Corbett

Yahoo Backup Tool

Corbett Yahoo Backup Tool downloads a complete Yahoo Mail account to a Windows PC in ten formats from PST to ICS. Save the copy to any folder, external drive included, with folders, attachments and dates intact. Several accounts in one session, no size cap, Windows only.

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4.6 out of 5 from 683 reviews

Mail moves between the local PC and Yahoo. Nothing passes through a Corbett server.

Free demo, scanned clean on VirusTotal and a 30-day money-back window.

Lifetime licence from $99 Free trial saves 10 emails per folder

Yahoo specifics

Yahoo Backup Tool for Folders, Mail and Dates

Corbett Yahoo Backup Tool Saves a Yahoo Mail Account to a Local Drive

Yahoo empties a mailbox left unused for 12 months, and the free plan caps storage. Yahoo Backup Tool saves mail, attachments and dates to a local drive. Yahoo uses plain folders, so the structure transfers cleanly.

Comes across

Folder tree
Attachments
Inline images
Signatures
Message dates
Read and unread status
Full headers

Folders backed up

Inbox
Sent
Drafts
Archive
Trash
Custom folders

Saves as

PST
MBOX
EML
MSG
PDF
HTML
CSV
TXT
vCard
ICS

Not included

Filters and rules
Account settings
Calendar events
Alias addresses

A PDF holds the message and nothing else

Printing straight from Yahoo Mail includes the surrounding page. A PDF saved from the backup holds only the message.

Print Yahoo emails without ads

Related backup pages: Gmail backup tool, Outlook.com backup tool, Hotmail backup tool and Office 365 backup tool. Any other mail source is on the email backup software page.

Quick answer

What Is Yahoo Backup Tool?

Yahoo Backup Tool is a Windows program that downloads a complete Yahoo Mail account to a local drive. Save the copy to any folder, external drive included, with folders, attachments and dates intact. Several accounts in one session, no size cap.

What it saves

Yahoo mail, folders, attachments and dates

Where it saves

Any folder, an external drive or a new inbox

Who uses it

Yahoo users facing the 12 month inactivity rule

Core features

Inside Yahoo Backup Tool, Five Screens

Five Yahoo wizard screens, from app password to finished file.

Yahoo sign-in screen with app password field

Connect

Use a Yahoo App Password

Choose Yahoo and imap.mail.yahoo.com on port 993 is set automatically. Paste the code created in the External connections area of Yahoo and the folders for @yahoo.com, @ymail.com or @rocketmail.com load.

The login is remembered, so next month backup starts without a new code. The app password is accepted where two-step verification is on, batch mode takes several accounts from a CSV list, and pause and resume survive a weak connection.

Yahoo folder tree with message totals and checkboxes

Folder selection

Select the Yahoo Folders

Yahoo folders show as a tree with tick boxes and mail totals. Compact view hides the empty ones, a relief on a decade-old account full of abandoned folders.

Every folder and subfolder carries its own checkbox, totals sit beside every Yahoo folder, and Bulk and Trash can stay on Yahoo.

Message preview

Preview a Yahoo Message

Nothing is saved before the preview. Four analysis views sit beside the normal view, which a Yahoo account copied for a legal request needs and a plain archive does not.

Content loads the email exactly as delivered, message header charts the path from sender to mailbox, properties counts attachments and gives the size, and hex and raw message carry the encoded original.

Selective backup

Back Up Yahoo Mail by Date or Sender

Filters work before anything is written. One search box narrows folders, another narrows messages, so a single thread can be lifted out of a busy Yahoo inbox.

Start and end dates for any period, sender, subject or message content, messages that carry an attachment, a size limit to skip heavy video mail and duplicate messages skipped.

Yahoo output format and destination options

Output options

Store Yahoo Mail on Disk or in a New Inbox

After the preview, decide the target: a folder on the PC or a live mailbox elsewhere, the usual choice when a Yahoo account is being shut down.

PST, MBOX, EML and MSG for any desktop client, and PDF, HTML, CSV and TXT for offline access. Move Yahoo mail into Gmail, Microsoft 365 or another IMAP mailbox with the Yahoo Mail Migration Tool.

Flexible use

Three Ways to Back Up Yahoo Mail With One Tool

One account, a household of accounts or a move to a new inbox: Yahoo Backup Tool handles all three. Test your job in free demo before you buy.

Back up one Yahoo account

Paste the app password, tick folders and save a PST or PDF copy before the 12 month deadline.

Back up several accounts

Load a CSV list of accounts and work through them in bulk. Every account still needs its own app password.

Move Yahoo mail to a new inbox

Name Gmail, Microsoft 365 or any IMAP box as the target and the mail lands in matching folders.

Before connecting

Yahoo Mail Sign-In With an App Password

Two settings decide whether any mail software can reach a Yahoo account. Both live in Yahoo, not in the Yahoo backup tool. Neither takes more than a minute.

Check first

IMAP has to be turned on

Unlike Gmail, Yahoo still keeps an IMAP switch. Open Yahoo Mail Settings, then More Settings, then Mailboxes. Confirm IMAP access is on. A switched off IMAP is the second most common reason a setup fails.

Required

An app password, not the Yahoo password

With two-step verification switched on, the normal Yahoo password is rejected by every mail client. Open the Yahoo Account Security page, find External connections and click Create app password.

Then clean up

Delete it after the backup

Changing the Yahoo password does not cancel an app password. It keeps working until deleted on the same security page, so remove it once the backup is done.

If mail is missing instead of unreachable, the cause is elsewhere. Notes cover Yahoo Mail not syncing and Yahoo emails disappeared from inbox.

Working process

How to Back Up Yahoo Emails in Four Simple Steps

Follow four steps to get a Yahoo account onto your drive. Practice on one folder in free demo.

Create the app password

Open Yahoo Account Security, find External connections and create an app password. Choose Yahoo in the tool and paste the code.

Select folders and filters

Yahoo folders show as a tree with totals. Tick the folders to save, then limit by date, sender, attachment or size.

Select format and location

Choose PST, MBOX, EML, MSG, PDF, HTML, CSV or TXT, then point the tool at a folder, an external drive or a live mailbox.

Start Yahoo backup

Press Export and track every folder on the progress screen. A log and a CSV report list all saved mail.

Want screenshots for every click? Follow IMAP backup guide.

Working process

Yahoo Backup Tool on Video

Prefer screenshots? The IMAP backup guide shows a Yahoo backup one click at a time.

Yahoo backup tool video walkthrough showing folder selection and backup progress

Advanced options

More Yahoo Backup Features for Old Accounts

Small options that save hours on a decade-old Yahoo mailbox.

App password accepted

Works where two-step verification is on

Server filled in

imap.mail.yahoo.com on port 993

Batch from a CSV list

Several Yahoo accounts in one session

Totals per folder

A running tally beside every folder

Date range filter

Frame the backup with From and To dates

Sender and text search

Look up by sender, subject or words

Attachment filter

Only mail carrying attachments

Size limit

Skip heavy video mail

Duplicates dropped

Never save the same message twice

Pause and resume

A weak connection does not end the backup

Folder or external drive

Save to any folder or drive

Log and CSV report

Proof of what was saved

Choose output

Yahoo Backup Formats and Where They Open

Eight output formats are on offer. Match the format to what you plan to do with the saved mail.

Format	Best for	Opens in
PST	Outlook users and a move to a new inbox	Microsoft Outlook
MBOX	Moving mail to a free email client	Thunderbird and Apple Mail
EML	One file per email, easy to search	Windows Mail and most email clients
MSG	Single messages kept as Outlook items	Microsoft Outlook
PDF	Printing and reading without Outlook	Any PDF viewer
HTML	Reading mail with no email client	Any web browser
CSV	Lists of senders, dates and subjects	Excel and Google Sheets
TXT	Plain text archives of Yahoo mail	Any text editor

Free demo

Test Yahoo Backup Tool on a Yahoo Inbox

Install the free demo, paste the app password and select one folder to test. No file appears until the backup starts.

Download free demo

Try before you buy

Free Demo vs Full Yahoo Backup Tool

Free demo signs in with an app password, shows every folder, applies every filter and previews mail. Only saving is capped.

Feature	Free demo	Full version
App password sign-in and folder list	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

Download free demo Purchase now

Use cases

Who Needs Yahoo Backup Tool?

Anyone with a Yahoo address that holds mail worth keeping.

Owners of idle Yahoo accounts

Yahoo empties a mailbox unused for 12 months. A copy outlives that deadline.

Households with several accounts

Load a CSV list and save them together. One licence installs on up to 5 machines.

People with a full mailbox

Back up old years, delete them online and get under the storage cap of 15 GB to 20 GB.

Why Corbett

Why Choose Corbett Yahoo Backup Tool?

One licence

Covers Yahoo and 209+ other providers

No subscription

Lifetime price from $99

Read-only access

Nothing is deleted in Yahoo

Direct connection

PC connects to Yahoo itself

Eight formats

Plus move to a new inbox

No size limit

Any mailbox size or message count

Free demo

10 emails saved per folder

30 day money back

Refund window on every licence

Before purchase

Yahoo Backup Tool vs Thunderbird

Yahoo has no export button of its own. The free route is to add the account to Thunderbird over IMAP and let it sync, which costs nothing and works. Here is where both routes stop.

Task	Thunderbird	Yahoo Backup Tool
Cost	Free	$99 one time
One account, kept on a PC	Does it well	Also does it, the price pays for the extras
Choice of output format	MBOX only, stored inside the Thunderbird profile	Ten formats including PST and PDF
Save one sender or one year	Syncs the entire account	Date, sender, size and attachment filters
View headers and raw source	Source view only	Content, header, properties, hex and raw
Setting it up	Install a mail client, then wait for a full sync	Sign in and start
Several accounts	Added one at a time, all syncing at once	Queued together
Opening the result later	Needs Thunderbird or Apple Mail to open	Outlook opens the PST, any device opens the PDF

Rows tinted green are where Thunderbird comes out ahead.

For one Yahoo account kept as MBOX on a single computer, Thunderbird costs nothing and is good enough. The guide Save Yahoo emails to computer covers the free route in full.

Global recognition

Yahoo Backup Tool Users Trust

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

Yahoo Backup Tool Specs

Windows Versions Supported by Yahoo Backup Tool

Download details

Released: Dec 2020
Download size: 87.4 MB
Trial limit: 10 emails per folder
Delivery: Download link and key by email
Licence: Lifetime, up to 5 machines

Download Now

System

Hard disk: 150 MB to install, plus room for output
RAM: 4 GB minimum
Processor: 1 GHz, 2.4 GHz advised
Rights: Run as Administrator
Account: Yahoo app password

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 developers behind Yahoo Backup Tool answer its tickets.

Full specification

Yahoo Backup Sources and Output Formats

Complete source and output list for Corbett Yahoo Backup Tool.

Goes in

Yahoo account sources

Mail source: Yahoo Mail, ymail and rocketmail addresses
Sign-in: App password, two-step verification supported
Server: imap.mail.yahoo.com on port 993, POP3 found on its own
Item types: Emails, attachments, inline images, contacts
Folders: Inbox, Sent, Drafts, Archive, Trash and custom folders
Accounts per session: Several, batch mode from a CSV list
Mailbox size limit: None, any account size
Access mode: Read-only, nothing deleted in Yahoo
Filters: Dates, sender, subject, text, attachment, size
Local files opened: PST, OST, MBOX, EML, EMLX, MSG

Comes out

Backup destinations

Client formats: PST for Outlook, MBOX, EML, MSG
PST options: Unicode PST, split by size, merge accounts into one PST
Save locations: Any folder or external drive
Document formats: PDF, HTML, CSV, TXT
Contacts and calendar: vCard and ICS files next to the mail
Inbox destinations: Gmail, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com or any IMAP host
Separate extraction: Attachments, addresses, phone numbers, contact photos
If your line drops: Pause and resume
Reports: Live progress, log and CSV report
Restoring mail: Email Recovery Software

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 a Yahoo account to a new provider, use the Yahoo Mail Migration Tool. To open a saved file without exporting, use free email viewer software.

User testimonials

Reviews of Yahoo Backup Tool

683 reviews score the wizard that drives Yahoo Backup Tool.

4.6 out of 5

Pulled from 683 reviews on rating sites and customer emails. Below are three, quoted exactly.

Moved Yahoo to a personal account

A really wonderful software. I wanted to take the backup of multiple Yahoo emails to my personal account. This application helped me in getting the work done seamlessly, with no data loss.

Maria Gomez

Found it after a search, it worked

I wanted to backup my Yahoo mailbox. However, I wasn't sure how to get this task done. A Google search led me to this Yahoo Email backup tool and so far this solution has worked well.

Phillip Bates

Wanted the addresses only

What I really liked about this Yahoo Mail Backup tool is its ability to archive the particular files that I needed. Actually, I had to save email addresses from my Yahoo mails. For that, this application worked pretty great.

Melissa Stegner

Best practice

How to Keep Your Yahoo Backup Safe

Saved mail is only useful if it opens later. These four habits protect your Yahoo archive.

Back up before the 12 month mark

Yahoo empties a mailbox left unused for 12 months. Save the mail first.

Open a sample file

After saving, open a handful of messages. Confirm folders, photos and attachments came across.

Keep PST and PDF

Repeat the backup with a second format. PST for Outlook and PDF for reading anywhere is a common pair.

Store a copy elsewhere

Keep one copy on a home drive and one on a USB stick or NAS, named by address and date.

Common questions

Yahoo Backup Tool Questions

App passwords, Yahoo inactivity rules and the limits of the tool.

Why back up Yahoo Mail when the account is already online?

Yahoo empties any mailbox left unused for 12 months unless the account pays for Yahoo Mail Plus. Mail, folders, contacts and settings disappear. Logging back in recovers the address only. A forgotten password or a locked account cuts access just as fast, so a local copy is the version that stays safe.

My Yahoo mailbox is full. Does a backup free up space?

Not by itself. Free Yahoo accounts now carry a storage cap of 15 GB to 20 GB depending on the region. A full mailbox stops receiving mail. Anything sent to you while it is full is never stored and cannot be recovered. Back up first, confirm the copy opens, then delete from the server yourself.

Why does the tool reject my Yahoo password?

With two-step verification on, Yahoo blocks the normal password in every mail app. Open Yahoo Account Security, go to External connections, choose Create app password and paste that code into Yahoo Backup Tool.

Do I need to enable IMAP in Yahoo first?

Yes. Yahoo still keeps that switch, which is where it differs from Gmail. Open Yahoo Mail Settings, then More Settings, then Mailboxes. Confirm IMAP access is on before you connect.

Does changing my Yahoo password cancel the app password?

No. An app password keeps working after a password change. Delete it on the same Account Security page once the backup is done.

Does the Yahoo backup tool keep my folder structure?

Yes. Yahoo stores mail in plain folders, so the tree is rebuilt exactly the way it stands, subfolders included. You can also flatten it if one folder suits you better.

Can several Yahoo accounts be saved together?

Yes. Batch mode loads a CSV list of accounts and works through them in bulk, so a household or small office finishes in one session. Every account still needs its own app password.

Are Yahoo attachments and contacts saved?

Yes. Attachments and inline photos stay with their emails. Contacts held in the account export as vCard. The Extract option can also save attachments, addresses, phone numbers or contact photos by themselves.

Can I save Yahoo mail to PDF without the ads?

Yes. Printing from the Yahoo website includes the surrounding page. A PDF saved from the backup holds the message, headers and attachments. Nothing else from the screen appears in it.

Can it download only new mail on a second backup?

No. There is no incremental backup mode, so a second backup copies whatever you select instead of only what arrived since. Skipping duplicates stops the same message being saved twice. Narrowing the date range keeps a repeat backup short.

Can it handle a 20 GB Yahoo mailbox?

Yes. Neither account size nor message count is capped in the licensed edition. Yahoo limits download speed for any client, so a large mailbox takes longer. The backup does not stop partway and resumes after a dropped connection.

Can I move Yahoo mail into Gmail or Outlook instead of a file?

Yes. Select a live mailbox as the destination and mail transfers straight into Gmail, Microsoft 365, Outlook.com or any IMAP host with the Yahoo Mail Migration Tool. Saving to PST first and importing that into Outlook works too.

Does Yahoo mail travel through Corbett servers?

No. Your own PC opens the connection to Yahoo and saves to your chosen drive. Corbett keeps and forwards nothing.

Can Yahoo Backup Tool be used on macOS?

No. Windows only, from Windows 7 up to Windows 11, plus Server editions from 2008 to 2025. There is no macOS build and no Linux build.

What does the Yahoo Backup Tool demo allow?

All folders load, every filter works and every preview tab opens. Only 10 emails per folder get saved, enough to check the output.

Does it work with ymail and rocketmail addresses?

Yes. The same Yahoo login covers @yahoo.com, @ymail.com and @rocketmail.com, and all their folders load together.

Can I choose PST or MBOX for a Yahoo backup?

Yes. PST suits Outlook and MBOX suits Thunderbird or Apple Mail. Repeat the backup for a second format at no extra cost.

Does the tool delete mail from Yahoo?

No. It only reads the mailbox. Delete old folders yourself once the archive is checked.

Can I open a saved Yahoo backup without Outlook?

Yes. Open it read-only in the free email viewer software, or see Open PST file.

Does it work on Windows 7?

Yes. Windows 11 and 10 are supported along with all older versions.

Can I limit the backup to one sender or year?

Yes. Filters cover From and To dates, sender, subject, words in the mail, attachments and size. Only matching mail is written.

How much does Yahoo Backup Tool cost?

One payment of $99 buys a lifetime licence for up to 5 machines, with a 30 day refund window.

Step by step

Yahoo Mail Help Articles

Guides for Yahoo Mail tasks before and after a backup.

Saving Yahoo mail

When something is wrong

After the backup

The full list of providers sits on the email backup software page. Moving a Yahoo account uses the Yahoo Mail Migration Tool, and putting saved mail back into an inbox uses email recovery software. Related backups: Outlook.com backup tool, Office 365 backup tool, Gmail backup tool, Yahoo backup tool, iCloud backup tool, Google Workspace backup tool and Webmail backup tool.

Get started

Protect Yahoo Mail With Yahoo Backup Tool Now

Download the Yahoo Backup Tool demo, enter an app password and save a test folder. The full licence is a single $99 payment and can be refunded within 30 days.

Download free demo Purchase now

87.4 MB · Windows 11 to 7 and Windows Server 2025 to 2008 · 30 day money back