How to Backup IMAP Emails Using MS Outlook?

Whether you’re a working professional or a self-employed individual, you might be using email for your work-related communications. Email clients like MS Outlook make emailing activities easy for individuals and organizations.

It is a wise decision to configure your IMAP account with Outlook. But do you know how to backup your IMAP data from Outlook?

Backup IMAP Data from Outlook

When you configure Outlook with an IMAP account, it stores a local copy of IMAP mailboxes in OST format, and with the help of this file, users can continue working on their mailboxes. But, if this OST file gets corrupt or removed accidentally, you wouldn’t be able to access the IMAP data without establishing a connection with the mailing server. So, it’s necessary to continuously backup your IMAP data.

Here we have mentioned some methods which you can use to backup IMAP mailboxes in Outlook.

Manual Method to Backup IMAP Account Configured with Outlook

One of the fastest methods to backup IMAP emails is to use the “Import/Export” option of Outlook 2013/2016. With the help of import/export wizard, an OST file can easily be converted to PST format. Follow the below steps to understand the process:

1. Open Outlook 2013/2016 and go to the File tab.
2. Now, select Open & Export and click Import/Export.



3. The Import and Export Wizard will appear on the screen. Select Export to a file and click Next.



4. Select Outlook Data File (.pst) and click Next.



5. Now, select the IMAP folder you want to backup and click Next.



Note: With this method, you can backup only one mailbox at a time

6. Select the location where you want to save this file and click Finish.

This way you can easily backup IMAP mailboxes manually. But, there are some complications with the manual methods, such as you can lose your data if an error occurs. So, it’s better to choose an alternative way to backup IMAP mailboxes.

Kernel OST to PST Converter for IMAP Backup

Kernel OST to PST converter is the best alternative to the manual method. Using this OST to PST Converter tool, you can quickly convert IMAP OST file to PST. It is embedded with some great features which include:

• Retrieve user mailboxes from corrupt/orphaned OST files
• Preview OST data before converting it to PST
• No file size limitations for OST to PST conversion
• Export OST data to live Exchange & Office 365

For better understanding, let’s have a quick look at the working process of this tool. Follow the below steps to convert OST file to PST:

1. Launch the tool on your system and select the file that you want to convert to PST and click Next.



2. It will quickly repair the file and display its content in the left pane of the tool. Now, to convert this OST file to PST, click the Save button.



Note: To preview the content of a specific mail, select the desired folder, and then click any email/item to preview its content.

3. A new window will appear on the screen displaying various saving options for saving the file. Select PST file (Outlook) and click Next.



4. With advanced filters of Kernel OST to PST converter, you can export the OST data based on From, To, Subject, Item Type, etc. Apply the filters and click Next.



5. Follow the instructions as given on every step, and in the final step select the location where you want to save the file and click Finish.


Note: You can ‘include’ or ‘exclude’ deleted items from the OST file as per your requirement.

6. The file will be converted within a few seconds, and you’ll receive a notification on the screen displaying ‘PST file saved successfully.’ Click OK to finish the process.

The process of converting OST to PST with Kernel OST to PST converter is very simple. Any user can use this tool without any help guide.

Conclusion:

Configuring the IMAP account in Outlook is a great way to manage your emails. But it is necessary to take regular backups of your IMAP mailbox. Kernel OST to PST converter helps you create IMAP backups without any hassle.