How to Export Outlook Emails Using Microsoft 365 eDiscovery

How to Back Up Outlook Emails with SysCloud

How to Back Up Outlook Emails with Native Tools

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Outlook lacks comprehensive backup options, putting critical email data at risk of permanent loss.

Limited native backup options: Export, auto-archive, and email forwarding are manual processes that don't support automated recovery or restore folder structures.

Native tools have critical gaps: eDiscovery and retention policies are limited to premium Microsoft 365 plans and can't restore deleted user accounts or emails beyond 30 days.


SysCloud offers automated, continuous backups for Outlook, enabling secure, hassle-free recovery of emails, attachments, and folder structures thereby protecting against accidental deletions, ransomware, and data corruption.

Outlook has over 400 million users. As individuals and businesses become heavily reliant on Outlook, backing up Outlook has become important. 

That’s not all. Microsoft is not responsible for maintaining a backup of your Outlook data. You cannot hold Microsoft liable for the loss of your Outlook data either. Check out the Microsoft Services Agreement.

Human error remains a leading cause of data breaches. A 2024 Mimecast study found that 95% of data breaches involved employee mistakes, with just 8% of users responsible for 80% of these incidents. This highlights the ongoing risk of accidental deletions and mismanagement of sensitive data.

According to Chainalysis’ 2024 ransomware report, total ransomware payments declined by 35% to $813 million, despite continued high attack volumes. This shift is driven by increased law enforcement action and a growing resistance to paying ransoms, yet the persistent threat underlines the need for secure, off-site backups.

3. Business continuity during service outages

Microsoft 365 is reliable, but not immune to outages. In November 2024, a widespread Microsoft 365 disruption impacted access to Outlook, SharePoint, and Teams. Backing up emails ensures uninterrupted access to important communication, even when Microsoft’s services are temporarily unavailable.

4. Internal threats from disgruntled employees

Insider threats are on the rise. According to the Ponemon Institute’s 2024 report, insider incidents now cost organizations millions annually. Backups ensure that critical email data is retained and recoverable, even if removed from a user’s mailbox.

5. Limitations of Microsoft’s native retention policies

Microsoft’s default retention settings are not intended for long-term backup. Deleted data is typically stored for only 30 days and is kept in the same environment as active mailbox data. In the event of account deletion or ransomware, this retention copy can also be lost. A third-party backup ensures independent and extended protection.

6. Regulatory compliance and legal readiness

Regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, and FERPA require organizations to retain and retrieve electronic communications. A backup strategy supports compliance by ensuring complete, accessible records of emails, attachments, and metadata for audits or legal holds.

Here are a few ways through which you can back up your Outlook account and have a second copy of all your emails whenever you need it.

The diagram above highlights the primary methods for backing up Outlook emails, including admin-level tools, third-party solutions, and native features. In the following sections, we’ll explore each of these in detail, with practical steps and key considerations.

The Microsoft 365 eDiscovery tool allows IT administrators to search and export mailbox data across user accounts for legal, compliance, or investigative purposes. Though not a traditional backup solution, it is valuable for extracting Outlook email data during audits, litigation holds, or account deprovisioning.

Available only with Microsoft 365 E3, E5, and certain compliance add-ons. Requires Compliance Administrator or eDiscovery Manager roles.

Global admin or compliance admin role in Microsoft 365

Access to the Microsoft Purview compliance portal

Step 1: Go to https://purview.microsoft.com and sign in with a Microsoft 365 admin account.

Step 2: In the left sidebar, click on Solutions.

Step 3: Under eDiscovery, select Content search.

Step 5: Fill in the following steps in the new search wizard: 

Name: Give your search a unique, descriptive name.

Locations: Choose the mailboxes you want to include in the export. You can select all or specific users.

Conditions (optional): Filter by keywords, date range, sender/recipient, or subject.

Review: Confirm all selections and click Submit to run the search.

Step 6: Once the search completes, open it and click Actions > Export results.

Step 7: Choose export settings (typically PST format) and confirm.

Step 8: Copy the Export key and click the download link to install the eDiscovery Export Tool.

Step 9: Open the Export Tool, paste the key, choose a save location, and start the export.

For detailed instructions on using Microsoft 365 eDiscovery and exporting content search results, refer to Content search in Microsoft Purview (Microsoft 365) and Export Content Search results – Microsoft Support.

Manual Outlook backup methods like PST export and AutoArchive are time-consuming, error-prone, and lack scalability, especially for organizations managing multiple users or needing to meet regulatory compliance. SysCloud offers an automated, secure, and centralized backup solution for Outlook as part of its Microsoft 365 backup suite.

SysCloud is ideal for IT administrators looking to protect user mailboxes, apply retention policies, and recover data from any point in time, without relying on end-user actions.

Automated daily backups of emails, attachments, calendars, and contacts

Point-in-time restore for individual emails, folders, or entire mailboxes

Granular search and recovery by sender, date, or subject

Retention and compliance policies aligned with HIPAA, GDPR, and other regulations

Backup deleted users’ data even after Microsoft retention periods expire

Role-based access and full audit logs for transparency and control

Step 1: Sign in to the SysCloud dashboard using your Microsoft 365 global admin account.

Step 2: From the top menu, click on Jobs.

Step 4: Enter a Job Name and optional Description to identify this backup job.

Step 5: Under Connect Clouds, select Microsoft 365 and authorize access to your organization’s account.

Step 6: Select Scope: Choose users, groups, or organizational units whose Outlook data needs to be backed up.

Step 7: In the Apps to Backup step, select Outlook (you may also include Contacts, Calendars, and Tasks).

Choose backup frequency (e.g., daily, every 6 hours) 

Define retention period (e.g., 7 years, indefinite) 

Set up notifications or exclusion filters

Step 9: Configure Add-ons (optional): Enable legal holds, compliance reports, or archive exports as needed.

Step 10: Review the configuration and click Start Backup.

While Outlook doesn’t offer a dedicated backup feature, it does include several native options that allow users to preserve email data manually. These include exporting your mailbox to a PST file, configuring AutoArchive settings, downloading messages from Outlook Web, or exporting email lists to Excel or CSV. 

Each method comes with limitations making them less suitable for business continuity or compliance. However, they can still serve as useful one-time or lightweight Outlook backup options for individual users and small teams.

Outlook allows you to export mailbox data using two built-in formats: PST (Personal Storage Table) and CSV (Comma-Separated Values). PST is ideal for full backups, including emails, attachments, calendars, and folder structure. CSV is best for exporting basic metadata in a spreadsheet format.

Note: PST and CSV export options are only available in the Classic Outlook desktop application. They are not supported in the new Outlook for Windows or in Outlook on the web.

Step 1:  Open Classic Outlook.
(Switch from “new Outlook” via toggle in top-right, if needed.)

Step 2: Go to File > Open & Export > Import/Export.

Step 3: Choose Export to a file, then click Next.

Step 4: Select Outlook Data File (.pst), then Next.

Step 5: Choose the folder (e.g., Inbox) and ensure “Include subfolders” is checked.

Step 6: Click Next, then Browse to name and save the file.

Step 7: Click Finish.
(Optional: set a password to protect the PST file.)

Step 4: Choose “Comma Separated Values (CSV)” and click Next.

Step 5: Select the email folder you wish to export (e.g., Inbox).

Step 6: Choose a destination to save your .csv file.

Step 7: Click Finish to complete the export.

PST retains emails, folders, attachments, calendar events, and formatting.

CSV only includes basic metadata (subject, sender, date); no attachments or formatting.

Both methods are manual and do not support automatic backup schedules.

To learn more, refer to Export Outlook items to a PST file and Import and export Outlook email, contacts, and calendar from Microsoft Support.

AutoArchive is a legacy Outlook feature that offers a semi-automated way to backup Outlook emails locally based on age and folder settings. While useful for reducing mailbox size, it isn't ideal as a full Outlook email backup method for businesses.

Step 2: Go to File > Options > Advanced > AutoArchive Settings.

Step 3:  Set how often AutoArchive runs and specify age limits (e.g., older than 6 months).

Step 4: Choose to move or delete items and select the archive location.

You can also configure AutoArchive for specific folders like Inbox or Sent Items:

Step 1: Right-click the folder you want to AutoArchive.

Step 2: Select Properties > go to the AutoArchive tab.

Step 3: Choose “Archive items in this folder using default settings” or set custom rules for that folder.

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How to Back Up Outlook Emails: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Worried about increasing data loss incidents in Microsoft 365? Learn all the effective ways to backup Outlook emails in Microsoft 365.

How to Back Up Outlook Emails: A Step-by-Step Guide

Why should you back up Outlook emails

How to back up Outlook emails

How to export Outlook emails using Microsoft 365 eDiscovery

Pre-requisites:

How to back up Outlook emails with SysCloud

Key features of SysCloud for Outlook backup

How to back up Outlook emails with native tools

How to back up Outlook emails by exporting to PST or CSV

To Export as a PST File:

To Export as a CSV File:

Important Notes

How to back Up Outlook emails using AutoArchive

Folder-Specific Configuration (Optional but Recommended)

Things to Keep in Mind:

How to back up Outlook emails from the web as PDF or EML

Save Outlook emails as PDF

Save Outlook emails as EML

How to back up Outlook emails using local folder drag-and-drop

Comparison of Outlook backup methods

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)