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Quick Answer: You can save Office 365 email to desktop or hard drive in several ways:
- For a single or a few emails, you can download the message as an EML or MSG file using Outlook (New & Classic) and Outlook on the web (OWA).
- To save Office 365 emails in PDF format one by one, you can use Outlook’s Microsoft Print to PDF feature.
- To get all emails from Office 365 to desktop, use Outlook’s Import\Export feature and save the entire mailbox in a PST file.
- For large or selective bulk Office 365 email exports, a dedicated export utility can be more practical.
As Microsoft 365 stores your mailbox data online, you can access your emails easily. But there are several situations where you may want a local copy. You may need to:
- Keep important correspondence for offline access
- Move mailbox data to another computer
- Reduce mailbox storage limit
- Deal with Office 365 mailbox size warning
- Save an additional copy of business emails
To save Office 365 emails to your desktop, the right method depends mainly on how many emails you want to save and which format you need. Saving one message as EML or PDF is different from downloading an entire mailbox as PST. So, let’s discuss all those methods that help you download Office 365 emails effectively.
Which Method Should You Use?
There are many methods to save Office 365 emails to your desktop. But if you have any specific requirement or are looking to save Office 365 email in a specific file format, you can make the choice with the table given below:
| Your Requirement Might Be | Recommended Free Method for You |
|---|---|
| Save one email from Office 365 to your computer | EML/MSG file using Save As/Download feature |
| Save an Office 365 email for sharing or records | PDF using Save As PDF |
| Download multiple/all mailbox emails from Office 365 | Export in PST using Outlook (Classic or New) |
| Download emails from Outlook on the web | Download individual messages |
How to Save and Download Microsoft 365 Emails to Desktop
Here, all methods are discussed along with their detailed step-by-step guidance to download Office 365 emails. Go through each and pick the one you need. Don’t forget to check that the external drive has sufficient free space and make sure your Outlook is configured with an Office 365 account.
Method 1: Save Office 365 Emails to Desktop via New Outlook
If you’re using new Microsoft Outlook and looking to download Office 365 emails to your desktop or local storage. You can use the Save As and Print As features. However, it only allows you to download or save one email at a time:
Save Office 365 emails to desktop using the Save As feature:
- Open Outlook, tap on File > Save As, then choose the EML or MSG option.
- Name the file, specify the saving location, and tap Save.
The selected email will be saved on the desktop at the specified location. You can choose the EML or MSG option accordingly. Repeat the same process for each email you want to save locally.
Download Office 365 Emails Using the Print Feature
- In New Outlook, open an email that you want to download, click the More button (…), then Print.
- Now, name the file, specify the saving location, and tap on Save. The email will be saved as a PDF file.
Repeat the same process for each email you want to download to a local storage device.
Method 2: Save Office 365 Email to Desktop via Classic Outlook
With Classic Outlook (desktop), you can save a single Office 365 email to your desktop in formats like .msg, .txt,.mht, .html, .oft, .pdf, etc. However, you need to repeat the process for each email you want to save locally.
Save Office 365 Email to Desktop Using Outlook’s Save As Feature
- Open your desktop Classic Outlook and select the email you want to save.
- Go to File, then tap on the Save As button.
- Enter the file name and select .msg, .txt,.mht, .html, or .oft from Save As Type.
- Select a folder on your computer and tap Save.
Note: You must save the same email in MSG or HTML format to keep it easily readable.
Save Office 365 Emails to Hard Drive Using Outlook’s Print Feature
- In Classic Outlook, open the email message, click on File, then Print.
- Select Microsoft Print to PDF from the printer option and click Print.
- Type a name, pick a folder, and click Save. The email will be saved as a PDF file.
Method 3: Download Office 365 Emails from Web Outlook (OWA)
You don’t necessarily need the desktop Outlook (Classic or New) application to download an individual Office 365 email. You can use Outlook for Web (OWA) to download Office 365 emails to your desktop via Save As and Print features. Detailed steps for each process are given below:
Download Office 365 Emails from OWA to Desktop
- Open your browser and login to Outlook for Web.
- Once opened, select the email, tap on File, then Download.
- Choose between Download as EML or Download as MSG.
- The download process will start. You can view the download email in the system’s Downloads folder.
Save Office 365 Emails from OWA to Desktop Via Print Feature
- Once you’ve logged in to OWA, select your email message, go to File, and tap on Print.
- In Destination, select Save as PDF, then tap on Save.
- Name the file, provide a saving location, then click on Save.
Your email will be saved in a PDF file. You can do the same process for each email you want to save in a PDF file locally.
Important: Since PDF is best for viewing and sharing, it isn’t the best choice when you need to preserve an Outlook mailbox structure or work with thousands of messages. However, saving each email in an MSG file or EML file is convenient, but the process to maintain the original folder hierarchy can be complex and a real hassle.
Can you download all emails from Outlook Online OWA at once?
No, you cannot natively download all your Outlook Web App (OWA) data in one go directly from the browser interface. The Outlook for Web interface is convenient for downloading individual messages, but it is not the same as performing a complete mailbox export. If you need to download all emails from Outlook Online, you can export an Office 365 mailbox to PST through Classic Outlook and New Outlook.
How to Save All Office 365 Emails to Desktop in One Go
If you want to save all emails from Office 365, you need to export Office 365 email to Outlook PST format. Microsoft supports PST export in both New Outlook and Classic Outlook, although the available PST functionality differs between versions. Follow the steps below, but before that, make sure your Outlook (New & Classic) has been configured with the respective Office 365 account and all emails have been synced.
Export Office 365 Emails to PST in New Outlook
- Open New Outlook (configured with the Office 365 account) and tap on the Settings icon.
- Select Data Files, go to Export, and then click on Get Started.
- Select the mailbox or folders you want to export.
- Follow the export wizard and save the PST file to your chosen location.
Your Office 365 mailbox folders and emails will be saved to your preferred location in a PST file.
Export Office 365 Emails to PST in Classic Outlook
- Open Classic Outlook configured with your Office 365 account.
- Go to File, then click Import & Export > Import/Export.
- Click Export to a file, and then click Next.
- Choose Outlook Data File (.pst), then tap on Next.
- Select the folder you want to export and click Next.
Note: Check the Include subfolders box if you want to include all the subfolders of the folder you have selected. - Click Browse, specify the saving location in local storage, and click Finish.
Your Office 365 mailbox containing all emails will be saved in a PST file on your desktop.
Is saving Office 365 emails the same as backing them up?
No. Saving an individual email as EML, MSG, PDF, or other format creates a local copy of that message. A proper backup strategy has a different purpose. You must maintain recoverable copies of important Microsoft 365 data in such a way that it can be restored when required. Therefore, don’t treat a single downloaded email as a complete Microsoft 365 backup.
How to Download All Emails from Office 365 to Desktop in Bulk
Native Outlook features are suitable when you need to save an individual message or export a mailbox to PST. However, requirements can become more complicated when you need:
- You don’t have Outlook (new or classic) installed
- Export only selected folders or subfolders
- Save thousands of emails as individual files
- Apply filters based on date, sender, or other criteria
- Handle large mailboxes or export emails in different formats
- Maintain folder organization during a bulk export
In these situations, a dedicated solution, Kernel Export Office 365 Emails to PST, can help. It can fulfill all such requirements regarding saving Office 365 emails to the desktop, be it selective emails, bulk data, or other.
You can directly download or save a few, thousands, and many more emails in PST, MSG, DOC, HTML, MHT, PDF, EML, etc. Instead of executing manual steps for each email in Outlook, use the tool to save them in the required file format in one go.
EML vs MSG vs PDF vs PST: Which Format is Best for Saving Emails?
The format you choose should depend on what you plan to do with the saved emails.
| Format | Widely Preferred for |
|---|---|
| EML | Save individual emails and open them in compatible email clients |
| MSG | Preserve individual messages for Outlook-based use |
| Read, share, print, and maintain email records of specific emails | |
| PST | Export multiple emails or an entire Outlook mailbox in original folder hierarchy |
To save Office 365 emails to the desktop, EML or MSG is generally more appropriate for individual messages. If you want to download all emails from Outlook 365, PST is more appropriate because it can retain mailbox data in an Outlook data file in the original folder hierarchy.
Conclusion
The best way to save Office 365 emails depends on what you need to preserve. For individual messages, EML or MSG is the go-to option, and for making the records readable, choose PDF.
If you need to download all emails from Outlook 365, export the mailbox to PST. For easier, more convenient, large, selective, or format-specific bulk Office 365 email exports, a dedicated export solution can be a better option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ans: Yes. You can save individual EML/PDF files or an exported PST to a local drive and then copy the files to an external hard drive.
Ans: You can use the Save As and Print options to save Office 365 emails to your desktop. For bulk emails, you can export the entire mailbox to a PST file via a dedicated tool.
Ans: There is no direct button or native option to download all emails from Outlook online (OWA). Instead, you can use an Office 365 email export to PST solution to save all emails in a PST file on your desktop.
Ans: Yes, you can download individual messages from Outlook on the web. For a complete mailbox export, the available options depend on your Outlook environment and export requirements.
Ans: Apart from using desktop Outlook (New and Classic) and Outlook for Web Access (OWA), you can use eM Client or Mozilla Thunderbird to sync your Office 365 account and keep offline copies of Office 365 emails on your desktop.
