Can I Backup Outlook Emails to Hard Drive without PST?

Backup Outlook Emails Without PST
Backup Outlook Emails Without PST

Yes, you can backup Outlook emails to your hard drive and save these emails in different file types like PST, PDF, CSV, MSG, and so on. Each file type is outstanding on some specific occasions. Here we will list the benefits of PDF, MSG, and CSV files since the backup methods in the following sections are about these 3 types.

  • PDF (Portable Document Format) format offers numerous advantages, such as universal compatibility across devices and operating systems, preservation of document layout and formatting, efficient storage due to compact file sizes, support for password protection and encryption, and ease of sharing and printing. These qualities make it ideal for document distribution, archiving, and presentation.
  • CSV (Comma-Separated Values) format provides simplicity and versatility for data storage and sharing. Its benefits include human readability, lightweight file size, easy import/export in various applications, and wide compatibility across platforms. CSV files are widely used for data exchange, analysis, and storage, especially in spreadsheet applications.
  • MSG (Message) format is primarily associated with Microsoft Outlook. Its benefits include efficient email message storage, and preservation of email formatting, attachments, and metadata. MSG files can be easily archived, searched, and shared, making them valuable for organizing and preserving email communications within the Outlook ecosystem.

Backup Outlook Emails without PST via MultCloud [PDF]

To backup Outlook emails as PDFs, MultCloud is recommended to you. It is a free multiple-cloud management service and offers functions for both cloud-to-cloud transfer and single-cloud file transfer. Using MultCloud, you are provided with 2 options to backup emails. One is backing up to your hard drive by Email Download and another is to a cloud drive by Email Migration.

Whether you choose to use Email Download or Email Migration, the emails will be converted into PDFs and you can choose to save the email attachments or not. Besides, you can backup multiple emails at once and transfer emails without opening the task window, even your computer. So that you can relax your hands and save energy to do other things.

Way 1: Save Outlook Email to Hard Drive by Email Download

Before going straight to the steps, you may change the downloading destination to your hard drive in the browser settings. So that you don’t have to move the PDF files from a local folder to your hard drive.

Step 1: Sign up for a free MultCloud account.

Step 2: Add Outlook to MultCloud. First, click “Add Email” and the Outlook icon. Then log in to the Outlook account and grant access to MultCloud.

Add Outlook to MultCloud
Add Outlook to MultCloud

Note: If you want to backup Gmail emails as PDFs, you can do it by Email Migration also.

Step 3: Select Outlook in the left bar after adding it, choose the emails you want to backup, and click “Download” in the upper taskbar.

Backup All Outlook Emails Without PST
Backup All Outlook Emails Without PST

Step 4: Set the task in terms of your preference and tap on “OK” to start the task of how to backup Outlook emails without PST but as PDF.

Set the Task
Set the Task

Way 2: Move Emails from Outlook to a Cloud by Email Migration

Step 1: Add Outlook and Google Drive (for example) to MultCloud. To add Google Drive, click “Add Cloud” and the Google Drive icon. Then log in to the account and give access to MultCloud.

Add Google Drive to MultCloud
Add Google Drive to MultCloud

Step 2: Open “Email Migration” and select Outlook and Google Drive in the boxes. If you want to save these emails to more clouds, you can multi-select the clouds after adding them.

Save Outlook Email to Google Drive Without PST
Save Outlook Email to Google Drive Without PST

Step 3: Open Options, Email Filter, and Schedule to see if there is something that you need to change or add to this task. After these settings, click “Migrate Now” and this task is created.

Email Schedule
Email Schedule

Note:

  • Schedule: It is used to set a specific time for the migration task. You can choose to run it daily, weekly, or monthly.
  • Email Filter: It helps for batch-selecting the emails that you want to migrate. You can set it to select with the email sender, recipient, date, with attachment, or unread.
  • You can migrate 50 emails at most for free per month. If you need to migrate more emails, you can upgrade to the premium. So that you can enjoy more emails and all the paid features.

Backup Outlook Emails without PST via Import/Export Wizard [CSV]

There is an Outlook tool that you can use to save Outlook email to hard drive without PST but as CSV files. Of course, don’t forget to plug your hard drive into your computer before the steps.

Step 1: Open the Outlook app and click “File” in the upper-left corner.

Step 2: Choose “Open & Export” in the left bar and select “Import/Export”.

Choose Import/Export
Choose Import/Export

Step 3: Select “Export to a file” in the menu and click “Next”.

Choose Export to a File
Choose Export to a File

Step 4: Select “Comma Separated Values” and click “Next”.

Choose Comma Separated Values
Choose Comma Separated Values

Step 5: Choose the Outlook folder that you want to export emails from and click “Next”.

Choose Outlook Folder
Choose Outlook Folder

Step 6: Tap on “Browse …” and choose your hard drive as the export destination. Then, click the "Next" button.

Click Browse
Click Browse

Step 7: Confirm which email folder you want to export by checking the box beside it. Finally, click "Finish" to save Outlook emails to the hard drive as CSV files.

Check the Box
Check the Box

Backup Outlook Emails without PST via Drag & Drop [EML]

Except for saving emails as PDF or CSV files, you can also convert them into EML. Here this section will provide you with an easy way. Go with the steps below.

Step 1: Create or open a folder to save the emails on your computer.

Step 1: Open the Outlook app and drag the email that you want to backup. You can also press “Ctrl +A” to select all the emails there.

Step 3: Drop the email into the folder opened before. Then, all you need to do is wait for the task done.

Backup Outlook Emails without PST via Copy & Paste [DOCX]

If you want to easily edit the email messages after exporting them from Outlook, you can try to copy the email messages and paste them in to a Word document. This way can be used for both Outlook web and desktop app.

Step 1: Create a blank Word document.

Step 2: Go to Outlook, select the desired email, and copy the words.

Step 3: Paste the words to the blank Word document and then save this document to a local folder.

Conclusion

In this post, we discussed 5 effective ways to backup Outlook emails without PST: 2 MultCloud ways to backup emails as PDFs, 1 Outlook way to export emails as CSV, 1 drag & drop way to save emails as MSG, and 1 copy & paste way for converting emails into DOCX files. While all methods have their advantages, we highly recommend the MultCloud approach for its convenience and efficiency.

Besides, other functions on MultCloud also deserve trying. Cloud Transfer, Cloud Sync, Team Transfer, and Cloud Backup are all helpful if you have the relevant needs. After getting a MultCloud account, you may transfer Google Workspace to Dropbox for business, sync OneDrive with Box, or backup iCloud Photos to Google Photos with ease.

FAQs

Where are my Outlook emails stored?
 
Outlook emails are typically stored on Microsoft's servers in the cloud when using Outlook 365 or Outlook.com. However, in Outlook desktop applications, emails can be stored locally on your computer in a PST (Personal Storage Table) file or on an Exchange server if in a corporate environment.
How far back does Outlook save emails?
 
Outlook's email retention depends on your email account settings. For Outlook 365 and Outlook.com, emails are typically retained indefinitely, but some plans may have storage limits. In Outlook desktop, it depends on your PST file size and settings, with older emails being archived or deleted as needed.
How do I backup and reinstall Outlook?
 
To backup and reinstall Outlook, first, export your email data (PST file) for backup. Then uninstall Outlook, reinstall it from the Microsoft website, and import your PST file to restore your emails, contacts, and settings.
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