Saved an old Hotmail account
I had a Hotmail address from twenty years back that I barely use. Wanted a copy before it got deleted for being idle. Signed in through the Microsoft window, picked PST and it saved the lot without a hitch.
Core features
Outlook.com Backup Tool, Step by Step
The run in five screens, from the Microsoft login to a finished backup file.
Connect
Sign In on the Microsoft Page
Choose Outlook.com and the server fields load by themselves. Microsoft's login window then asks for the address, password and any Authenticator prompt. Once approved, the folder list opens and the token is kept by Microsoft, not by the tool.
- Server address filled in automatically
- Authenticator app, SMS code or passkey all accepted
- Microsoft dropped app passwords for personal mail, so none is needed
- Back up multiple accounts in a single pass, every one signed in separately
Folder selection
Choose the Outlook.com Folders to Keep
Focused Inbox, Other, Archive, Junk Email and Deleted Items sit in one tree with message totals. Keep two decades of Hotmail in one go or save a single old folder. Junk and Deleted can stay behind with one click.
- Every folder and subfolder has its own tick box
- Totals listed per folder before the run starts
- Subfolder nesting carried over unchanged
- Blank folders can be tucked away in compact view
Message preview
Preview Outlook.com Messages First
Open any message in a reading pane with four expert views alongside. Before an old account closes, this is how the owner confirms the right letters, receipts and photos are being saved.
- Content displays body, from, to and subject
- Message header traces every server hop the mail took
- Properties gives size, importance and attached files
- Hex and raw message reveal the complete original source
Selective backup
Back Up Outlook.com Mail by Date or Sender
Set filters first and only matching Outlook.com mail is written. Years of shopping newsletters stay behind while bank letters, tickets and family mail come along.
- Bracket the run with a from and to date
- Search by who sent it, who got it, subject or body
- Restrict the run to mail that has an attachment
- A size threshold to skip the heaviest mail
- Leave Junk Email and repeat copies out
Output options
Send Outlook.com Mail to a File or a Second Mailbox
The target is the final step. Select a folder, a plugged-in drive or a shared network path. Mail can also go to another mailbox instead of a file. Files in a document format are named to a pattern, so a large export stays easy to search.
- Outlook PST, plus MBOX, EML and MSG for Thunderbird or Apple Mail
- PDF, HTML, CSV or TXT for reading on any device
- Move the mail into Gmail, a work Microsoft 365 box or any IMAP server through the email migration tool
- Pull attachments, email addresses or phone numbers into separate files