, short for Personal Storage Table, is the file format employed to save Outlook data. It is an open-source format developed by Microsoft Outlook to store various elements such as email messages, contacts, calendar entries, and tasks. These files can be created and accessed seamlessly within Outlook without any issues.

PST files offer several advantages. They are user-friendly and convenient to transfer between computers. However, they also come with certain disadvantages. One issue is that they can grow quite large, occupying substantial disk space. Additionally, they are susceptible to corruption, potentially resulting in data loss. Furthermore, PST files can only be accessed using Outlook, which implies that without Outlook installed on your computer, you cannot view your PST data.

Thus, you might want to save Outlook email to the hard drive without using PST.

Is There an Alternative to PST Files?

Regarding the inquiry: "Is there an alternative to the PST file?", the answer is indeed Yes.

There are several alternatives to PST files for storing Outlook data on an external hard drive. Here are some popular choices: 1. **OST Files**: Offline Storage Table (OST) files come into play when you set up Outlook with an Exchange Server or Microsoft 365 account. They sync data to the Exchange server, letting you access emails and calendar info offline. When reconnected, changes made offline sync back. 2. **IMAP Folders**: If you use IMAP for email, Outlook can save data straight on the server. That means you can access emails and other data from any device with internet, sans external hard drive. 3. **Cloud Services**: Stashing Outlook data in clouds like Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox lets you grab your files anytime with an internet link. Just set Outlook to sync with your preferred cloud. 4. **XML Files**: You can export Outlook data into XML files and park them on the external drive. This format preserves emails, contacts, tasks, and calendar entries. 5. **Third-Party Tools**: Various software tools, such as Export Outlook, Stellar PST to NSF Converter, let you backup Outlook data to external drives in their custom formats. 6. **ZIP Archives**: A basic option is zipping up your PST files and storing them on the external hard drive. It compresses data, saving space while still letting you open the contents with any ZIP tool. Don't forget to back up your data regularly and keep those backups safe to dodge data loss.

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PBD Format

PBD is a file format utilized by Todo Backup, a data backup and restore software. These files are effortlessly saved and can be readily restored. Characterized by their compact size, PBD files occupy minimal space on your hard drive. Moreover, Todo Backup Home, a powerful data backup tool, enables you to create comprehensive backups of your Outlook data, including full, incremental, and differential backups.

• CSV Format

CSV, short for Comma Separated Values, is a type of text file that stores tabular data in a simple comma-delimited format. These files can be easily opened and manipulated using text editors or popular spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel.

• PDF Format

PDF stands for Portable Document Format, which was developed by Adobe. It is utilized to present documents, encompassing text styling and images. The format is extensively employed since it maintains the original layout of a document and facilitates easy sharing.

• Word File Format

An MS Word file refers to a document created using Microsoft Word. It serves as the default XML-based file format for various versions of Word, including Word 2019, Word 2016, Word 2013, Word 2010, and Microsoft Office Word 2007. This file type can be conveniently opened and edited in numerous word processing programs, such as Microsoft Word and OpenOffice Writer.

4 PST Alternatives - Save Outlook Email to Hard Drive without PST

We have mentioned 4 alternatives to PST files above, and these methods allow you to store Outlook emails on the hard disk in four different formats. Below, we will explain these methods step by step, in order from the simplest to the most complex: 1. **Outlook Data File (.OST)**: - This file format is used when you have an Exchange Server or Office 365 account. When you're connected to the server, Outlook automatically saves a local copy of your emails, calendar, contacts, and other data in an OST file. - To enable this, simply set up your Exchange or Office 365 account in Outlook, and it will create the OST file for you. - Note that OST files cannot be accessed without an active connection to the server. 2. **Individual Message Files (.MSG)**: - You can save individual Outlook emails as separate .MSG files directly from within Outlook. - To do this, right-click on the email in your inbox, choose "Save As," and then select "Outlook Message Format - Unicode" or "Outlook Message Format - ASCII." - These files can be accessed without Outlook but may not preserve all formatting and attachments. 3. **Email Archive File (.PST)**: - Although PST was mentioned as an alternative, it's still a common method to store emails on the hard disk. - To create a PST file, go to "File" > "Info" > "Manage Archives" in Outlook, and follow the prompts to create a new archive. - PST files can be large and may become unstable if they grow too big, so it's important to regularly compact them. 4. **MBOX File**: - MBOX is another file format used for storing email messages, typically for migration purposes or use with other email clients like Thunderbird. - To convert Outlook emails to MBOX, you'll need third-party software, such as "Export PST to MBOX" tools. - After conversion, you can access the emails using an MBOX-compatible email client. These methods cater to different needs, and you can choose the one that best suits your requirements for storing Outlook emails on the hard disk.

1) Save Outlook Email in PBD Format (Recommended) 2) Export Outlook Email in CSV Format 3) Download Outlook Email in PDF Format 4) Convert Outlook Email to a Word File

1) Save Outlook Email in PBD Format (Recommended)

PBD is the file format utilized by Todo Backup software for storing backup files. You can conveniently restore PBD files when needed using the Todo Backup tools.

Todo Backup Home is a dependable and professional Outlook backup and restoration software. It enables you to create a complete, incremental, or differential backup of your Outlook data. Additionally, it supports backing up and restoring these backup files to various locations, such as external hard drives, network locations (NAS), and cloud storage services. It also offers features like moving OS to SSD, system image recovery, and more.

If you wish to use PBD as an alternative to PST, you can follow these steps:

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 "App data".

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

Step 4. Next, you need to click on the designated area to choose where to save your Outlook backup.

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 service to store your backup files.

Step 6. If interested, you can access customization settings such as setting an automatic backup schedule for daily, weekly, monthly intervals, or upon specific events, and creating differential and incremental backups by clicking on the Options button. Once done, hit "Backup Now". The Outlook backup process will then commence. Upon completion, the finished backup task will be displayed on the left side in a card format.

2) Export Outlook Email in CSV Format Step 1: Open Microsoft Outlook and go to the "Home" tab. Step 2: Click on "Select Items" in the "Delete" group, then choose "All Items" or the specific folder containing the emails you want to export. Step 3: In the new window, press "Ctrl + A" to select all emails, or manually select the desired messages. Step 4: Click on "File" in the top-left corner, then choose "Save As." Step 5: In the "Save As" dialog box, navigate to the location where you want to save your exported file. Step 6: Under "Save as type," select "Comma Separated Values (.csv)" from the dropdown menu. Step 7: Enter a suitable filename for your CSV file, then click "Save." Step 8: A warning message will appear asking if you want to continue, click "Yes" to proceed with the export. Step 9: Your Outlook emails will now be saved in CSV format, which can be opened and manipulated using spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel.

If you wish to save your Outlook data in CSV format, you can utilize the Export feature in Outlook. To export your Outlook data to a CSV file, follow these steps: 1. Open Microsoft Outlook. 2. Click on the "File" tab in the upper-left corner of the window. 3. In the File menu, select "Open & Export" from the list of options. 4. From the Open & Export menu, choose "Import/Export." 5. This will initiate the Import and Export Wizard. Click "Export to a file" and then click "Next." 6. Select "Comma Separated Values (Windows)" or "Comma Separated Values (Macintosh)" depending on your operating system, and then click "Next." 7. Choose the Outlook folder that contains the data you want to export, such as "Contacts," "Calendar," or "Email." You can also choose "Entire Outlook Data File" to export all your data. Click "Next." 8. Choose the location where you want to save the CSV file, give it a suitable name, and then click "Save." 9. You may be prompted to map your Outlook folders to CSV fields. Follow the prompts and make any necessary selections or changes. 10. Once the mapping is complete, click "Finish" to start the export process. 11. Outlook will export your data and notify you when it's done. Now you should have your Outlook data saved in a CSV file format.

Step 1. Open Microsoft Outlook and navigate to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.

Step 2. In the Import and Export Wizard, choose Export to a file and click Next.

Step 3. Select Comma Separated Values and click Next.

Step 4. In the next window, you can select the folder you want to export.

Step 5. In the next window, select a location to save the CSV file. Then click Finish.

Step 6. Once done, your Outlook data will be saved in a CSV format on your hard drive.

3) Download Outlook Email in PDF Format Step 1: Open the email in Microsoft Outlook that you wish to save as a PDF. Step 2: Click on the "File" tab in the top-left corner of the window. Step 3: From the File menu, select "Print" or press the keyboard shortcut "Ctrl+P". Step 4: In the Print dialog box, look for a printer option named "Save as PDF" or "PDF Writer". This might vary depending on your operating system. Step 5: Select the "Save as PDF" option and click on "Print". A Save As dialog box will appear. Step 6: Choose the location where you want to save the PDF file, enter a filename, and ensure the file type is set to "PDF". Step 7: Click "Save" to download the Outlook email as a PDF file. Your Outlook email should now be saved in PDF format on your computer.

PDF is widely utilized, and you also have the option to download Outlook emails in PDF format. However, it's important to note that this method is only suitable for downloading emails individually. It does not support bulk operations.

Follow the guide to convert Outlook emails to PDF:

Step 1. Launch the Outlook application, and then open the email that you wish to save as a PDF.

Step 2. Tap the "File" icon in the top-left corner, and then select the "Print" option. Next, under the "Printer" option, choose "Microsoft Print to PDF".

Step 3. Click Print to specify how you want the item to be printed.

Step 4. In the Save Print Output As dialog, choose where you want to save the converted PDF file.

Step 5. In the next window, give your PDF file a name in the File name field, and make sure the 'Save as type' is set to PDF Document (*.pdf). Hit Save.

Step 6. Your email is now saved in the location you selected.

4) Convert Outlook Email to a Word File

Another option to save Outlook emails to a hard drive without using PST is to convert your emails into Word document format, which facilitates editing and modification. However, this method is somewhat intricate, as it involves saving the email in MHT format first and then opening it in Word to convert it into Word format.

Follow these steps to convert an Outlook email to a Word file: 1. Open Microsoft Outlook and locate the email message you want to convert. 2. Right-click on the email in your inbox or any other folder, and select "Forward" from the context menu. 3. In the new email window that opens, copy the entire content of the original email, including any text, images, or attachments. 4. Now, open a new Microsoft Word document. 5. Paste the copied email content into the Word document by pressing "Ctrl+V" or right-clicking and selecting "Paste." 6. Format the content as needed (e.g., adjust text styles, image positions, etc.) since the formatting might not be preserved perfectly during the copy-paste process. 7. Save the Word document with a suitable filename. To do this, click on "File" in the top-left corner, then choose "Save As." 8. In the "Save As" dialog box, select the location where you want to save the file, choose "Word Document" (.docx) as the file type, and enter a filename. 9. Finally, click "Save" to complete the conversion. Your Outlook email is now saved as a Word file.

Step 1. Open Outlook and launch the email that you wish to convert into a Word file.

Step 2. Click File in the top-left corner, and select Save As.

Step 3. In the Save As window, tap the Save As Type box and choose MHT File(*.mht) from the drop-down menu. Then click the Save button to save the file as an MHT file on your hard drive.

Step 4. Launch Microsoft Word on your computer, and click File > Open.

Step 5. Locate the MHT file you saved and double-click it.

Step 6. When MS Word opens your MHT file, click File > Save As.

Step 7. Select Word Document (*docx) as the file type in the "Save As Type" dropdown, and then click Save to complete the process.

Final Thought

It is feasible to save Outlook emails to the hard drive without using PST. Depending on your requirements, you can opt for the PBD format, CSV format, PDF format, or Word format. However, it's important to understand that each method has its own pros and cons.

PDF and Word are both commonly utilized file formats; however, they require manual handling for each email, with no option for batch operations. CSV, on the other hand, is ideal for those familiar with Excel since it can be directly opened and manipulated within the program, facilitating mass operations.

Todo Backup is our top recommendation as it allows you to back up all your Outlook data with a single click and restore the backup files to any location.

Regardless of the method you choose, ensure you back up your Outlook data before attempting any of these methods, as some might result in data loss.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on How to Save Outlook Emails to Hard Drive without PST 1. **What is PST and why might I want to avoid it?** PST stands for Personal Storage Table, which is a file format used by Microsoft Outlook to store emails, contacts, calendar events, and other data. Avoiding PST files may be preferred if you're concerned about file size limitations, corruption risks, or want an alternative method to store your emails. 2. **Can I save Outlook emails directly to my hard drive without PST?** Yes, you can save individual emails as Outlook Message (.msg) files or export them to other formats like PDF or EML. 3. **How do I save an email as an MSG file?** - Right-click on the email in your inbox or folder. - Select "Save As." - Choose "Outlook Message Format (*.msg)" from the dropdown. - Choose the destination folder on your hard drive and click "Save." 4. **How can I export Outlook emails to PDF?** - Open the email you want to export. - Click on "File" in the top left corner. - Select "Print." - Choose "Microsoft Print to PDF" as the printer. - Click "Print" and save the file to your desired location. 5. **Is there a way to save multiple emails at once?** - You can create a rules-based automated process in Outlook to save incoming emails as MSG files. - Alternatively, use third-party tools that allow batch exporting to formats like PDF or EML. 6. **Will saving emails without PST affect my ability to access them in Outlook?** - No, saving emails outside of PST won't affect their accessibility within Outlook, provided they're still in your mailbox or IMAP folders. 7. **Is there a risk of losing data when saving emails this way?** - Saving emails as individual files generally doesn't pose a risk, but it's essential to maintain backups and ensure the files remain compatible with future Outlook versions. 8. **Can I import these saved emails into another email client?** - Yes, depending on the file format (e.g., EML or MSG), you can often import them into other email clients that support those formats. 9. **What are some advantages of not using PST files?** - Smaller file sizes for better storage management. - Reduced risk of data loss due to PST corruption. - Easier sharing and backup of individual emails. 10. **Are there any disadvantages?** - Individual files may take more time to manage and organize compared to a single PST file. - Some features, like search, might be less efficient when working with multiple files. Remember to always keep your important data backed up and consider your specific needs when choosing a method to save your Outlook emails.

1. How can I export emails from Outlook without using a PST file?

All four methods mentioned in the passage are accessible. If you prefer to use the Outlook app exclusively, you can export your emails to CSV format by following this pathway: File > Open & Export > Import/Export > Export to a file > Comma Separated Values.

2. How do I backup my Outlook to an external hard drive?

First, you need to physically connect an external hard drive to your computer. Once connected, you should then choose the external hard drive as your designated storage location. For a step-by-step guide, you can refer to the article on how to backup Outlook emails to an external hard drive.

3. How do I save multiple emails from Outlook?

You can utilize the Print function in Outlook to convert emails into PDF or Word format. Alternatively, you can employ tools like Todo Backup to effortlessly back up all your Outlook data with a single click, and subsequently restore these backup files to any desired location.

4. Are PST files necessary?

A PST file (Personal Storage Table) is an archive file format used by Microsoft Outlook to store email messages, contacts, tasks, and other items. It enables users to transfer data between different computers or create backups of their information. However, PST files are not essential, as Outlook also allows users to save their data in alternative formats.