Corbett
Corbett AOL Backup Tool saves a full AOL Mail account, @aol.com, @aim.com or @verizon.net, to PST, MBOX, EML, MSG, PDF, CSV, HTML or TXT on Windows. Sign in with an AOL app password and keep every folder, date and attachment, ready to open long after AOL access is gone.
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Your PC talks to imap.aol.com directly. No Corbett server sits in between.
Free demo, scanned clean on VirusTotal and a 30-day money-back window.
Lifetime licence from $99 Free trial saves 10 emails per folder
AOL Mail coverage
AOL clears an inbox that nobody signs in to for 12 months, and its web page saves only one message at a time. AOL Backup Tool connects over IMAP, pulls down a full AOL Mail account and writes it to a drive that you own, with folder names, dates and attachments intact.
Addresses covered
3Folders saved
7Comes across with every message
7Not included
4Mail in AOL Desktop Gold can sit offline
Desktop Gold can move messages into Saved on My PC, a file on that computer and not on AOL servers. IMAP never sees those. Drag them back to an online folder in Desktop Gold, wait for the sync, then start AOL Backup Tool.
Other mailbox pages: Yahoo backup tool, Gmail backup tool, Outlook.com backup tool, Hotmail backup tool and iCloud backup tool. Any other IMAP account is on the email backup software page.
Quick answer
AOL Backup Tool logs in to your AOL Mail address, reads every folder and writes the messages and their attachments to files on a drive you own. It signs in with an AOL app password and works on Windows only.
What it saves
AOL messages, files attached to them, pictures inside them and header lines
Where it saves
A folder on your PC, a USB stick, an external disk or a network drive
Who uses it
AOL families, small offices, Verizon customers and people leaving AOL
Core features
Five screens of AOL Backup Tool, in backup order.
Connect
Choose AOL from the service list and imap.aol.com on secure port 993 fills in by itself. Type your AOL address, paste the app password from AOL Account Security and your folders load within seconds.
AOL, AIM and Verizon addresses sign in the same way. Load a CSV file to queue family or office logins. A dropped Wi-Fi link pauses the job instead of ending it, and saved logins make the next backup a single click.
Folder selection
Inbox, Sent, Drafts, Archive, Spam, Trash and every folder built since the dial-up days show as one tree with a mail count beside every name. Hide empty folders with one switch and untick what you do not need.
Spam and Trash can stay behind on AOL. Folder names carry into your backup, so your saved copy mirrors your AOL inbox.
Message preview
Check any AOL email before it is written to disk. Beyond the normal reading pane, four extra views show what a plain archive hides, which matters when mail backs up a dispute or an insurance claim.
Content shows text, sender and recipients. Message header lists every relay server and timestamp. Properties reports size, flags and file names, while hex and raw message views show stored source code untouched.
Selective backup
Two search boxes filter folders and messages separately. Pull one tax year, one landlord or one family thread out of a 20 year old AOL inbox and save only that.
Set start and end dates, search sender, subject or body text, keep only messages with a file attached or set a size limit to skip huge video mail. Duplicates are left out of your copy.
Output options
After preview, decide where AOL mail lands: eight file formats on a drive or a direct move into a second inbox. Folders, attachments, inline images and dates survive both routes, which suits anyone leaving AOL for Gmail or Outlook.com.
Outlook PST, Thunderbird MBOX, EML, MSG, PDF, HTML, CSV and TXT are all on the list, and any local, USB or network folder works as the destination. Moving mail into a live account is covered by Email Migration Tool, and files alone are covered in AOL not downloading attachments.
Flexible use
Choose your job below. One AOL address, a family list or a move to a new provider all work in free demo first.
Back up one AOL account
Sign in with one AOL address and its app password, tick the folders you want and save a PST, MBOX or PDF copy. Best for an old inbox that AOL is close to the 12 month limit.
Back up family AOL accounts
Parents, kids and grandparents all kept AOL addresses. Load a CSV list and sign in to all of them in one session, with a separate app password on every row.
Move AOL mail to a new inbox
Point the tool at a live Gmail, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com or IMAP account instead of a folder. AOL mail lands there with its folders and dates in place.
Before connecting
AOL blocks plain passwords in outside mail programs, so three quick checks come first. All of them happen on AOL side.
Must do
Make an app password in Account Security
Sign in at AOL, open Account Security and select Generate app password. Give it a name, copy the code and paste it into AOL Backup Tool where the password goes. AOL explains the steps in AOL app password help.
Common snag
The option hides in a new browser
AOL shows the option only on a browser that you signed in with on several days in a row, and not in private mode. Make the code on your usual home or office PC.
Verizon customers
@verizon.net uses AOL servers
Verizon handed its email service to AOL in 2017. A Verizon address now signs in at imap.aol.com with an AOL app password, same as any AOL account.
Mail that shows up blank or without files is a different issue. See AOL not downloading attachments and backup Verizon emails.
Working process
Four steps move a live AOL inbox into files on your drive. Walk through them with one address in free demo first.
Add your AOL account
Download AOL Backup Tool, install it and select AOL. Enter your address and paste the app password from AOL Account Security.
Select AOL folders and filters
Your AOL folders load as one tree. Tick the ones to keep, then set a date range, sender or size to trim your backup.
Select format and location
Select a file type: PST, MBOX, EML, MSG, PDF, HTML, CSV or TXT. Then name a folder on your PC, USB stick, external disk or NAS.
Start AOL backup
Press start and watch AOL folders fill one by one. When it ends, a log and a CSV report show what landed on your drive.
Want screenshots for every click? Follow IMAP backup guide.
Working process
Prefer screenshots? IMAP backup guide covers an AOL backup step by step.
Advanced options
Small options that save hours on large AOL mailboxes.
App password sign-in
Works with AOL two-step verification
Verizon.net support
Signs in to AOL servers with an AOL app password
Bulk sign-in
Load many AOL accounts from one CSV list
Proxy support
Connect through your own proxy server
Split PST by size
Cut large PST output into smaller files
Unicode PST
Modern PST format with a 50 GB default limit in Outlook
Merge accounts
Combine many AOL accounts into one PST
Duplicate skip
Repeated emails are saved once
USB, drive and NAS
Save to USB, external disk or network storage
Live progress
Watch every AOL folder as it saves
Auto retry and resume
Recovers from dropped connections
Log and CSV report
Proof of what was saved
Choose output
AOL Backup Tool saves to eight formats. Match format to what you plan to do with your AOL mail.
| Format | Best for | Opens in |
|---|---|---|
| PST | One file for a full AOL inbox with folders intact | Microsoft Outlook |
| MBOX | Moving AOL mail to a free email client | Thunderbird and Apple Mail |
| EML | One file per AOL email, easy to search | Windows Mail and most email clients |
| MSG | Single AOL messages kept as Outlook items | Microsoft Outlook |
| Insurance claims, disputes and printing | Any PDF viewer | |
| HTML | Reading AOL mail with no email client | Any web browser |
| CSV | Lists of senders, dates and subjects | Excel and Google Sheets |
| TXT | Plain text archives of old messages | Any text editor |
Free demo
Test AOL Backup Tool on a Real AOL Inbox
Install free demo, add one AOL address with its app password and save a single folder. Open the result before spending a cent.
Download free demoTry before you buy
Free demo signs in, loads and previews your full AOL inbox. Only saving is capped.
| Feature | Free demo | Full version |
|---|---|---|
| Sign in and load AOL folders | Yes | Yes |
| Preview, filter and analysis views | All available | All available |
| Emails saved per folder | 10 | Unlimited |
| Mailbox size limit | Saving stops at 10 per folder | None |
| Price | Free | $99 one time |
| Machines per licence | Not applicable | Up to 5 |
| Money back window | Not applicable | 30 days |
Use cases
Anyone whose old mail still lives on AOL servers.
Long-time AOL users
Keep years of family photos, receipts and letters before an unused inbox hits AOL 12 month limit.
Families with shared AOL history
Save mail for parents and grandparents in one session and keep a copy for relatives who never learned an app password.
Small offices and Verizon customers
Keep a local copy of staff AOL or @verizon.net mail when someone leaves or a provider changes. One licence covers up to 5 machines.
Why Corbett
One licence
Covers AOL and 209+ other providers
No subscription
Lifetime price from $99
Read-only access
Nothing is deleted on AOL
Direct connection
No Corbett server in between
Eight formats
Plus AOL to inbox transfer
No size limit
Any AOL mailbox size or message count
Free demo
10 emails saved per folder
30 day money back
Refund window on every licence
Before purchase
AOL offers no way to export a full mailbox. Thunderbird syncs AOL Mail over IMAP for free, and for one person on one PC that is enough. Below, the free route and the paid tool side by side.
| Task | Thunderbird | AOL Backup Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | $99 one time |
| Keep one AOL inbox on a home PC | Does it well | Also fine, though the price pays for the extra rows |
| Choice of output format | MBOX files buried in a Thunderbird profile | PST, PDF and six more formats |
| Keep only one year or one sender | Downloads every AOL folder | Filters by date, sender, size or attachment |
| Inspect headers and source code | View source and nothing more | Five views from content to hex |
| Getting started | Install Thunderbird, then wait hours for the sync | Add the address and go |
| Several AOL logins | Added by hand one by one, then synced together | Queued from one CSV list |
| Using the copy later | Opens in Thunderbird or Apple Mail only | PST in Outlook, PDF on any device |
Rows tinted green are where Thunderbird comes out ahead.
A single AOL account kept in Thunderbird costs nothing, and that route is fine for many people. Manual ways to save AOL emails to hard drive are laid out in that guide.
Global recognition
Users rate Corbett backup software 4.6 out of 5 across 683 reviews, and software directories list it.
CNET
Download.io
UpdateStar
TopSoftware Advisor
SaaSHub
Uptodown
Specifications
Download details
System
Supported editions
Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8 and 7, in 32 and 64 bit. Windows Server 2025 down to 2008. Outlook is not required.
No macOS or Linux build.
Corbett has built Windows email utilities since 2020. The same team that builds AOL Backup Tool answers support tickets.
Full specification
Complete source and output list for Corbett AOL Backup Tool.
Goes in
AOL mailbox sources
Comes out
Backup destinations
To convert saved files later, use email converter tool or single-format PST File Converter Tool, MBOX File Converter and EML Converter Tool. To move AOL mail into a new account, use email migration tool. To open a saved file without exporting, use free email viewer software.
User testimonials
Taken from 683 reviews of the Corbett wizard that powers AOL Backup Tool.
Collected across 683 reviews from rating directories and customer feedback. The three below are shown word for word.
This is a really great application. I wanted to save my AOL mails to the Outlook email client, but was not finding any suitable tool to do that. With the help of this AOL backup software, I was able to perform this task easily and with complete security.
A truly amazing application. What I liked most about this tool was its ability to take the backup of multiple files, all without any data loss. AOL Email Backup Tool also worked well on Windows 7.
I wanted to take the backup of my AOL emails to keep a repository of files, just to overcome the probability of any unforeseen loss of data. I downloaded AOL Mail Backup Wizard, and I must say that I am very happy with its performance.
Best practice
A backup only helps if you can open it later. Four habits keep your saved AOL mail usable for years.
Follow 3-2-1
Three copies, two kinds of storage, one copy somewhere else. Save to your PC, copy to a USB stick or NAS and send a third copy to storage that you own in another place.
Open a sample file
Right after saving, open a few AOL messages from your backup file. A wrong path or a missing folder is easy to fix while your AOL login still works.
Name backups by date
Give every AOL backup a folder with the address and the date in its name. Backing up again copies the inbox from scratch, so dated folders keep the versions apart.
Back up before 12 months pass
AOL erases an inbox that goes unused for 12 months. Save mail now, then sign in on a schedule that suits you to keep the account alive.
Common questions
App passwords, Verizon, Desktop Gold and the limits worth knowing.
AOL treats a mailbox as inactive after 12 months without a sign-in, then erases its messages, folders, contacts and preferences, as AOL mailbox inactivity help explains. Hacked accounts and forgotten passwords lock you out just as hard, so a local copy is your fallback.
Not from AOL itself. The web inbox lets you view raw source or print one email to PDF at a time. Full folders need a program such as AOL Backup Tool.
Free demo logs in to AOL, lists your folders and opens all preview, filter and header views that paid users get. Saving stops at 10 emails per folder, enough to check a sample file first.
Your normal AOL password works only on AOL sites. Outside programs need an app password. Make one under Account Security, as AOL app password help describes, and paste it in place of your password.
AOL hides it unless you signed in on that browser over several days in a row, and it stays hidden in private mode. Use the computer and browser that you use daily. The option then appears under Account Security.
No. An AOL app password stays active after a password change. To cancel one, delete it in Account Security. Make a new app password if you ever lose the old code.
Yes. Verizon moved its mail to AOL in 2017. An @verizon.net account signs in to imap.aol.com with an AOL app password and saves like an @aol.com inbox.
Yes. Every AOL folder and subfolder is rebuilt at your destination with its original name and order. A flat single folder option exists too.
Yes. Add AOL addresses to a CSV file and queue them as one batch. Handy when parents, kids and grandparents all kept AOL accounts. Every row needs its own app password.
Yes. Photos, PDFs and documents stay attached to their emails. To save only files, or only addresses and phone numbers, use the Extract option. For addresses alone, use Email Address Extractor Software.
Only messages still on AOL servers can be reached. Anything in Saved on My PC lives in a local Desktop Gold file. Move those emails back to an online folder first.
No. You start every backup by hand and it works only while the program is open. There is no timer, no background service and no mode for new mail only, so a second backup copies your AOL inbox again. A start date and duplicate skip keep that second copy small.
There is no size or message cap in the full version. AOL throttles downloads for every mail app, so a 20 GB inbox takes longer. An interrupted backup resumes where it stopped.
If your internet drops, AOL Backup Tool retries and carries on from the last saved message once the line is back. Nothing already saved is fetched twice.
Yes. Point the tool at a live account instead of a folder and AOL mail lands in Gmail, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com or any IMAP server. A saved PST file imported into Outlook is another route.
Yes. Set a size limit and output splits into several Unicode PST files. Outlook caps a Unicode PST at 50 GB by default, as Microsoft PST file size limits documentation explains. You can also merge many AOL accounts into one PST.
Yes. Yes. Any drive or network folder that Windows can open works as your save path.
The 3-2-1 rule means three copies on two kinds of storage with one copy in another place. Keep the first on your PC and the second on USB or NAS. Store the third somewhere you own, away from home or office. CISA lists 3-2-1 in its CISA back up business data guide.
No. Your PC connects to AOL by itself and writes files to your drive. Corbett never sees or stores a message.
Yes. AOL Backup Tool opens your inbox read-only, so nothing is deleted or changed on AOL. Installer is scanned clean on VirusTotal.
No. It installs only on Windows desktops and Windows Server, from Windows 7 to 11 and Server 2008 to 2025.
One licence covers up to 5 machines. Lifetime licence has no yearly fee.
Step by step
Short guides for jobs that come up around an AOL backup.
Using the backup
More providers sit on the email backup software page. Saved files can be converted with the email converter tool. Restoring a backup into an account is handled by email recovery software, and saved files open in free email viewer software.
Get started
Download free demo, connect one AOL inbox and save a sample from every folder. A personal licence costs $99 once, refundable for 30 days.
Download free demo Purchase now
87.4 MB · Windows 11 to 7 and Windows Server 2025 to 2008 · 30 day money back