If you are a Microsoft Outlook user you want to think backing up e-mail and contacts. The best method to do this is to export all information into a PST file. This Outlook PST file will have e-mail including inbox, outbox, sent, trash and other folders. It will also have contacts and calendar information. After you back up Outlook you must maintain this backup on a CD or other place separate from PC in case of a PC crash that could loss data.

Remember that if PST file gets too large (over 2 gigs) you are asking for performance and data loss problem. Then you must store your old items into various pst files.

There are some easy steps wanted to export PST file. This example is from Outlook 2003 so other versions differ a little. To backup your Outlook information, follow the steps given below:

• At File menu, tick Import and Export.
• Click Export to a file, and then tick next.
• Click Personal Folder File (.pst) from the list, and then tick next.
• Where it tells Select the folder to export from you must choose the top folder that tells Personal Folders and check the box that shows Include subfolders. This way you will export all below main folder. You can backup particular folders also if you do not want to backup all. Then tick on Next.
• Then browse to where you want PST file to be saved. You can just place it on desktop if you plan on burning it to a CD afterward. In this step name your file or use default backup.pst filename.
• You will then be presented with 3 options in which you want to select one.

Substitute duplicates with items imported - Current data will be overwritten with information in file being exported.

Permit duplicates to be created - Current data will not be overwritten, and copy information will be included to backup file.

Do not import copy items - Current data will be reserved, and duplicate information in file will not be copied to backup file.

Then tick on Finish and you will be prompted to allocate a password to file and have it compressed. These are elective options.

Now you will have a existing backup of all your Outlook information in case it wants to be restored at a later on. Remember that it will only be current up to the date that you completed backup. You can perform this procedure as frequently as you want and overwrite backup or create extra backups.

To import file you mainly do similar thing but backwards. Go to Import and Export and choose Import from other program or file and then select Personal folder file (PST) and follow prompts to restore data.